Reading Strategies Archives - English, Oh My!

• Annotating Text-Teach, Model, Apply-Teaching Students to Annotate

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Annotating Reference Sheet

Kim Crouch — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 03:22:48 +0000

Do your students struggle with annotating while reading? Help them become stronger, more intentional readers with these Annotation Reference Sheets and Bookmarks—perfect for close reading activities, literary analysis, nonfiction comprehension, and more!

Designed to align with Common Core Standards, this resource supports your students as they interact with complex texts, identify key ideas, and mark up important evidence directly on the page. Whether you’re teaching a novel, short story, informational article, or historical document, these annotation tools will help students dig deeper into what they’re reading.

Use these annotation guides during:

Novel studies
Nonfiction reading lessons
Literature circles
Independent reading time
Test prep and reading comprehension practice
Close reading stations or centers

What’s Included:

✅ A clear, easy-to-read Reference Sheet defining annotation and providing step-by-step strategies

✅ A reusable Annotation Bookmark featuring annotation symbols and tips—perfect for ANY piece of text, fiction or nonfiction

This is a must-have reading comprehension tool that will build confidence and develop critical thinking skills in your upper elementary and middle school students!

Related Products

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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Thanksgiving ELA Mystery

Sylvia Simons — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:34:50 +0000

This Thanksgiving, ditch the predictable worksheets and ignite your students’ learning with an engaging mystery!

Introducing the Thanksgiving ELA Mystery—a captivating escape room-style activity designed to boost reading comprehension and critical thinking skills while making learning fun! This resource offers a unique blend of mystery, problem-solving, and engaging ELA review, saving you valuable prep time and boosting student engagement.

Perfect For…

Thanksgiving ELA review activities for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade
Enriching reading comprehension skills for middle school students
Engaging ELA centers and station activities
Differentiated instruction for diverse learners
Supplementary Thanksgiving-themed ELA materials
Fast-paced, engaging classroom activities for pre-holiday learning
Motivating students to review key ELA concepts in a fun way

What’s Included:

Engaging Mystery Narrative: A captivating Thanksgiving-themed mystery that will hook your students from the start.
Four Challenging Puzzles: Students decipher clues involving reading comprehension, figurative language, plot diagrams, and thematic analysis to solve the mystery.
Detailed Teacher Directions: Easy-to-follow instructions for seamless implementation in your classroom.
Printable & Digital Versions: Flexibility to suit your classroom needs and technology preferences (PDF and Google Slides).
Complete Answer Key: Ensuring efficient grading and immediate feedback for your students.

How to Use This Resource:

Whole-class activity: Guide students through the mystery as a collaborative learning experience.
Small group work: Encourage teamwork and discussion as students work together to solve the puzzles.
Independent work: Perfect for early finishers or as a differentiated assignment.
Literacy centers: Add an engaging element to your literacy centers or stations.
Homework assignment: Assign portions of the mystery as engaging homework tasks.

This resource leverages the power of inquiry-based learning, encouraging active participation and critical thinking. By transforming ELA review into an engaging mystery, students are motivated to analyze text, identify figurative language, and understand plot structure—all while having fun! The problem-solving aspect enhances higher-order thinking skills, and the collaborative nature promotes teamwork and communication. This unique approach fosters a deeper understanding of key ELA concepts.

Ready to transform your Thanksgiving ELA lessons into a memorable experience? Click Add to Cart now and make learning unforgettable!

What other teachers like you have said about these mysteries…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Catherine W said, I had purchased this to fill in in March but we ended up with so many weather days I set it aside. In the last week of school, we had time to try it. The students really enjoyed the different approaches and figuring out all the bits of each puzzle. THANK you!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kris’s Classroom said, My students, LOVED this assignment!! They were engaged the entire time!! Thank you for making a fun, creative, and rigorous activity for the students!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ JoAnn W said, I love this resource! I used this with my 8th graders on a few wonky school days around the testing season. The puzzles were challenging but manageable, and my students really enjoyed narrowing down the list of suspects over time.

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

-More on my Terms of Use HERE.

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“Lamb to the Slaughter” Activity Pack

Sylvia Simons — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 05:00:59 +0000

In this “Lamb to the Slaughter” Activity Pack, your students will dive into reading comprehension, citing text-based evidence, and determining whether or not Mary Maloney is innocent with argument writing. These are engaging activities to incorporate with Roald Dahl’s short story, “Lamb to the Slaughter”, during any time of the year, but especially around Halloween!

This product is perfect for…

Author Study
Short Story Unit
Centers or Stations
Literature Unit

In this product, you will receive:

1. “Lamb to the Slaughter” Lesson Plan

The Many Moods of Mary Scaffolding Activity (Citing Text Evidence)

2. The Murder Trial of Mary Maloney

3. Argument Writing Templates & Example

4. PDF & Digital Files Included

Other Products to Pair Up with This Product:

Roald Dahl Author Adventures

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

-More on my Terms of Use HERE.

✯Did you know you receive points for your purchases on my site?✯

Yes, yes, yes! For every $1 you spend on this site, you receive points to use for future purchases :).

