Classifying & Categorizing in Action

Here is some help for those classifying & categorizing questions that appear on end of year state test.  Don't get stressed over those questions, just find fun ways to incorporate this strategy all year long in your classroom.  A Love for Reading TPT store has a bundle of Vocabulary Scavenger Hunts containing 5 fun and interactive vocabulary sorts, which require the students to determine the categories, sort all of the words and then determine the headings for each category.  We have used all 5 of these sorts with our 3rd and 4th graders and they are begging for more.  They love to race each other and see how many they can get done!  Lots of fun!  Strategies like this make reading fun & contagious!  Who said reading was not fun?   You will have your students begging to go to reading class.  Try it, and let us know what you think.  

Thanks,

Susan & Jessica

Dot It, Doodle It, Define It

Further update on Dot It, Doodle It, Define It:

Don't miss out on these fabulous little books!  They encompass so much & as our students say, "They are so much fun!"  Learning vocabulary is not boring anymore!  

1)  Your students will know how to utilize phonics rules to break words apart; helping them to become better readers, as they do not get so frustrated when they come to words that they do not know.  

2)  Your students will broaden their understanding of more and more vocabulary as they work with prefix, suffix, feelings, and academic vocabulary booklets.  (Many more to come.)  Hoping we can come up with a years worth of Dot It, Doodle It, Define It booklets to aid student in common use of vocabulary, end of year testing, and becoming well rounded individuals.

3)  Learning definitions is not boring anymore, as students discuss and talk among themselves and with their teacher to come up with "kid-friendly" pictures "doodles" to help them remember the word, as well as "kid-friendly" definitions to help them understand the word.

It is truly amazing to see the power that Spot & Dot alone give to kids.  Once you start doing it with them, they want to see if they can beat you in attacking the words in text. 

 

One little strategy + Lots of little tricks = A ton  of self - esteem to attack long, hard words!!!!!

We will try to publish some pictures of this in motion this week.  Pictures of a little video.  Stay tuned for more.