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| Happy New Years to all of you from all of us at Fun To Teach! |
Lori
December 30, 2015
December 28, 2015
Quote for today!
December 26, 2015
Quote of the day!
Hello everyone!The definition of quote is to repeat someone else's statement, phrases or thoughts.
Here is today's!
Happy Teaching!
December 16, 2015
ESL Kids Stuff
Hello everyone!
I just visited ESL Kids Stuff and thought I would give them a shout out!
They have a wide variety of lesson plans, worksheets, flashcards, songs and classroom readers. The lesson plans I have looked at were good. Although, you have to buy a membership ($29.00 per year) to access the products they offer, I did find this product for free
ESL Kids Stuff also has a collection of articles devoted to ELD/ESL. Click here for ESL Kids / Young Learners Research Articles - Online
Here is what ESL Kids Stuff says about themselves:
We are 13 years old! ESL KidStuff 2002 - 2015
We are a group of English teachers who, like you, teach kids. We know teaching little ones up to teens is not an easy task, and just as difficult is getting good, quality materials to use in your lessons ... and finding them quickly!
Our aim, therefore, is to provide great ESL materials, specially made for teaching English to kids, which are quick and easy to find and print.
ESL KidStuff has a huge library of lesson plans, flashcards, worksheets, craft sheets, songs, and classroom readers. We will keep adding to this range as well as offering different materials.
We’d also like to help out in other areas, too - sharing teaching tips, hints and advice and making this site a useful place for you to visit time and time again. We already have quite a lot of these sections at ESL KidStuff - games, holidays activities, teaching tips, etc., and we are working on adding more!
Grab a cup of tea and take a look at ESL Kids Stuff. I would love to here what you think!
Happy Teaching!
I just visited ESL Kids Stuff and thought I would give them a shout out!
ESL Kids Stuff also has a collection of articles devoted to ELD/ESL. Click here for ESL Kids / Young Learners Research Articles - Online
Here is what ESL Kids Stuff says about themselves:
We are 13 years old! ESL KidStuff 2002 - 2015
We are a group of English teachers who, like you, teach kids. We know teaching little ones up to teens is not an easy task, and just as difficult is getting good, quality materials to use in your lessons ... and finding them quickly!
Our aim, therefore, is to provide great ESL materials, specially made for teaching English to kids, which are quick and easy to find and print.
ESL KidStuff has a huge library of lesson plans, flashcards, worksheets, craft sheets, songs, and classroom readers. We will keep adding to this range as well as offering different materials.
We’d also like to help out in other areas, too - sharing teaching tips, hints and advice and making this site a useful place for you to visit time and time again. We already have quite a lot of these sections at ESL KidStuff - games, holidays activities, teaching tips, etc., and we are working on adding more!
Grab a cup of tea and take a look at ESL Kids Stuff. I would love to here what you think!
Happy Teaching!
December 15, 2015
Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences
Hello everyone,
I wanted to share this great poster with you all. Drawing conclusions and making inferences are essential skills for students to develop. Each of these skills require students to fill in the blanks left by an author.
Students must learn to put the pieces together to understand the whole message or story the author is trying to convey.
Essential pieces to putting the puzzle together include:
Let us know what your favorite ways of teaching students how to draw conclusions and make inferences.
Click here if you would like to check out this graphic organizer. It is a great help to students when they need to extra support in writing!
Happy Teaching!
I wanted to share this great poster with you all. Drawing conclusions and making inferences are essential skills for students to develop. Each of these skills require students to fill in the blanks left by an author.
Essential pieces to putting the puzzle together include:
- Thinking about personal experiences
- Using clues from the text
- Thinking about what is known about the character
- using clues from illustrations.
Let us know what your favorite ways of teaching students how to draw conclusions and make inferences.Click here if you would like to check out this graphic organizer. It is a great help to students when they need to extra support in writing!
Happy Teaching!
December 9, 2015
Brain Breaks Video!
Hello everyone,
This short video shows a classroom teacher giving a brain break to her students. These breaks let kids move as they transition to a new subject or activity! Great idea!
What type of transition moves to you use with your students?
Happy Teaching!
This short video shows a classroom teacher giving a brain break to her students. These breaks let kids move as they transition to a new subject or activity! Great idea!
What type of transition moves to you use with your students?
Happy Teaching!
December 7, 2015
December 3, 2015
Semantic Gradients
Hello everyone,
Semantic gradients are super cool and if you haven't tried them yet read on...the following is an article I wrote for REALLY GOOD STUFF BLOG!
Happy Teaching!
Lori
Semantic gradients are super cool and if you haven't tried them yet read on...the following is an article I wrote for REALLY GOOD STUFF BLOG!
Happy Teaching!
Lori
Hello everyone,
As elementary teachers we are always looking for and finding
strategies to use with our students that broaden and deepen their understanding
when reading. We know that when students,
especially second language learners, can distinguish between the shades of
meanings of related words, then they can be more precise and imaginative in
their writing. Shades of meaning are the small differences among words that are
related to a specific topic or idea. The
Common Core Language Standard L.5 requires students to distinguish shades of
meaning among words beginning in Kindergarten and continuing through elementary
grades.
If you don’t know about semantic gradients, let me introduce
you! Semantic gradients are powerful
tools to teach elementary students the differences between related words and
increase their vocabulary. This method of improving
reading comprehension works with both English Language Learners and native English speakers
and offers classroom teachers a vehicle to reach the needs of all of students. This
type of gradient helps students distinguish between the subtle nuances of meaning
of related words and broadens their understanding of connected words. Furthermore, gradients show all students how
to use vocabulary precisely when expressing themselves in speaking and writing.
What is a Semantic Gradient?
If
you would like a free copy of the black line of the gradient I use in my
classroom, click here!
Semantic gradients are lists of related words that have
similar meanings placed on a continuum moving from one word to its
opposite. It is a continuum that order related
words by degree.
These gradients use anchor words (words and their opposites)
at each end of the gradient. The words
used in between gradually shift in meaning.
For
example, freezing and sweltering would be the anchor words for a semantic
gradient of temperature words that included the following: freezing, cold, cool, warm, hot, roasting, and
sweltering.
How do you use a Semantic Gradient?
·
Identify your 2 anchor words by choosing a word
and finding its opposite.
·
Find synonyms for each of those words and order
them to create your word list.
·
Students then order the words to create a
gradient or continuum.
Click here to download a copy of this gradient!
Where can I get more information about Semantic Gradients?
Reading rockets has an excellent, clear and informative
video on using semantic gradients in an elementary classroom.
This is a quick and effective resource on semantic
gradients:
Let me know if you use semantic gradients with your
students!
Happy Teaching,
Lori
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