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Teach main idea so it actually sticks with your students this year. This 'main idea recipe' is the perfect formula for helping students identify, write, and explain the main idea of any text. This formula works with passages, test prep, tests, and books! Teach students the steps for identifying main idea, and the 'ingredients' that every other gives us in the test to find it. This is the perfect text-evidence and main idea teaching activity for small groups, whole group, or intervention.

Make comprehension visual with structure-specific graphic organizers! From cause/effect chains to compare/contrast Venns, this post shows how to use them during and after reading. A game-changer for small groups and independent practice. ​ ​#text structure anchor chart, text structures, text structure activities, text structure worksheets, teaching text structure, informational text structures, compare and contrast, Text Structure Anchor Chart 3rd ​Description Text Structure Anchor...

When I teach one of reading’s key concepts, finding the main idea using informational text, I like to start off the unit with something really fun…kind of like how I sometimes eat my dessert first and dinner afterward…It just makes good sense to hook the kids into whatever concept you’re teaching by making it fun! […]

Looking for a way to make teaching informational text structures both easy and fun? This unit has everything you need and includes print and digital versions to give you greater flexibility!! You can easily scaffold learning by using the labeled teaching pages as whole-class ready-to-go lessons. Then give students one of the unlabeled passages with comprehension questions each day to reinforce the concepts. Perfect for paired practice or independent work. Next, add some task cards (32 of...

If you're teaching text structure, these 5 ideas are GAME CHANGERS! When reading nonficiton material, students always need more practice. It's essential to ensure that your upper elementary students are diving deep into the structures of informational texts to build their comprehension skills. So, these five quick, simple tips and ideas will help you do this starting NOW. Click the pin to learn how to add these ideas into your language arts instruction!

Because of the difficulty that many students have with identifying main idea, much practice is needed throughout the school year and this fun main idea

Need to help bring text structure to life for your students? Check out these unique mentor texts that I've picked out just for you!

Using the RACE strategy is an effective way to help students answer constructed response reading questions. Read tips for using this strategy in this post.

This checklist helps navigate students through the process of citing evidence in a short answer written response using the RACES method. RACES stands for Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain, and Summarize. The checklist includes information that needs to be met in order to cite evidence; such as using ...

A space to share ideas, student successes, and things I love about my job! Teaching the I.B. Primary Years Program.