Reading can transport children to far-off lands, introduce them to beloved characters, and entertain them for hours. It also can boost their vocabulary, increase their attention span, and set them up for academic success.
Yet many children today spend more time on a device than with a book. Here are some strategies that parents can use to cultivate a love for reading with their children.
Teachers, this is a great article to share with your class parents.
Make reading a daily habit.
Set a regular time in your child’s schedule to read, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes. It could be part of their bedtime routine during weekdays or quiet time on weekends. Read aloud to your children if they can’t yet read, or even if they can. Importantly, let your children see you read, too.
Create a special space for reading in your home.
Reading is pleasurable. Your special spot for reading should be, too. Find a place in your home that is quiet and away from TV or computers. Add a comfortable chair and a light. Include a table so that you can enjoy some tea or hot cocoa as you read. Lay a blanket on the back of the chair so you can wrap yourself in warmth. For young children, create child-sized spaces with books on low shelves or in floor bins so kids can easily reach them.
Make reading a family affair.
Schedule a family reading day. Make special book-themed snacks, read the book, and watch the movie. Incorporate books into your holiday traditions. Play reading bingo. Help your children find books on topics that interest them, or with characters to whom they can relate. Choose a fun family project that you need to research using books. Involve your children in finding the information and completing the project with you. Read the same book your child is reading so you can talk about it. You can even take turns reading aloud.
Tip for a reluctant reader: Read aloud but stop at an exciting cliffhanger. Then put the book down and walk away. Your child might just pick it up to find out what happened!
Keep track of books to read.
Make a list of the books your child wants to read. Ask friends for suggestions. Look up other books of authors your child likes. Keep a log of what your child has read with notes if you’d like. It’s fun to look at that list after a few months. You can set up a Pinterest board with the books they’ve read, too. Ask your child to set a goal for how many books he/she wants to read. When your child reaches the goal, celebrate!
Visit the library and bookstores.
Take regular trips to get more reading material. The library is a wonderful place to start, plus it’s free. Try the used bookstore, too, where you can get great bargains. Choose books that are fun and engaging and books that help children develop important skills. The most popular authors are often great storytellers.
Carry a book or ebook reader.
Reading is a great way to pass the time. Keep one (or more) books or an e-reader in your car or bag so your child can read while traveling, waiting in line at the bank, or anytime there is downtime. Keep your child’s latest read in his/her backpack so he can take advantage of downtime at school.
Start a book club.
A parent-child book club can be great fun. Make the book choice one that fosters lively discussion. Relate it to your personal lives. Ask for honest reviews of the book. Bring star stickers for the kids to use as ratings. Incorporate a fun snack that is related to the book.
Attend storytimes, author visits, and book events.
Join other book lovers to celebrate reading at fun events hosted at your local library, bookstore, or in your community. Look for local events held during National Read Across America Day on March 2.
Join an online community.
One popular site for finding book recommendations is Goodreads, but you have to be 13 or older to join. (Adults can join and search for children’s books, however.) For younger readers, try Biblionasium, a free and safe community for readers in grades K-8. The site is searchable by reading level and students may build their own virtual bookshelf. DogoBooks is a paid site that hosts the National Geographic Kids Book Club and features contests and giveaways.
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You spend a lot of time planning meaningful instruction. So, when a rowdy student upends a lesson, it can be frustrating.
Classroom management is one of the trickier parts of teaching. It’s something you learn on the job; the average teacher training program devotes just about 8 hours to the topic.
The good news is that it’s never too late to establish rules and routines. Whether you’re a veteran educator or a new teacher, here are some behavior management tips to take charge of your class.
Tip #1: Set up conditions so that misbehavior is less likely.
Give your students the greatest chance for success by creating an environment that encourages best behavior.
Greet students at the door and by name. This sets a positive tone and connects with them at the start.
Set up the physical flow in the classroom so there are no bottlenecks or potential areas of conflict. A well-organized classroom makes a difference.
Give students a choice in their seating but move them if they are unable to behave or get their work done.
Add creative areas such as bean bags, couches and rugs as choices for students.
Set expectations with your students so that they know the standards for behavior in your classroom.
Make sure your classroom rules state the desired behavior and not what students shouldn’t do. For example, use “Speak in an inside voice” rather than “Don’t yell.”