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• Flip Book-Poetry Terms-Great Reference Material!

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Poetry Scavenger Hunt, Poetry Analysis

Sylvia Simons — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 04:34:37 +0000

This Poetry Scavenger Hunt will have your students digging into poetic terms, poetic devices, figurative language, and poem analysis. Make this scavenger hunt a game by having your students find poetic devices in the poem, check in with you with their information, and create a challenge!

This Poetry Scavenger Hunt product is perfect for…

☀Any poem-short, long, sonnets, lyrical, etc.

-Groups, independent work

☀Challenge and competitions

*Included in this product is-

1. Instructions

2. Scavenger Hunt Ditto (Use OVER and OVER!)

3. Glossary of Poetic and Literary Devices

4. Poem, “Young Sea” by Carl Sandburg

Related Products

– Poetry Test-Identification, Application & Written Response

• Scavenger Hunt BUNDLE-Save $$$-Literary, Non-fiction, Poetry

What others have said about this product:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Catherine W, “Great way to help students “see” under the hood of a poem without killing the beauty and wonder of the work itself. Students quickly realized they would understand much more by using what they had learned from working through these. ”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sarah P said, “My students loved this activity. They are big on scavenger hunts, and escape rooms right now. I found I was able to give them this simple resource multiple times, and they were always engaged as our poem changed. To me, that is the mark of a great resource! Thanks so much!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jessica B said, “This is a wonderful resource that is very helpful with my fifth graders. My students were very engaged and enjoyed this very much. Thank you for creating such a great resource! ”

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⭐Click HERE to become a subscriber! You will receive updates and releases of my products, freebies, first-looks, and special coupon codes!

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

-More on my Terms of Use HERE.

✯Did you know you receive points for your purchases on my site?✯

Yes, yes, yes! For every $1 you spend on this site, you receive points to use for future purchases :).

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–PINTEREST

• Annotating/Annotations-Reference Sheet, Bookmark for ANY PIECE of LITERATURE!

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Reading Bookmarks

Sylvia Simons — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:43:08 +0000

These Reading Bookmarks are a great addition to a novel study or any type of literature. These are also a perfect supplement for reading logs. These tri-fold reading bookmarks capture your students’ reading thoughts, text analysis, and understanding of a novel. With these bookmarks, your students will dive deeper into their reading comprehension, critical analysis, and understanding of a novel.

The first bookmark asks students to focus on annotating text, making text connections, summarizing a chapter, and identifying new vocabulary.
The second bookmark is for chapter quotation analysis. This bookmark asks your students to choose a quote from the chapter, explain the quotation, why the quotation is important, and how they can relate to it.

★These bookmarks are perfect for…

Novel Studies
Literature
Independent Reading
Centers/Stations

★You can duplicate this bookmark over and over for an entire novel.

Related Products:

• Figurative Language Devices Bookmark, Reference, and Application

• Summarizing-Reference Sheet, Bookmark, Learning Target

What other teachers have said about this product…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fiona S. said, Thank you!! This helped my students as they were reading independently.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Libby F. said, Great for keeping kids engaged in the book they’re reading without them feeling like they have to write a book report.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kimberly M. said, Love the trifold. Very easy to keep with book and have ready for reading.

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

-More on my Terms of Use HERE.

✯Did you know you receive points for your purchases on my site?✯

Yes, yes, yes! For every $1 you spend on this site, you receive points to use for future purchases :).

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April Fools’ Day Color by Code Reading Comprehension Activity

Sylvia Simons — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:16:10 +0000

Are you looking for an engaging April Fools’ Day activity for your ELA students? Check out this Color By Code April Fool’s Day Activity.

This reading comprehension April Fools Day activity asks your students to read an interesting article about the creation of the day, as well as the best pranks of all times! Your students will learn all about April Fools Day and the fun and humor surrounding the day. Your students will also answer 15 multiple choices Common Core questions on the author’s purpose, theme, main idea, and other important reading skills. They will have to dig deep into the text to find their answers. Then, your students will color in the picture with the color associated with the correct answer.

This activity is perfect for…

Independent Reading
Engaging your students with art and reading
Stations & Centers
State Testing Review

In this product, you will receive:

1. 2 ½ Page Original Article – Keep Calm-It’s Just April Fools’ Day

2. 15 Multiple Choice Reading Comprehension Questions with an Answer Key

3. Coloring Page with Example

What Other Teachers Have Said About My Original Articles…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leigh B said, “My students loved being able to learn more about one of their fav games. We used this during distance learning last spring and again in person this year. It is a great resource. I had my students use this to write an argumentative essay on the game. Thanks!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lucy A said, “My students’ faces lit up when I showed them this activity! They were so engaged and actually asked me if we could continue working on it past the end of the class period. Totally relevant to today’s kids!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Laura G said, “My students enjoyed reading this article. It prompted further discussion. The writing assignment along with the reading comp questions was relevant and very helpful, as well as the template and rubric.”

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

-More on my Terms of Use HERE.

✯Did you know you receive points for your purchases on my site?✯

Yes, yes, yes! For every $1 you spend on this site, you receive points to use for future purchases :).

✏️FEEDBACK✏️

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