The Measured Mom and I are spending a few weeks talking about some components of balanced literacy. These are things we will be exploring in-depth in our upcoming course! *This post contains affiliate links. I fondly remember singing songs and learning simple poetry with my students during our morning meeting time when I taught Kindergarten. I would write the words on chart paper and display it so we could all see it. Down by the Bay by Raffi was one of our favorites. I still have fun with my own kiddos at home, displaying songs or my own poetry for us to experience ... Continue Reading
Comprehension
Teaching Vocabulary Without Dictionaries
Teaching vocabulary most definitely includes using the dictionary, right? Perhaps. But today, we're going to explore teaching vocabulary WITHOUT dictionaries! *This post contains affiliate links. So, can it be done? Can you really ditch the dictionary when it comes to vocabulary instruction? Well, maybe not completely. Today, I'm sharing 8 different ways you can explore and teach vocabulary without asking learners to open their dictionaries. Why Not the Dictionary? Here are just two quick reasons the dictionary shouldn't be your first "go-to" when teaching vocabulary ... Continue Reading
Checking Comprehension in K-2
Checking comprehension isn't always as neat and easy as checking to see if a learner knows their math facts. The way one person processes a text can be be different than another person. And the way that same person processes one kind of text will look different when they read another type of text. Checking comprehension is as clear as mud now, right? *This post contains affiliate links. **Download the free comprehension cheat sheet towards the end of this post. What is Comprehension? Simply put, comprehension is understanding. It's making meaning of and processing the words ... Continue Reading
FREE Nonfiction Retelling Chart with MUSH
Nonfiction. Just the thought of reading and retelling it makes some kids' brains feel like they've turned to mush! But MUSH may just save them with this fun Nonfiction Retelling Chart! A couple of years ago, I created a SCOOP fiction retelling chart for stories. It's been such a popular one for readers. I've had several requests for a nonfiction chart for retelling. Well, I've just created an entire Nonfiction Pack, based on MUSH, and I'm sharing a freebie from it today! *This post contains affiliate links. **The free download can be found at the END of this post. Look for and ... Continue Reading
Printable Comprehension Book List
If you're working on comprehension strategies or skills with your learners and need to find a book or two, just use this free Printable Comprehension Book List! Take it to the library or to your favorite book shop as a resource! These printable book lists are companions to our popular 50+ Books for Modeling Comprehension Book Lists. *This post contains affiliate links. **The free download is at the END of this post. Click on the teal, download button. Printable Comprehension Book List Just like our other printable book lists for kids {based off our 10 most popular book lists ... Continue Reading