Keep your list of rules short – no more than five if possible. Develop the rules together with the students so that they are invested in them.
Procedures are different from rules. Procedures are how students line up, transition from one activity to another, move around the room, hand in homework, etc. Make sure you have a clear idea of your procedures, then teach those to your students.
Make sure directions are clear and easy to follow.
Notice where your current class tends to “fall apart” in following procedures. List the steps needed and give students a chance to practice. Incorporate plenty of praise.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Students know when teachers are inconsistent and can take advantage of those opportunities.
Tip #3: Prepare for disruptions.
Interruptions and transitions offer opportunities for student misbehavior. Being prepared is your best defense.
Students aren’t the only ones distracted during transitions. Teachers are too, as we prepare for the next part of the lesson. Take time to observe your students’ transition before you organize your own. This will allow you to intervene if needed.
Provide a five-minute warning for a transition.
Students move at different speeds. The ones who arrive first to the carpet look for something to amuse themselves, such as pulling hair, etc. Make sure they know what is allowed during that “downtime.”
Similarly, provide specific ideas for early finishers so they’re not just sitting at their desks, wandering around the room, or bored.
Tip #4: Use creative techniques to get attention.
Make sure that you have the attention of the full class before giving instructions. There are many ways to get students attention. Choose one main way, but you can vary it depending on the situation or just to create interest.
Use sound: ring a small bell or bring in wind chimes or a rain stick. The more unusual sounds might pique student interest.
Use visual cues: flick the lights or use a hand signal such as the peace sign. Hold your fingers up and, as students notice, they stop talking and hold their hands up too.
Clap out a pattern that the class then has to duplicate.
Teacher: “Macaroni and cheese.” / Class: “Everybody freeze.”
Tip #5: Set Up Rewards and Consequences.
Rewards for good behavior and consequences for bad behavior are effective. Remember to focus on the behavior and not the student.
Rewards:
Catch students being good and praise the positive behavior to the class. “I really like that Emma is raising her hand.”
Give out raffle tickets during a lesson to students who are actively listening and exhibiting the behavior you want. Then, host a weekly drawing for prizes.
Reward a well-behaved class with a special snack or extra recess time or a chance at the classroom prize jar.
Reward individual students with a homework pass, a chance to play a non-academic computer game, stickers, or a note of praise to the child’s parents. Be creative. Giving your student a chance to sit in the teacher’s chair or to go first all day are both coveted rewards that won’t cost anything.
Consequences:
Use low-key responses first to get a misbehaving student’s attention. Look at them and pause. Stand near them. Say the student’s name and nothing else.
Request the student to stop, using minimal words.
Remove the object that is causing the behavior, if there is one.
Don’t get angry. Count to 5. Then deliver a logical consequence. Be brief. When students are agitated, they are unable to process. Do not give them any chance for debate or negotiation.
Have a buddy class where you can send a student who misbehaves. Set it up ahead of time with the other teacher.
Avoid punishing the class for the actions of one student.
Create an individual behavior plan for students with repeated negative behaviors.
Tip #6: Consider high-tech help for behavior management
There are technology tools on the market that can be used in classroom management. Here are some popular ones, many of which are free or include free elements.
Stop-Go! – Using a traffic light, this free app is a timer. It works with your iPad or iPhone.
ClassDojo – Students are assigned monster avatars in this free program. Their monsters get points for following class values set by the teacher. Teachers also can post photos and messages to parents.
Too Noisy – This app comes in a free online version. It monitors the noise level in the classroom with a noise meter and changing graphics if the class is too noisy.
The Great Behavior Game – You teach as usual, but assign timeouts or freeze students from earning points if they are disruptive. This game is designed for grades K-5.
Classcraft – Classcraft gamifies behavior management with student avatars that earn special powers for making good choices. There are free and paid versions of this program.
Tip #7: Ask for help.
Remember that you don’t have to do this alone. You have great resources within shouting distance.
Ask an experienced teacher to mentor you in behavior management.
Start a support group for classroom management at your school and share challenges and ideas.
Consider peer teaching. Another adult in the room can help.
Remember that classroom management takes time and practice. Adjust your expectations and give yourself some grace.
