Welcome to my index blog page, where I share literacy ideas and teaching materials for upper elementary students. I create various resources to help educators teach multiple reading skills to their students.
My blog includes several series, such as “Teaching Types of Conflicts with Movie Trailers,” “Plot Structures,” “Making Connections,” “Story Elements,” and “Figurative Language.” These series make learning engaging and interactive. I also offer resources to teach literacy skills like vocabulary, comprehension, figurative language, and spelling.
Teaching literacy can be challenging, so I give away many free resources that educators can use in the classroom or at home. I want to provide educators with practical, easy-to-use tools to help their students become confident readers.
I hope my index blog page will inspire and motivate educators to use innovative teaching methods and help their students excel in their literacy skills.
Feb 26
If you’ve ever read a student’s paragraph and thought, “Okay, but what is this even about?” — you are not alone. Main idea is one of the most important comprehension skills students need… but also one of the trickiest for them to master. So, how do we get students to move past vague answers like …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=718
Feb 05
Teaching poetry can feel intimidating— especially when words like iambic tetrameter start flying around. But rhythm and meter aren’t just for English majors. When taught with the right tools and a little creativity, these concepts can actually be fun—and even make your classroom sound like a (slightly more organized) poetry jam session. This is the …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=20848
Jan 29
Let’s be honest: if you’ve ever had a student say, “Pizza is the best vegetable,” you already know the line between fact and opinion is a little blurry in upper elementary. But now more than ever—between clickbait headlines, viral TikToks, and that one kid who swears sloths can outrun cheetahs—it’s crucial to teach students how …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7365
Jan 01
Teaching play structure can be a showstopper—especially when students realize scripts aren’t just for theater kids. As part two of our How to Teach Structure Across Literary Genres series, this post dives into the storytelling magic behind plays: from stage directions to scenes, dialogue, and emotional beats. So grab your metaphorical playbill and dim the …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=17633
Dec 04
If your students’ stories have ever zigzagged through plot points like a squirrel on espresso—chaotic, charming, but utterly confusing—then this lesson will bring some much-needed narrative order. In the first of our three-part series on teaching story structure, we’ll show you how to help students wrangle their ideas into clear, compelling tales. We’re kicking things …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=17639
Nov 06
Ever heard a student say, “Y’all, this lesson’s fire”? Welcome to the colorful, quirky, and downright fascinating world of English dialects—where the way we talk reveals more than just where we’re from. This lesson helps students dig into Common Core Standard L.5.3.B, which asks 5th graders to analyze how varieties of English are used …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=17533
Oct 02
What do a wizard, a tribute, and a time-traveling tortoise have in common? Turns out—quite a lot. When students learn to compare texts in different genres, they discover how authors tackle universal themes (like friendship, survival, or identity) in wildly different ways. This lesson helps students analyze how genres shape storytelling—and lets them explore it …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=17432
