Games and Task Cards

Mystery Vocabulary Detectives is a cooperative learning and critical thinking game for reviewing vocabulary. You can play it as a whole class, or students can play it within cooperative learning teams. Included are two sets of game directions, playing materials, and a variety of prepared vocabulary cards. The game can be adapted to any subject area by using the blank editable vocabulary card templates. This packet includes vocabulary cards for math, science, social studies, and reading.

Do you read aloud to your students every day? If not, you may be missing out on a wonderful opportunity to connect with your students and sneak in a little instruction at the same time! I always love reading aloud to my students and I know they enjoy that time as well. Reading aloud is not just for little ones. As you can tell from the picture of me reading to my 5th graders, even older kids like to gather around for a good story!

Do your students groan when it's time for spelling? Spelling might be an important subject, but it doesn't exactly inspire a passion for learning! But that might change if you introduce your kids to Seek & Spell Challenge! In fact, they might BEG for this activity!

Have you ever asked your students to write a story with their spelling words? It may not seem like the most original assignment, but the resulting stories are always tremendously creative!This assignment may not sound exciting, but it's an extremely effective way of assessing how well your students understand their spelling words... and the stories are fun to read! If you don't believe me, just read the spelling story below that was written by Derrick, one of my former students! Here are some practical tips to help you unleash your students' creative talents with spelling stories.

Vocabulary development is essential at every grade level, and that importance is reflected in the Common Core State Standards. As students build stronger vocabularies, they are better able to comprehend what they read and express themselves in writing. Unfortunately, it can be a challenge to find vocabulary lessons that are motivating and fun for students. So I'd like to share two strategies that worked well for me in the classroom, as well as a new game called Mystery Vocabulary Detectives. Hopefully you'll find that there's no mystery to injecting a little excitement into vocabulary-building activities.

Five Looks on a Book is a simple and fun activity that offers a nice twist on the traditional book report. Students name five adjectives that describe their book and then write one supporting detail for each adjective. You can download this freebie from my Reading Workshop page on Teaching Resources.

We all know how important it is for a student to see the connection between what they learn in school and their everyday life. Sometimes students have a hard time seeing these connections. I personally think it should be easy for our students to see math in our everyday lives but I'm apparently wrong. I asked my students to write down all the ways their family uses math at home. Most students wrote when cooking you use measurement but that was about it. Can you believe it? I was blown away by this response. I was expecting a whole lot more since I have a pretty bright class.

I almost returned it before even getting started. They don’t tell you on the box, and certainly not on the display, that there are 37 steps to assemble the shoe cabinet that you are about to buy.

I vividly remember my first day student teaching... not the details of what I was teaching or the clothes I was wearing, but the way my cooperating teacher captivated her students. She handed them their first homework assignment— writing a letter in response to a letter she had written to them—and explained that it would be a weekly assignment. They groaned, but she didn’t miss a beat. "You’re going to grow to love this!" she told them. They trusted her, and she couldn’t have been more right.

Most teachers have heard of Literature Circles, or Classroom Book Clubs, but many find it difficult to add them to an already packed schedule. However, it's worth finding time to implement Classroom Book Clubs because this program is actually aligned with the first Common Core Speaking and Listening Standard for your grade level.

Possessive and Plural Nouns Task Cards includes 24 multiple choice task cards that can be used to review, practice, or assess possessive and plural noun usage. These task cards can be used to supplement the lessons and activities in Possessive Noun Showdown or they can be used alone. Color and black and white versions are included, as well as an optional recording form and two types of answer keys. The product also includes task card images that can be used with the Plickers program.

Poetry Task Cards includes 24 unique multiple choice task cards that can be used to review, practice, or assess knowledge of the eight poetic devices listed below. There are three task cards for each poetic device: one definition and two different examples. These task cards can be used to supplement the lessons and activities in my Exploring Poetry ebook or my Poetry Unit Bundle, or they can be used alone. Color and black and white versions are included, as well as an optional recording form and two types of answer keys. The product also includes task card images that can be used with the Plickers program.

Plural or Possessive? Task Cards and More! includes short answer task cards and lesson suggestions for introducing the concept of possessive nouns. The activities are specifically designed to help students distinguish between plural nouns and singular possessive nouns. This packet includes directions for a whole-class introduction to the concepts as well as an assortment of activities that can be completed as a class, in cooperative learning groups, in centers, or in small guided instruction groups. Directions and task cards are included for the active engagement strategy, "Showdown." Because this product is an introduction to the concept, it does not cover rules for forming plural possessives.

Talking Sticks is a management strategy that encourages all students to participate equally in a discussion. It can be used with the class after a read aloud or basal reading selection, during small group instruction, or in cooperative learning groups like Literature Circles. This product includes 24 task cards that have discussion questions based on 3rd Grade Common Core Standards. There are three sets of reading discussion prompts: Personal Response Questions, Literature Prompts, and Informational Text Prompts. You’ll also find a set of blank cards to create your own discussion questions. You may preview the entire ebook here to make sure it is right for your class.

Talking Sticks is a management strategy that encourages all students to participate equally in a discussion. It can be used with the class after a read aloud or basal reading selection, during small group instruction, or in cooperative learning groups like Literature Circles. This product includes 24 ready-to-use task cards with Common Core Aligned discussion questions. There are three sets of prompts: Personal Response Questions, Literature Prompts, and Informational Text Prompts. These sets come in two variations. The black and white set has 8 cards to a page and the color set has 4 cards to a page. You’ll also find sets of blank cards to create your own discussion questions. You may preview the entire ebook here to make sure it is right for your class.

Talking Sticks is a management strategy that encourages all students to participate equally in a discussion. It can be used after reading a book aloud, as a part of Literature Circles, during small group literacy instruction, or when conducting a whole class novel study. This pack comes with task cards that have discussion questions based on 4th Grade Common Core Standards. There are three sets of questions: Personal Response Questions, Literature Questions, and Informational Text Questions. The Literature and Informational Text questions are specifically aligned with 12 different Common Core Reading Standards, and the entire activity is aligned with Speaking and Listening Standard SL.4.1.

Talking Sticks is a management strategy that encourages all students to participate equally in a discussion. It can be used after reading a book aloud, as a part of Literature Circles, during small group literacy instruction, or when conducting a whole class novel study. This product includes 24 task cards that have discussion questions based on 5th Grade Common Core Standards. There are three sets of questions: Personal Response Questions, Literature Questions, and Informational Text Questions. The Literature and Informational Text questions are specifically aligned with 13 different Common Core Standards, and the entire activity is aligned with Speaking and Listening Standard SL.5.1. You may preview the entire ebook here.