Providing consistent opportunities for students to learn about and practice social emotional skills in middle school advisory can aid in their behavioral and academic growth. Teacher Kasey Short suggests 14 read-aloud picture books with questions that can support that growth.
Anne Anderson has added read-alouds and other picture books to her calendar celebrations – an engaging collection of odd information, birthdays of the famous and not-so-famous, and lesser-known holidays. See the Fantastic Flying Books and other top picks for December, January and February!
Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart dive deep into using picture books in upper level classrooms to meet state standards and increase student mastery. In this 3rd post on the topic they share examples, research, and stories from their own teaching experiences.
In Part 2 of a series on using picture books in middle school, Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart focus on “the simple power” of stories with minimal text to set the stage for lessons, provide background knowledge, and make efficient use of daily class time. Example: Eva Bunting’s Terrible Things.
Students at ages 9-13 still want to hear their teachers read aloud, want to sit on the rug, want to engage in stories. Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart share evidence that picture books are also an effective way to teach figurative language and other ELA standards.
Picture books make for great hooks at the beginning of lessons – capturing our attention and get us curious for the learning to come. They can also be perfect tools for introducing Genius Hour concepts. GH evangelists Gallit Zvi and Denise Krebs choose 10 favorites.
Articles / Picture Books / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 03/05/2018 · Last modified 03/02/2024
When Megan Kelly uses wordless picture books in her middle grades classroom, she’s able to push her students deeper. Learn about some of the intriguing texts she uses to improve inference skills, reinforce vocabulary, inspire descriptive writing, and support ELLs.
What’s one of the most fun ways to introduce students to a new science concept, a historical era, or a math idea? A picture book biography! NBCT and media specialist Christina Dorr suggests tying them to standards, using them as read alouds, or for individual student motivation.
Bring exploration, fact-gathering and deduction to grades 3-5 life science classes with Stewart and Chesley’s “Perfect Pairs.” Full of standards-based lessons aligned to fiction/nonfiction picture books. Literacy coach Pam Hamilton eager to share it with teachers.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Teaching Strategies
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 02/12/2017 · Last modified 11/15/2023
Activating prior knowledge and building background knowledge are crucial steps in preparing students for whole class novels and other assigned readings. Cheryl Mizerny shares a dozen strategies she’s developed to promote enthusiastic reading among her students.