Do you have a classroom management tip that isn’t on this list? We’d love to hear it. Share it with us and other Educators in the comments.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Pumpkins, candy, and costumes! With flaps that reveal fun Halloween surprises, this Pete the Cat holiday story is sure to be a sweet treat for your little trick-or-treaters. Follow Pete as he goes trick-or-treating from house to house and discover what is waiting behind each door.
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!
Another fun tale of Jasper Rabbit! Jasper loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots. He eats them on the way to school. He eats them going to Little League. He eats them walking home. Until the day the carrots start following him…or are they?
Beep! Beep! It’s Halloween! Little Blue Truck is picking up his animal friends for a costume party. Lift the flaps in this large, sturdy board book to find out who’s dressed up in each costume! Will Blue wear a costume too?
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!
In this first book in the series, Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is ALIVE! Sam finds this out on his first day as the school hall monitor. Sam must defend himself and his fellow students against the evil school! Is Sam up to the challenge? He’ll find out soon enough: the class play is just around the corner. Sam teams up with friends Lucy and Antonio to stop this scary school before it’s too late!
Get ready to laugh along in this fun children’s monster book as a brave young ninja heads into the closet to meet the monster that’s been so scary night after night! But what if our monster isn’t scary at all? Maybe our hero is about to make a friend of the strangest sort…
It’s Halloween, and you know what that means! Candy! Costumes! More candy! What would happen if a kid ate a million hundred pounds of chocolate in one night? One thing’s for sure—when the kids from Ella Mentry School go trick-or-treating, it will be a Halloween to remember.
Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There’s nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma’s stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!
The first pumpkin Tim ever carved was fierce and funny, and he named it Jack. When Halloween was over and the pumpkin was beginning to rot, Tim set it out in the garden and throughout the weeks he watched it change. By spring, a plant began to grow! Will Hubbell’s gentle story and beautifully detailed illustrations give an intimate look at the cycle of life.
Harold, the dog thinks the Monroes’ new pet rabbit is just a cute little bunny. But when the vegetables in the Monroes’ kitchen start turning white, Chester the cat is worried. Could Bunnicula be a vampire bunny? Chester will stop at nothing to protect the Monroes and their vegetables from the threat.
Halloween is the Bad Seed’s favorite holiday of the year. But what’s a seed to do when he can’t find a show-stopping costume for the big night? Postpone trick-or-treating for everyone, of course! Can he get a costume together in time? Or will this seed return to his baaaaaaaaad ways?
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Fire safety comes in many forms- drills, procedures, seminars, dedicated months/weeks, etc. But nothing prepares you for the scare of an unplanned fire alarm, especially when you are in the classroom. No matter what, when you are a teacher, your students are your first priority. It’s the extra effort that you put in as a teacher that ensures everyone stays safe during an emergency, like a fire.
In honor of Fire Safety Month, we wanted to share why and when fires happen in schools, and what else you can do to encourage fire safety.
A Brief History of School Fire Safety
On March 4, 1908, a fire broke out at the Lake View School in Ohio. There was only one staircase in the four-story building with no fire doors or exits. Between the oiled floors and the wood interior, the fire quickly caught and trapped students and staff inside, ultimately killing 172 students, 2 teachers, and a rescuer.
That tragedy did more than just make headlines. It changed the face of fire safety in schools and public buildings. As a result, today’s schools have fire escapes and exit plans, sprinkler systems and alarms, and even push bars on exit doors – rather than doorknobs — for easy access to the outside.
School Fire Trends
Schools may not have oiled floors anymore but they do have plenty of flammable materials; furniture, paper, cooking materials, electric cords, and even chemicals in the science lab.
Whether as a result of these hazards or something else, there were an average of 3,230 school fires annually from 2014-2018, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Fires most often started in a bathroom or school locker.
Two-thirds of the fires occurred between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., roughly when students are present at school.
Two out of every five fires were started intentionally.
Prevention and preparedness are key to staff and students staying safe in the event of a fire.
Fire Safety Checklist for Your Classroom
You can set the stage for fire safety with your students in your classroom. Here’s how.
Practice fire drills with students so that they know how to respond to a fire alarm.
Pair special needs students with a classmate for drills.
Make sure your room map clearly marks exits and shows two or more escape routes.
Keep your class list with contact information by the door so you can easily grab it as you leave.
Make sure combustible materials are away from heaters.
Check that the decorations hanging from the ceiling do not block sprinklers.
