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.
Apr 14
Let’s be honest—getting students to truly understand a story can sometimes feel like asking them to explain the plot of a dream. (“There was this dog… and a time machine… and we were at school, but also on the moon?”) That’s where story mapping comes in. This trusty strategy helps students see how a story …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4018
Mar 10
Let’s talk about theme. That elusive message lurking behind every story—the one we know is there, but students often treat like a secret code they forgot the cipher for. Some kids catch on quickly. Others? You’ll get responses like “The theme of Charlotte’s Web is… pigs can talk?” (Close, but no.) Thankfully, teaching theme doesn’t …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=383
Feb 17
Teaching point of view can feel a bit like jumping into a choose-your-own-adventure book. Which narrator are we following? Who’s telling the story? Is it you, me, or someone with omniscient powers? With the Common Core weaving it across multiple grade levels, it’s a must-teach skill—and dare we say, a fun one too. Standards Snapshot …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7210
Feb 17
Let’s face it—perspective and point of view walk into your classroom hand in hand…and immediately start causing confusion. Your students think they’re twins. They are not. Let’s face it—“perspective” can be one of those slippery ELA terms that makes kids (and sometimes teachers) go, “Wait, didn’t we just cover this with point of view?” Not …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=439
Jan 13
Let’s face it—getting upper elementary students to really understand character traits can feel a bit like trying to explain why your dog needs a Halloween costume. Confusing at first, but oh-so rewarding when it clicks. Once students see how traits shape a character’s choices, relationships, and growth, their reading comprehension and writing skills level up …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=427
Jan 06
Let’s talk about the setting of a story—you know, that part of the story students like to summarize as “It takes place in a house.” But setting is so much more than where and when a story happens. It’s the engine behind the plot, the mood-setter, the character-shaper. In some stories, the setting deserves its …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=405
Aug 19
Let’s talk sound devices. You know—the pop, buzz, and bam that make language come alive. If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried to explain onomatopoeia or alliteration while students stare blankly… until someone blurts out, “Wait—isn’t that like in Batman when it says KAPOW?” Exactly. I decided to go for it and put together some …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=944
