Laura's Books and TpT Resources

Graphic Organizers for Reading: Teaching Tools Aligned with the Common Core is appropriate for grades 2 through 6.

Laura Candler's Power Reading Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide is a resource for teachers who want to learn how to get reading workshop started quickly and easily. The book also includes information about how to differentiate instruction with a dozen "Power Reading Tools." Take a peek at the 62-page preview version to see the table of contents and format.

Talking Sticks is a management strategy that encourages all students to participate equally in a discussion. The prepared discussion cards in this packet will help facilitate the discussion and keep it focused on a particular topic. The strategy can be used in any subject area, and works especially well in reading, science, and social studies. Talking Sticks can be used with the entire class, during small group instruction, or in cooperative learning groups like Literature Circles. You’ll find a dozen discussion prompts that cover a variety of subject areas, but if these don’t meet your needs, you can create your own with the editable blank discussion cards included in the zip file download.

Aligned with Common Core Language Standards L.2.4a, L.3.4a, L.4.4a, and L.5.4aBingo Showdown: Confusing Words Review is a variation of the classic Bingo game that can be used for whole group instruction, small guided reading groups, cooperative learning teams or in learning centers. Students will practice how to use words that are often confused, such as homonyms and contractions. This packet includes directions for a quick teacher-directed review activity, as well as everything you need for the Bingo game. You'll find 40 numbered Bingo boards, Team Directions, 24 Confusing Words Task Cards, and an Answer Key. You may preview the entire packet before purchasing to see if these lessons are right for your class. You won't be able to print the preview file, but you will be able to read both lessons and view the printables.

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.

Laura Candler's Power Reading Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide Ebook offers an easy teacher-tested method for implementing Reading Workshop in your own classroom. You'll learn how to motivate readers by providing time for independent reading and reading conferences. As a result, your students will learn to love reading, and you'll improve reading test scores at the same time! In addition to the basic reading workshop, this book includes a dozen "Power Tools" that allow you to differentiate your reading instruction for all students. This ebook version includes helpful internal links that you can click on in the Table of Contents and in other locations to take you directly to the chosen page.

Seek & Spell Challenge is an engaging word work strategy that's so fun your kids won't even know they're learning! But while they are working, they're improving both spelling and foundational reading skills.

Possessive Noun Showdown: Task Cards & More! includes short answer task cards and lesson suggestions for introducing possessive nouns. This packet includes directions for a whole-class introduction 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. Both singular and plural possessive nouns are included.

Graphic Organizers for Reading: Teaching Tools Aligned with the Common is a 161-page ebook that includes over 3 dozen graphic organizers, but it's far more than a book of printables. It also includes mini-lessons for how to teach reading skills for informational text and literature selections with those graphic organizers. To see what other teachers think about this book, read the comments at the end of this product description as well as the feedback comments below.

Fun and engaging whole class review and cooperative learning lesson! Save paper by having students work in teams to practice plural nouns. This 21-page packet includes a review of regular and irregular plural noun formation, an interactive cooperative learning game, and two assessments. Task cards with nouns and answers included. Preview entire packet online using the download button on this page. (Does not include multiple choice 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.

Classroom Book Clubs: Literature Circles Made Easy (Single Classroom License) is a slidecast video series plus printables package that describes a fun and effective method for using Literature Circles in your classroom, a method that does not involve Literature Circle roles. I created this step-by-step set of videos to explain exactly what to do, and the package includes all the printables you'll need to make it work in your classroom. You'll even find an optional Think & Apply Study Guide to help you get the most out of the program! The videos in this program are Mp4 files so you can view them on mobile devices or a computer. After you purchase the program, you'll receive directions about where to go to download the video files and PDF files. The slidecast videos were designed for teachers and are not intended for student viewing. The program provides instruction for the teacher about how to set up and run Classroom Book Clubs.

Do your students know how to have REAL discussions where they actually listen to each other and link their ideas to others in the group? If not, Discussion Connections has the tools you need to foster effective collaborative discussions. This product includes five lessons that make it easy for K-8 teachers to meet CCSS standards for speaking and listening and to foster effective text-based discussions. Not all lessons can be used with all grade levels, so preview this packet before purchasing to see what's included.

This Poetry Unit Bundle is a growing bundle that currently includes all four of Laura Candler's poetry ebooks: Exploring Poetry Unit, Crafting Comparison Poems, and Buddy Bio Poems, and Writing Poetry. It also includes the webinar slides from the April 2016 poetry webinar, and a link to the recording of that webinar. The most recent component is my Poetry Task Cards with Images for Plickers. Please read about each item in the "What's Included" section below and preview them online to see if they will meet your needs. If you like them all, you'll save 25% by purchasing them together in this bundle!

Character Bio Reports is a great way to teach kids how to write an organized report or essay about a person or character... without copying and pasting facts from a website. This assignment requires students to choose a famous person or character, research that person, and write a short character analysis. Complete directions are included, along with graphic organizers and a rubric.

Exploring Poetry: Tools for Teaching Kids to Read and Understand Poetry is a 2-part unit for introducing poetic devices and interpreting poetry. The first part of the poetry unit includes a collection of activities for introducing the basic elements of poetry, and the second part is devoted to reading and responding to poetry. Students begin by exploring the structure and elements of poetry, including the meanings of eight common poetic devices. Next, they apply this knowledge as they engage in close reading strategies, poetry discussions, and written response activities. Lesson suggestions and printables for all activities are included. This unit does not include poems, but it does include links to free online poems that can be used with these lessons. Some of the pages in this packet are in color, but there are black and white versions of all student printables.

Analyzing Character Traits includes a variety of lessons, strategies, and printables aligned with the Common Core Reading Standards for Grades 3 - 5 that deal with character analysis. In this unit, you'll find a lesson on how authors reveal character traits, two character trait lists, a variety of graphic organizers, several cooperative learning activities, and a list of suggested character trait books. In addition, all of the character maps are provided in landscape format for use with an interactive whiteboard. These lessons are designed to take place intermittently over a period of several weeks or throughout an entire school year. Please download the complete preview version to see if this packet is right for you.

Do your students have trouble writing complete sentences? Do they write in fragments and run-ons? Perhaps they write with complete sentences, but their sentences are short and choppy. Sentence Go Round is a simple and fun cooperative learning strategy to teach students how to write longer, more complex sentences. It starts with a short review of sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and complete sentences that includes a sentence sorting activity. Then students work with a team to expand short, basic sentences into longer, more interesting sentences. Black and white versions of the student printables are included.