Make sure there are no flammable items or paper on or above the exit door.
Check electrical cords and appliances for wear. Disconnect them when not in use.
Avoid overloading outlets.
Do not use candles or open flames in the classroom.
Invite your local fire department to come in for a presentation on fire safety.
Incorporate a fire safety curriculum. You’ll find great resources on websites like Fire Safe Kids and Fire Facts.
Fire Safety Checklist for Your School
Fire safety is a schoolwide effort. You may wish to share this checklist with your school administrator.
Store trash away from the building; lock lids for extra safety.
Boost exterior lighting with motion sensors.
Trim trees and shrubs around the building. Consider fire-resistant landscaping, which are shrubs and trees that store water and take longer to burn. Plant them around the perimeter 30 feet from the school and 10 feet from each other.
Put alarms on doors, windows, ventilator openings, roof hatches to prevent vandalism that can lead to arson.
Ask neighbors to be alert for signs of vandalism.
Make sure there is clear access to exits and to alarms.
Hold monthly fire drills with staff and students that are both scheduled and unexpected.
Review the emergency evacuation plan annually and make sure the school is up to code from sprinkler systems to cafeteria equipment, unobstructed doorways, and more. Your local fire department can help guide you.
Do a walk-through with staff so they know the locations of the fire exits.
Do not allow cars to block fire lanes in the event of an emergency.
Fire Safety Checklist for the College Dorm
College is when students are on their own for the first time. Share this list with your college-age son or daughter to keep fire safety top of mind.
Cook only in designated areas in the dorm building.
Keep cooking areas clutter-free.
In case of a fire in a microwave, shut the door and unplug the appliance. Wait until the first goes out.
Make sure you have a working smoke alarm.
Identify the two closest exits to your room.
Report fire equipment that is vandalized.
Know the locations of the fire alarms and how to use them.
You may not be able to predict when a fire will break out, but you can anticipate it and practice fire safety- at home and in the classroom.
Stay prepared, stay safe.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
You’ve heard the craze, but have you jumped on the fidget tool or desk pet teaching trend?
Fidget toys and desk pets might just sound like the latest fad in education, but they are both actually easy-to-use tools that educators can implement to support attentiveness and positive classroom behavior.
And it’s time to get on board.
Learning to Focus with Fidget Tools
Fidgeting is our body’s way of naturally releasing energy (and we know children have a ton of energy). Most teachers see fidgeting in students when they are continuously getting up to use the restroom or sharpening their pencils, rustling around in their seats, always talking to classmates, doodling during lessons, etc. Many teachers and parents are hesitant that these toys or tools will take their student’s focus off of the task at hand and become a distraction, but that’s often not the case.
Fidget toys or sensory tools are self-regulation objects to help with focus, attention, calming, and active listening. Using intentional fidgeting in the classroom has shown enhanced academic achievement in children with ADHD, anxiety, and other sensory processing differences. That is because the movement of fidget tools, “…causes instant grounding effects by taking the user out of their head and refocuses them back to the present moment” says Licensed Family Therapist Elizabeth Hankin, M.A., LMFT.
How You Can Implement Fidget Tools
It’s important to introduce fidget tools in a structured way so they don’t end up becoming a toy or unnecessary distraction. Follow these steps to easily implement fidget and sensory tools in your classroom.
Explain or experiment how each work and can improve focus & calm their mind
Have them choose their own unique sensory preferences
Purchase or make sensory tools that will work for your students
And the last and most important step…
Set rules and expectations for the fidget tools
This step is vital to drawing the line between a sensory object and a toy. Set a list of ground rules for your class when it comes time to get the sensory objects out. Make sure to emphasize that they are not to be used as a toy.
You could even have time limits as to when they can be used. For example, some teachers choose to keep sensory objects out throughout the day, while others choose to let their students pick when they would like to have the sensory object with them. To do this you’ll need to help students learn to understand when they might need the device- like to sit through a group reading or to focus during a test. After you introduce the sensory objects and state their purpose, practice completing tasks with (and without) the fidget tools and see what works best for your students.
Quick List of Fidget Tools
Remember the goal of fidget tools is to help focus attention and improve learning ability. When you purchase a device it should be a good sensory object; something that has some weight, movement, or texture. Here is an easy list of classroom-friendly sensory objects.
