Students gather factual information about frogs and toads to create nonfiction and fiction stories. Drawing is used for prewriting.

Students bring the print-rich environment of the community into the classroom through the use of environmental print, enabling emergent readers to delight in the realization that they are indeed readers.

A brief classroom activity for students from NCTE which commemorates the birthdate of Latin American author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Also provides lesson plans, web links, and a bibliography. From March 6, 2007.

This online lesson introduces students to many different approaches toward learning about rhyme and other similarities in words, such as shared/guided reading and small group instruction. A good tool for increasing students' phonological awareness through learning rhyme and word similarities.

Students read "The Jolly Postman", in which a postman delivers letters to storybook characters. They explore different types of mail and categorize letters from the book and their own mail. Children find favorite words, phrases, and sentences from familiar stories. Working together, they combine their words and phrases to create a poem. The poem is then shared as performance poetry.

Teachers and students come to school bringing a wide range of backgrounds, languages, abilities, and temperaments. Get things off to the best start by asking them to respect their differences and make the most of their similarities. By sharing information on their lives and dreams, students and teachers can build community in the classroom that will support literacy instruction throughout the school year.

Students build classroom community as they get to know each other and their teacher better by sharing what they like to do outside school.

This lesson plan explores the scaring methods employed by Gothic literature and ghost stories. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.

Through a shared reading of the familiar text, "The Gingerbread Man," students can learn to sound out familiar words. You will find step-by-step instructions as well as supplemental materials.

Students present monologues in the "voice" of someone involved in child labor in England, respond to questions, and then discuss contemporary child laborers and compare them to the past.

Students write and record their own essays for a class blog by first completing a series of activities designed to get them thinking and writing about their experiences.

The Graphic Map assists teachers and students in reading and writing activities by charting the high and low points related to a particular item or group of items, such as events during a day or chapters in a book.

After researching nutrition and analyzing food advertisements, students work in cooperative groups to create their own advertisements for food products.

Contains plans for a language activity called "Guess What's in the Bag." Students try to guess the object in a bag in order to develop descriptive language, listening, and problem solving skills. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well as assessment and reflection activities.

This lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of evaluating. Students learn this strategy through the "meeting of the minds" technique that teaches them to act out opposing views of two or more characters.

Lesson introduces students to the strategy of making connections. Students learn the three types of connections using a double-entry journal. A good resource for teachers.

Online lesson introduces students to the concept of monitoring. Students learn the INSERT technique, which allows them to monitor their thinking and comprehension using a coding system.

This lesson introduces students to the comprehension technique of previewing. Students use anticipation guides to preview and predict stories and work in small groups.

Online lesson introduces students to the concept of self-questioning, assisting them in an understanding of question-answer relationships that should improve their reading comprehension skills. In-depth study will lead to improved reading understanding.

Lesson that introduces students to the comprehension technique of summarizing. Students learn using the QuIP (questions into paragraphs) method which involves organizing information and putting it in writing.