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.

Students will love practicing their early reading skills as they create their very own classroom book using common sight words! This can be used as a stand-alone or support lesson for the My First Book lesson plan.

Playing make-believe and telling stories are favorite childhood pastimes. Thus, no matter their reading level, students will love the opportunity to “read” to others and explore pictures as they take a walk through books.

Learning about shapes isn't "square" with this lesson! Students will learn what makes up a shape and learn to draw them themselves which will turn into a fun hands-on clay molding activity.

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.

Kindergarten students will become text feature detectives as they hunt for the different text features found in nonfiction books in this fun reading lesson.

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!

Everyone has feelings! In this lesson, students explore different feelings by recognizing them on faces. As they look through books, students will find pictures that show a variety of expressions.

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.

In this lesson, your students will use illustrations as they read a grade level story to a partner. They will engage their fine motor skills as they complete a simple cut and paste matching activity.

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.

Let your students learn more about books with this lesson that helps them learn to identify key parts of a physical book. This information will have them well prepared for research projects later on.

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.

In this lesson, your students will explore the world through a variety of picture books. They will examine a variety of themes through each text that they read and determine any common themes among the texts.

By analzying picture books, students will make connections between the text and the illustrations of a story. They will compare and contrast the text and the illustrations and reflect upon how they impact their comprehension of a text.