Now let’s talk about the other teaching trend that has taken the internet by storm- desk pets. You’ve probably seen the idea all over Teacher TikTok and Instagram, but these little erasers are more than just a cute desk accessory for your students, they are great for positive reinforcement in the classroom!
So what exactly are desk pets? Desk pets are miniature erasers in the shape of animals that students ‘adopt’, keep on their desk (or station), and get to ‘take care of’ throughout the year by building the pets ‘habitat’. The erasers come in different varieties- sea animals, pets, zoo animals, etc. and can be found at stores like Target, Dollar Tree, and Amazon.
Educators across the nation are using these pets as rewards for positive behavior. When students are acting accordingly or do a good deed they will be awarded ‘money’ or a ‘token’ to help purchase their own desk pet. The positive reinforcement doesn’t stop there. They can continue to earn ‘tokens’ to build a habitat and take care of their pet with food, friends, housing, accessories, etc.
How You Can Introduce Desk Toys
Every educator does desk pets differently, so don’t be afraid to make them your own and adapt them to your class. But like, fidget toys it’s important to bring desk pets on as an incentive for your class in a strategic way to make sure they do not become a toy or distraction. Here’s what you can do to introduce them into your classroom.
Set up a reward process where students can earn ‘money’ or ‘tokens’ for positive behavior, following rules, kind words, etc.
Create an ‘adoption center’ full of desk pets that are ready to be purchased. You can even make a ‘pet store’ that houses accessories (also in the form of erasers) for their desk pets that they can purchase.
Set aside time at the end of the day or week where students can cash in and adopt pets or purchase accessories.
Find a place where your students will house their pets. Will they keep them on their desks? On a side table? In a shoebox ‘community’ that you build in the corner of your room. You decide.
And lastly, just like with fidget tools…
Set rules and expectations
The time to establish guidelines is before your students even receive their desk pet. How you want to set rules is up to you, but many educators find that putting desk pet rules in their ‘adoption contract’ that they will sign and give back to ‘adopt’ their pet is helpful. And in the event that the student is using the desk pet as a toy it can be taken away- per the signed agreement.
Desk Pets for Your Classroom
Incorporating desk pets may feel a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry once you get started and into a routine, it’s easy and just as rewarding. The most important thing to remember is you can make your classes’ desk adventure whatever you would like it to be- big or small. Don’t feel pressured to do everything every other educator is doing on social media with their desk pets, find what works best with your class, and roll with it!
Now it’s time to start building your own desk pet collection. Click here for some easy and cheap desk pets and accessories to get your class store started.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. California Casualty does not own any images in this post, they have all been linked to their owners. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Struggling to find quality, leveled reading passages for your students? Look no further! We’re sharing our favorite websites that offer free, high-quality, leveled reading passages. language arts
reading skills
Top 6 Websites Offering Free Leveled Reading Passages
CommonLit delivers high-quality, free instructional materials to support literacy development for students in grades 5-12. Our resources are flexible, research-based, aligned to the Common Core State Standards, created by teachers for teachers. We believe in the transformative power of a great text, and a great question.
The nonprofit ReadWorks provides K-12 teachers with what to teach and how to teach it—online, for free, to be shared broadly. We provide the largest, highest-quality library of curated nonfiction and literary articles in the country, along with reading comprehension and vocabulary lessons, formative assessments, and teacher guidance. Most importantly, everything ReadWorks does is based on proven cognitive science research, not unproven academic theory.
Free reading comprehension worksheets for grades 1-5. Use these free, printable worksheets to practice and improve reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing. Each reading passage is followed by exercises which for younger students focus on recalling information directly from the text and for older students focus on prediction, inference and character traits.
A free teacher tool from Smithsonian Teacher, offering daily AP news articles, Lexile® leveled for K-12, self-scoring quizzes customized by Lexile® level, critical thinking questions, student commenting, Espanol AP articles, weekly lesson plans, weekly video, and weekend “Monday Morning Ready” newsletter as prep for the week ahead.
Have a reading passage, but aren’t sure what its Lexile level is? Try Lexile Analyzer to evaluate any passage. Registered educators (it’s free for you!) have a 1,000-word limit.
We’d love to hear from you! In the comment section below, let us know your favorite sites to find leveled reading passages
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
