Best Main Idea (Animated Reading Comprehension)
When we say animated reading comprehension, we’re not talking about cartoons or watching YouTube. We are talking about an animated text that: drives fluency, builds schema, sets a purpose for reading, and scaffolds reading comprehension. The activity Best Main Idea is an example of animated reading comprehension, and in this post, you’ll find a few tips […]
Continue readingLiteracy Block Schedules
to Fit It All In!There are so many demands on your time as a reading/writing teacher. Especially if you’re in a tested grade level or if any significant portion of your students come to you a little below grade level. So let’s look at literacy block scheduling that fits the priorities and gets results. WARNING: If […]
Continue readingScaffolding Students During Open-Ended Questions
This is the second post for scaffolding students during open-ended questions. And you can read part 1 here: 3 Ways to Use Open-Ended Questions. You know very well that scaffolding is not about giving students answers. But what is it? How can it be done in ways that promote thinking and comprehension? Scaffolding is coaching […]
Continue readingOpen-Ended Questions: 3 Ways to Get Results
Open-Ended Questions: 3 Ways to Get Results is part 1 in a three-part series on Open-Ended Questions. You can read part 2 here: Scaffolding Students in Open-Ended Questions. In the reading comprehension warm-ups, you’ll find a variety of tasks, and one of the most beneficial tasks for learning is open-ended questions. In this post, I’ll […]
Continue readingFour Schedules for Literacy Block
With our new reading comprehension warm-ups releasing in just a few days, I wanted to give you four ways you can plan daily spiral review into your literacy block – whether you have 45 minutes or 2 hours. But first, a word on the importance of consistently planning time for daily spiral review. […]
Continue readingScaffolding the Word Sorts (Spelling 1 Tutorial #3)
Scaffolding the Word Sorts (Spelling 1 Tutorial) If you’re moving into the spelling units, you will find a very challenging activity: timed and open word sorts. These word work activities show in the days marked as “spiral review”. Here’s what you need to know to help your students. Challenges in the Spiral Reviews The timed […]
Continue readingSpelling Warm-Ups with Taps and Claps
Spelling Warm-Ups Activity: Taps and Claps Integrate multi-modal learning easily with this challenging spelling warm-ups activity. <img class=”size-full wp-image-761 aligncenter” src=”https://spiralwarmups.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Taps-and-Claps-Spelling-Warm-ups-800.jpg” alt=”This is a multi-modal spelling activity that boost spelling and reading fluency.” scale=”0″> The spelling warm-ups in our Spelling 1 unit are the easiest way to have total active participation and multi-sensory spelling instruction! […]
Continue readingComprehension Killer and 8 Ways to Use Word Study
Word study kills reading comprehension. Plain and simple. But there are ways to use word study to save reading comprehension…and that’s what I’m going to show you in this post. Plus there are a few teaching bonuses along the way! If you teach in upper elementary or middle school, you know you don’t have time […]
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