To help develop independent readers, we need to make sure our students are able to identify books they can read independently. Teaching students to pick "just right" books helps them develop reading fluency by reading books at their level.

In this lesson, students will look at picture clues to determine the topic of texts. ELs will build vocabulary and language skills by working with partners to discuss and represent texts using drawings.

Use this lesson to reinforce using sentence level context clues to decode challenging words in a nonfiction text. This can be used as a stand alone activity or a support the Using Context Clues to Understand Word Meanings lesson.

Use a fun letter writing activity to help your students read and spell words containing -k and -ck endings.

Who doesn’t love learning about animals? Engage students in research as they write informational books about animals.

Want students to use text features in their writing? Begin by having them examine the text features that they see in informational books.

Students will practice reading and spelling grade level sight words through a fast-paced game of tic-tac-toe.

Engage students in reading grade-level texts by making and testing predictions. Your students will be excited to read on to find out if their predictions are correct!

In this lesson, students will practice finding and reading sight words in books. This lesson can be used alone or with the Context Clue Detectives lesson plan.

In this lesson, students will learn all about Maria Montessori, a pioneering researcher and teacher, and create their own biographical books about this inspiring woman.

Ready, set, bingo! Students will use a fun, fast-paced game of word bingo to practice reading and spelling grade-level sight words.

The ability to read aloud well and with confidence is an important part of student development. In this lesson, students will use picture books and record videos of themselves reading aloud.

Students blend sounds all the time when they speak, but a whole new level of ssshhh is possible through selected literature and picture sorts!

It's time to dig into some nonfiction books! In this lesson, students will practice identifying the main topic of nonfiction texts. This lesson can be used alone or with the How to Find the Main Idea lesson plan.

Want to engage students in reading? Give them books that they want to read! This lesson will give you a chance to learn about your readers so that you can best support them to become fluent readers.

Llama Llama's adventures are fun, interesting, and ready for your students' keen eyes. Explore the themes, setting, plots, and illustrations to discover hidden similarities and differences between these beloved picture books.

Your students will love playing the classic game of bingo, with a twist to practice reading and spelling grade level word families.

Real-life connections are made in this realistic writing lesson. Students will explore differences between fantasy and realistic fiction, using trade books as a model for their own writing.

Give your students a chance to hone their reading comprehension skills as they learn about the characters, setting, and plot of their favorite fiction books by creating a story map.

Students love comic books! Channel their excitement for this fun genre and get their creative writing juices flowing. By writing their own comic strips, students will be practicing composing, sequencing, and using dialogue.

In this lesson, your students will strengthen their basic fact fluency and determine whether or not number sentences are true. Engage your students by giving them worksheets at their level.

Getting hooked on a series or type of character creates reader engagement! Use this lesson to challenge your students to compare and contrast fictional texts as they find the joy in reading books by the same author.

Get ready to teach students strategies for understanding new words! Students will practice strategies to read new words in nonfiction books. This lesson can be used alone or with the New Words, New Ideas: Reading Nonfiction lesson plan.

This lesson will help your students use sentence level context clues to decode challenging words in a nonfiction text. Students will enjoy learning about maps and figuring out tricky words along the way!

On some level, all humans want to feel peace and to feel loved. In this lesson, students will practice sending peaceful thoughts to themselves and others and discuss how these practices can support peace in their lives and community.

Does that pesky letter G say /g/ or /j/? How about the sneaky letter C, does it say /k/ or /s/? Use this lesson to teach your students how to tell the difference between the hard and soft sounds of consonants.

In this fun blending lesson, students will get a chance to read and spell grade level words. This can be used as a stand-alone lesson or support for the Cooking Up Blends lesson plan.

Help your ELs look deeply at cause and effect at the sentence level. Using skits to reinforce comprehension, this lesson can be used as a support lesson for Learning About Cause and Effect! or a stand alone activity.

What do books and dances have in common? They can both be used to tell stories and express emotions. In this lesson, students will learn to represent scenes from a story through dance.

Students will use their understanding of plot, theme, and comparing and contrasting in this lesson that teaches about an award-winning African American author, Jacqueline Woodson. Students will read some of her fiction books and compare and contrast the stories. They'll also discuss what they think makes Jacqueline Woodson an award-winning author.