The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents

Today’s episode is about something we all wish we had more of: time. There are so many demands on teachers and it always feels like there’s not enough time in the day. I found there are some ways to maximize your schedule and I will be sharing some tips and tricks I’ve found helpful. I hope these action steps will allow you to really focus on what is important, your students!

By the end of this episode, there will be three different areas for you to look at that will free up your schedule. Before you get worried, this does not mean you have to cancel all the activities that you enjoy the most. If you make these small changes to your day, you will actually find you have more time for both mandatory and optional activities. After you finish this episode, please share what you decided to do with those extra 20-40 minutes you now have available!

In this episode I share: -3 parts of your day that you can look at to free up your time -Ways you can maximize your schedule -How to balance what you want vs need to get accomplished -The 3 questions you need to ask yourself about your transitions

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode51

Resources mentioned:

-Episode 50: 50th Episode Celebration: Ask me Anything!

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To continue the celebration of reaching 50 episodes of The Literacy Dive, I've got a BONUS episode for you today! This is a replay of a listener favorite, episode 2! It's all the importance and power of a mini-lesson. Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode2

In this episode I share:

-The definition of a mini-lesson

-How to find content for your mini-lesson

-The structure of a mini-lesson (5 parts)

-Tips and reminders to make mini-lessons successful

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-Check out my TpT Store

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-Instagram Posts

-Blog Posts

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Oh my goodness! This is the 50th episode of The Literacy Dive Podcast! I am so thankful and have been having a blast with all of you. To celebrate this milestone we will be doing something spontaneous and laid-back. I hope you enjoy this question and answer format just as much as I enjoyed recording it!

I originally thought I would answer 50 questions for the 50th episode, but my dear friend has narrowed down the questions so that we can play a little game of 20 questions. You’ll learn about me and my experiences, both good and bad! From reality TV shows to reading lessons, we cover it all. I loved this interactive and fun episode and would love to hear what you thought as well!

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode50

In this episode I answer your questions such as:

-What should a good guided reading lesson contain?

-What tips do you have for lesson planning?

-What advice do you have for first year teachers?

-What is the most spontaneous thing you have done?

-If I could look at your DVR or Netflix, what would I find?

-Where do you see yourself in five years?

Resources Mentioned:

-Guided Reading: What Is It? (blog post)

-Guided Reading Small Groups: Face-to-Face vs. Virtual (blog post)

-Sticky Note Resources

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

-Subscribe to my E-mail list

-Instagram Posts

-Blog Posts

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Have you been searching for ways to assess your student’s understanding of your lessons? An easy way to do this is by using exit tickets. Contrary to what some people may think, exit tickets are not tests, but definitely are a way to measure your student’s comprehension of that day’s topic. Exit tickets may look different each day, but if used correctly they can be a driving force for your curriculum.

Exit tickets can support data-driven instruction by providing information on where students are performing and what modifications need to be made. Let’s be honest, "data-driven instruction" is one of the most important phrases in education today. Not only will you impress your administration, but you’ll also be able to use this information to differentiate instruction to your students. As I always say, it’s better to have too much data than not enough data!

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode49

In this episode I share:

-8 reasons to incorporate exit tickets into your classroom

-The components of a good exit ticket

-How to use exit tickets to differentiate instruction

-Ways to increase motivation and participation

Resources Mentioned:

-Reading Response Bookmarks

-Reading Response Sticky Notes

-Reading Response Graphic Organizers

-Reading Response Stem Cards

-Small-Group Data Trackers

-Sticky Notes Resource Bundle

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

-Subscribe to my E-mail list

-Instagram Posts

-Blog Posts

-Facebook Posts

-Watch my YouTube channel 

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

If you don’t already know this, it may shock you, but my favorite subject is actually math. Crazy, right? There’s nothing better than when I can combine my two favorite things, math and literacy, at the same time with math word problems. In this episode I will provide you with strategies for incorporating comprehension and writing practice while also working on math.

When I was a self-contained teacher responsible for every subject, it was so important to “double dip” different subject areas. During that time I found that English Language Arts and Math teachers can benefit from this as well. If you think about it, when it comes to word problems these two areas are so interconnected so it makes perfect sense! If you try one of the strategies I mention in this episode or use the freebie, let me know what you think!

In this episode I share:

-How word problems can enhance literacy skills

-4 ways you can move beyond word problems to practice reading and writing skills

-Realistic examples for the suggested strategies

-Which reading skills can be targeted through word problems

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode48

Resources Mentioned:

-Word Problem Task Cards Bundle

-Episode 47: 7 Strategies to Enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills in Your Students

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

-Subscribe to my E-mail list

-Instagram Posts

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Today’s episode is about a topic that has taken over the world of education and is probably the focus of most of your staff meetings. If you guessed this episode would be about higher order thinking then you’d be correct! Lucky for you, the strategies I will talk about today are ones that you can put into practice as soon as tomorrow!

Some of my suggestions may be exactly what you try not to do during your reading block, and believe me I’ve been there. If you’re a teacher who dismisses student questions due to lack of time or otherwise, I feel you. It sometimes feels like there’s not enough time in a day, but in order to get students to think critically there must be opportunities for them to do so. Whether you make a small change or decide to incorporate something creative into your classroom I’d love to hear about your success!

