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Classroom Resources

Monthly Themes

Celebrate Reading

Writing Prompt

Persuasion:

Everyone has a favorite book. Have students write a persuasive paragraph convincing someone to read a favorite book.

Activities

Grades K–1: Language Arts/Physical Education
Body Language

This is a fun activity that is sure to produce laughter while students learn the letters of the alphabet. Take students to the gym or to the playground. Arrange the students in groups of two or more to form the shape of an alphabet letter. Invite another adult or older student to take a picture of each “letter.” If possible, take pictures from a height to get a clear image.

Grades K–2: Language Arts/Art
“Picture” Books

Read a favorite picture book to students. Then have them draw pictures of a favorite part. Younger students can dictate their reasons for choosing a particular moment in the book.

Grades K–2: Reading
Memorable Characters

Have students make, then play, a memory match game to review story characters they've read about.

Grades K–2: Reading/Art
Picture This

Have students express their creativity and knowledge of story characters by creating a mural of their favorite story characters.

Grades K–2: Reading
ABC Book

Students will enjoy learning the alphabet by making their own personal name books. Have each student color the letters in his or her name, as well as the number of his or her age.

Grades K–2: Reading
Ordering an Alphabet

Have each student practice putting the letters of the alphabet in order.

Grades K–2: Reading
Town Mouse Country Mouse

Students can read, or you can read to them, Town Mouse Country Mouse, as retold by Jan Brett. Then have the students retell the story, using beautiful finger puppets created by Jan Brett.

Grades K–2: Reading
The Mitten

Students can read, or you can read to them, The Mitten, as retold by Jan Brett. Then have the students retell the story, using Jan Brett's beautifully drawn masks.

Grades K–6: Language Arts
Story Bags

For homework, have each student fill a small lunch bag with five objects. In class the next day, have students exchange their bags with another student. Then have each student write or tell a story using the objects in the bag.

Grades K–8: Reading
Virtual Library

Whenever your students say they don't know what to read, send them to a children's website to find a book.

Grades K–8: Reading/Language Arts
Know Kidding

Are your students word pros? Have them choose the correct definitions for unknown words.

  • Fake Out!
  • http://www.eduplace.com/fakeout/index.html
Grades 1–2: Reading
A Book Order

Make photocopies of a storybook and rearrange the order of the pages. You might want to cover the page numbers. Then have the students, individually or in small groups, look at the pages and rearrange the book so that it makes sense and tells a logical story.

Grades 1–2: Reading
Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice makes perfect. Have students practice writing the letters of the alphabet.

  • Alphabet Set 1 (beginner)
  • http://www.beginningreading.com/Alphabet%20Set%201.htm
  • Alphabet Set 2 (advanced)
  • http://www.beginningreading.com/Alphabet%20Set%202.htm
Grades 1–2: Reading
Cloze to Reading

The cloze technique is a simple but effective reading activity. Cover several words on each page in a storybook. Then read aloud the story and have students choose a word that would work best in the story. Discuss which words would work and why.

Grades 1–8: Reading/Language Arts
Dear Writer:

Children's authors love to receive real mail. Have students write a letter to a favorite author.

Grades 1–8: Art
Bookmarks Mark the Spot

Have each student create a personal bookmark. Provide students with assorted art materials, such as paper, markers, stickers, pictures, glue, glitter, scissors, and tape. If possible, laminate the bookmarks.

Grades 1–8: Reading
Bring Characters to Life

Have students focus on a book character's appearance, and represent the character in a life-size (or almost-life-size) picture of the character.

Grades 2–3: Reading/Language Arts
Fun with Opposites

Have students practice recognizing antonyms in an online game.

  • Squanky
  • http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/games/squanky/squanky.html
Grades 2–6: Reading/Language Arts
Word Finds

Have students find reading-related words hidden in a puzzle.

  • Reading (grades 2–3) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/pdf/reading_easy_wf.pdf
  • Reading Answer Key (grades 2–3) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/pdf/reading_easy_wf_key.pdf
  • Reading (grades 4–6) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/pdf/reading_hard_wf.pdf
  • Reading Answer Key (grades 4–6) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/pdf/reading_hard_wf_key.pdf
Grades 3–4: Reading/Language Arts
ABC Smarts

Put students behind the wheel of the SmartMobile. Challenge them, with an interactive game, to place words in correct alphabetical order through the third letter.

Grades 3–5: Language Arts
Collector Cards

Have your students make collector cards that illustrate favorite books.

  • Great Books
  • http://www.eduplace.com/activity/great_books.html
Grades 3–5: Reading/Language Arts
Rolling Off the Tongue

Have students build verbal reading fluency by practicing tongue twisters.

Grades 3–6: Language Arts/Social Studies
Why in the World

Have students explore pourquoi tales, which give colorful explanations for things that happen in nature. Then have them write their own folktales.

Grades 3–8: Reading/Language Arts
Wacky Web Tales

Students can create and read wacky stories by filling in the blanks with parts of speech.

Grades 3–8: Reading/Social Studies
Happy Birthday!

On any given day, it's an author's birthday. Have students discover if an author shares this happy day with any of them.

Grades 4–5: Reading
Book Match

Have students match up book characters and authors.

Grades 4–8: Reading/Language Arts
Editor to the Rescue

Peter Parker (AKA Spider-Man) needs help completing a story. Have students read the story, study the picture, and give Parker the editorial help he needs.

Grades 4–8: Reading
For Reading Out Loud!

Have students choose a fable to read aloud to another classmate, a small group, or the entire class.

Grades 5–8: Reading
Harry Potter Trivia

Have Harry Potter fans test their trivia knowledge with these quizzes.

Grades 6–8: Reading
Newbery Medal Books Match

Challenge your students to see if they can match Newbery-winning authors to the books that won the medal.

Grades 7–8: Reading/Language Arts
Terms of Literature

Put students' knowledge of literary terms to the test with a challenging online game.

Grades 7–8: Language Arts
Crossword Puzzle

Have students test their knowledge of reading.

Houghton Mifflin