Using highlighters to create independent learners

Do you find yourself spending a lot of time with students who can't seem to write reading responses, read maps, or solve word problems? I have found something that really works for my students - color coding.

Close reading is a big thing in the Common Core. Deciding what is important to highlight is an important and hard skill for students. I teach my kids by going through questions first and kicking out unusual or important words. They get a good idea of the story's plot before even reading. It also improves their comprehension because they know the questions they are going to answer ahead of time. It helps them find answers much more easily, too!

Next, they read the story. Then they answer the questions, highlighting answers in the text. Some kids  "just don't get" what to do when the answer isn't obvious. I have them highlight clues that helped them make an inference or draw a conclusion.

This is a Deepen Comprehension question from Journeys Grade 4 Lesson 5. We were working with the story Stormalong and analyzing characters. 

I projected this on the Promethean Board and we worked together to show the process of turning prewriting into writing. I used colored text and the highlighting tool to show where the information came from. Some students really do need modeling of this!!

Here we used crayons and symbols to answer questions on this Common Core sheets page.

Some of my students really aren't strong readers and typically ignore graphic features. My higher learners can color code themselves. I do it ahead of time for the couple of kids who struggle and over time they learn to do it by themselves.

Now you see another way to use highlighters to draw attention to map features.

Believe it or not, some of your struggling learners don't actually realize that they need to use the picture / map to answer the question. You can do some of the highlighting for them or with them. Eventually they will become independent at it.

How do you use highlighters and color coding to help your children?

February Fraction Fun

Here are some more freebies! I created these to add some fun to what we've been learning this month.

 subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators

Martin Luther King, Jr. coloring sheet

equivalent fractions

heart themed coloring sheet

mixed and improper fractions matching

New Jersey coloring sheet

Click the links to download.

Math Freebies

I was on Pinterest looking around for some fun math fraction games to review concepts with my fourth graders when I saw this: 

Unit 6, Set A5 (around page 245 of the third grade pdf - but the sample goes to 140)

The link didn't direct me right to the game... But it did take me to a bunch of free resources - so it was worth it! We're not talking a page or two. It's an entire 140 pages. It's perfect for home schooolers, tutors, or teachers who are looking for more / different practice for their kids. Unfortunately, it only looks like third grade is completely posted.

Here are some free printable courtesy of Bridges to Math.

Grade 3

Proofreading Paragraphs

Do you find that your students have difficulty proofreading their writing? It's a common problem!

Here's what I've done in the past:

1. Students complete Wake Up Brain right after they unpack and write down their homework. I photocopy it as two sided each day. That means they edit two sentences, do a language exercise, complete a spelling / phonics activity, answer 1-2 geography questions, and do 2-3 math problems. It should take 5-10 minutes.

Wake Up Brain

Depending on the grade I am teaching, I start with the one previous in September. We are on grade level after a few months and then we are above grade level by the last third of the year. It makes a huge difference! (That means in grade 3, we do the second grade, third grade, and fourth grade books.) The great thing is you can find them for grades 1-6.

2. Students proofread sentences using the week's grammar skills. Here are sentences from Harcourt Houghton Mifflin Journeys Grade 3.

3. Students read each other's written work out loud. If you pair them up and have them switch papers, they are more likely to notice mistakes they've made when they are listening to someone else read it! We use A Star and a Wish to give feedback. You can download it for free by clicking the picture or the link.

4. English for Everyone has posted free printables at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Perfect for differentiation! I have found that my kids can usually find mistakes in isolated sentences, but it becomes much more difficult when they have to do it in a paragraph. What makes it easier is these worksheets are multiple choice, so you shouldn't get any blank stares. They are good for assessment.

5. Finally, for those of you who have kids that need to practice that actual process of editing, SuperTeacherWorksheets has some cool printables. You may need a subscription to the website for some of them.

What do you do to help your kids proofread?

Girl Scouts, Goldiblox, and Girl Power

Something amazing happened recently. I asked one of the sixth graders I tutor to tell me what she was interested in...and what she asked to get for Christmas. 

Her question: Why is everything that is made for girls pink and glittery?

Her answer: I want Goldiblox. What exactly is that, you ask? Watch the videos to find out.

This is your brain on engineering

Inspiring the next generation of female engineers - Debbie Sterling, creator of Goldiblox

We did some research and she not only learned that females across the world tend to make less than their male counterparts in the same position, are more likely to be illiterate and less likely to graduate high school. They also are a lot less likely to become engineers or take jobs in STEM / STEAM fields. 

One way to combat this? Encourage females. Educate males. Challenge gender roles.

Another way to help out? Instead of buying girls play food and dress up clothes, try out Goldiblox. They also have an interactive website to play around with.

Goldiblox website

Next, get girls involved with coding. This year, my students participated in The Hour of Code sponsored by Code.org. 

Watch the video (can you spot the celebrities?)

Try it - Code with Anna and Elsa!

Finally, consider enrolling your girls in Girl Scouts or join / create a Girls on the Run club.