In today's episode I share:

-A brief overview of what higher order thinking looks like -7 teaching strategies to enhance higher order thinking skills -Examples of how to present strategies in your classroom -Simple changes you can use to enhance your student’s higher order thinking

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode47

Resources Mentioned:

-Graphic Organizers

-Higher-Order Thinking Question Cards

-Episode 24: Six Ways to Teach Visualization to Readers

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

-Subscribe to my E-mail list

-Instagram Posts

-Blog Posts

-Facebook Posts

-Watch my YouTube channel 

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

As promised, this episode is a continuation of the conversation on ways to increase motivation and writing skills with your students. Let’s be honest, we all have at least one student who desperately avoids any writing task. It’s those exact students I always think of when I introduce new strategies because we’ve got the opportunity to show them that writing can be fun!

If you listened last week, you’ve already learned five ways to get students excited about writing. Well today you’re going to learn six more! With little effort and a lot of creativity, these strategies will get your students involved with not only other children in their class but also outside in the community. Dare I say it, but they may even look forward to writing once you introduce these activities! Let me know which one of these ideas is your student’s favorite by sending me a DM on Instagram @theliteracydive

In this episode I share:

-Tips to create an exciting writing environment -Ways to make writing fun while practicing the 5 parts of a friendly letter -Ideas to make connections in the community to increase motivation -Easy and simple year-long activities that spark excitement -How to utilize technology to increase involvement in writing tasks

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode46

Resources Mentioned:

-Episode 45: Increasing Student Writing Skills and Motivation (Part 1)

-Episode 32: How Do You Set up Effective Writing Centers?

-Letter Writing FREEBIE

-Monthly Writing Prompts

-Padlet

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

What if your students actually looked forward to writing time?  What if they all cheered instead of moaning and groaning when you announce it’s time for writing? I’ll bet that sounds like music to your teacher ears! 

I continue to hear from many of you that getting your students excited to write  is still one of your greatest challenges. That’s why today I’m going to share ways to improve student writing skills AND improve their motivation to write. Writing doesn’t have to be bland. It doesn’t have to take a ton of prep either. Push play to hear my favorite engaging writing strategies, and check out the next episode for part two of this topic!

In this episode I share:

-The important connection between reading and writing

-Super simple and creative ways to make writing FUN

-How to encourage daily journaling + examples of writing prompts

-Ideas to strengthen creative writing skills by writing short stories

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode45

Related Resources:

-Creative Writing Boggle Boards

-Creative Writing Activities

-Scholastic Story Starters 

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

I am a huge proponent of reading aloud for pure joy with no strings attached. These moments are one of the best ways to foster a true love of reading within your students. However, I also know the immense power of interactive read alouds and the great effect in has on our young readers. For example, did you know that interactive read alouds can build community as well as vocabulary and communication skills? They are also an excellent opportunity to bring diversity into your classroom.

So what’s the difference between simply opening up a book and reading it aloud versus an interactive read aloud? For one thing, interactive read alouds are pre-planned. This needs to be an intentional time with intentional texts.

It truly is the foundation for instruction in your classroom! It’s going to be what provides every kind of student with rich learning opportunities. An effective interactive read aloud structure involves three parts: introducing the text, reading the text, and discussing the text. I’m going to share how to implement each of these three parts in today’s episode, as well as ideas for extensions.

In this episode I share:

-Why interactive read alouds are so important

-The role of the teacher and students during read alouds

-How to set expectations and set the scene for an interactive read aloud

-What to consider when choosing engaging book titles

-Using hand signals to increase engagement and productivity

-An ideal length for your read aloud and how to stick to that timeframe

SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode44

Related Resources:

-Reading Response Sentence Stem Posters

-Reading Response Bookmarks

-Reading and Writing Sticky Note Bundle

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Do your students look back at you with blank stares when you ask them to “show, don’t tell” in their writing? If so, it’s for a good reason! While it seems simple to some, show don’t tell is a difficult concept to understand. The real way to ensure students fully grasp this strategy is through a lot of intentional practice and exposure. This is why I recommend teaching show don’t tell at the very beginning of the year, and spiraling back all throughout the year.

So, exactly how do you get your students to understand and apply this technique? I’m sharing eight specific strategies to help your students show vivid and concrete details in their writing. From illustrating the scene to using dialogue, these strategies will help your writers transform their compositions and engage their readers. Remember, if this seems like a difficult skill for your kids right now, don’t worry! Stay encouraged. Show don’t tell will become easier over time!

In this episode I share:

-The big difference between showing vs. telling

-Using your five senses to support character development

-Incorporating interactive games into your lessons

-Why I recommend avoiding adverbs

-A simple way to introduce the use of dialogue

SHOW NOTES: misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode43

Resources Mentioned:

-Character Traits and Character Feelings

-Show Don't Tell Charts

Connect with me:

-Check out my TpT Store

-Subscribe to my E-mail list

-Instagram Posts

-Blog Posts

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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!