10/1/2016: Get Your Class Ready for Election Season!

Are you talking with your students about voting in this election year?  It is never too early to get the conversation started!  PBS has a great guide to talking about the election

The Spirit of America - Volume 1 is a great collection of my Level D - I readers that have patriotic themes!  Students will read about topics such as voting, Veterans Day, our flag, the United States Constitution, the Liberty Bell, and much more while learning new vocabulary and improving their reading comprehension.

Wonderful to use as your classroom studies about our country, historic holidays, and famous Americans. The collection makes it easy to combine reading, writing, and social studies.

9/29/2016: Celebrating Johnny Appleseed

This week we are wishing a "Happy Birthday" to John Chapman, who later became known as Johnny Appleseed! John was born September 26, 1774, in Leominster, MA. Today you can visit Nova, Ohio, to see the last known tree to be planted by Johnny Appleseed himself,  it is 176 years old! 

My original play “The Tale of Johnny Appleseed” is a great way to learn more about this famous frontiersman with your class!

One user recently gave us this feedback: "How fun! .. and at the perfect level for my first graders. Thanks so much!!"

I am sure your class will also have fun with this readers' theater play.  

4/11/2016: Happy Birthday Thomas Jefferson!

Are you and your class ready to wish a “Happy Birthday” to Thomas Jefferson?

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was born on April 13th, 1743.  He was an important Founding Father, and the main author of the Declaration of Independence.  The Monticello Classroom has some great resources for kids and educators on their website.

My original reader The Founding Fathers is another great resource for your students to learn about Thomas Jefferson and some of his Founding Father peers.  Your class can learn more about some of America’s other fascinating Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I

3/24/2016: Women's History Month

As we enter into the end of March, I hope that you are enjoying studying some fascinating women with your class during Women’s History Month.  

My collection of leveled readers, "Famous Women in History" is an excellent way to build literacy skills while learning more about Women’s History.  This collection of leveled readers for second through fourth grade features stories about eight women and their contributions to history.  This series includes books on eight notable American women, including Clara Barton, Helen Keller,Eleanor Roosevelt and Sojourner Truth, among others.

Explore all of them on my Teachers Pay Teachers site:

Amelia Earhart -- Airplane Pilot (level L)

Abigail Adams -- First Lady & Crusader for People’s Rights (level L)

Clara Barton -- Founder of the American Red Cross (level N)

Maria Mitchell -- Astronomer (level N)

Helen Keller -- Inspirational Speaker (level O)

Ellen Ochoa -- Astronaut (level P)

Laura Ingalls Wilder -- Pioneer and Author (level P)

Millie Hughes-Fulford -- Scientist in Space (level R)

3/23/2016: Spring is Here- Looking Ahead to Arbor Day

Spring is officially here!  It is a perfect time to enjoy the beauty of nature- baby animals, flowers, and trees!  Speaking of trees, Arbor Day will soon be here!  According to the Arbor Day Foundation “National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on best tree planting times in their area.”  

Performing my original play "Trees – A Joy Forever!" is a great way to celebrate Arbor Day and the arrival of Spring!  This play is written for 2nd - 5th grades and has 11 parts. The play focuses on J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. The play tells the history of Morton’s contribution to establishing Arbor Day as a national holiday through the eyes of the statue (J. Sterling Morton). The statue comes alive when two children walk through Arbor Lodge Historical Park in Nebraska.

This is an original play written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production. In readers’ theater or through one of the balanced literacy approaches to teaching reading, children are not expected to memorize their lines, yet the reading encourages strong oral skills.

You can find other original readers’ theater plays on my Teachers Pay Teachers site

2/26/2016: Lewis and Clark

Are your students drawn to exciting true stories of explorers?  My reader The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Level T Reader is a great book for combining social studies with reading and language arts!

From this fifth-grade Level T reader, students will learn about the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark who traveled through the western U.S. all the way to the Pacific Ocean to map the new lands of the Louisiana Purchase.

This reader "The Lewis and Clark Expedition" is included in a collection of other Level T readers - Level T - Set 1. That set includes 10 books:

- What are the Chances?;

- The Colonial Period;

- The Lewis and Clark Expedition;

- Delta, Canyon, Sand Dunes – Impact of Weathering and Erosion;

- I Pledge Allegiance;

- Lady Liberty Welcomes All;

- A Series of Firsts – The 2008 Presidential Elections;

- Cesar Chavez – “Si Se Puede” (“Yes, it can be done”);

- Name Your Sources;

- 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – Washington, D.C. – The White House

Find these books, and more, at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

2/25/2016: Ready for Women's History Month?

We still have  the rest of February left to continue to celebrate Black History Month, but soon March, and Women's History Month will be upon us!  The official website http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ is full of engaging resources.   

My collection of leveled readers, "Famous Women in History" is an excellent way to build literacy skills while learning more about Women’s History.  This collection of leveled readers for second through fourth grade features stories about eight women and their contributions to history.  This series includes books on eight notable American women, including Clara Barton, Helen Keller,Eleanor Roosevelt and Sojourner Truth, among others.

Explore all of them on my Teachers Pay Teachers site:

Amelia Earhart -- Airplane Pilot (level L)

Abigail Adams -- First Lady & Crusader for People’s Rights (level L)

Clara Barton -- Founder of the American Red Cross (level N)

Maria Mitchell -- Astronomer (level N)

Helen Keller -- Inspirational Speaker (level O)

Ellen Ochoa -- Astronaut (level P)

Laura Ingalls Wilder -- Pioneer and Author (level P)

Millie Hughes-Fulford -- Scientist in Space (level R)

2/24/2016: Looking Ahead to Read Across America Day!

As February draws to a close,I am looking forward to March and Read Across America Day!  Read Across America Day is a celebration of reading that takes place nationwide every year on (or around) March 2nd to celebrate Theodor Seuss Geisel’s, also known as Dr Seuss’s, birthday.  This year it is being celebrated on Wednesday March 2nd by thousands of schools and libraries across the country.

A great way to celebrate Read Across America Day is reading my reader Second Grade Level K Reader Dr. Seuss - Best-Selling Children's Author with your class. This original book is a biography that tells the story of Dr. Seuss.

This second grade level K guided reading book comes with four companion worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing. Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in this reader are listed on the first page of the story. Please check out my Pintrest Read Across America Day board for more engaging ideas for your classroom.

2/23/2015:Orville and Wilbur Wright - Free Spirits

I wrote recently about some of my original books on inventors.  If you are looking for other inventor options, check out my original reader Orville and Wilbur Wright - Free Spirits.  

In this Level T reader your students will learn facts about Orville and Wilbur Wright, who were early pioneers of flight, and their invention of a flying machine.

This is a great resource to combine social studies and language arts.  The book comes with 5 companion worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing. Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in this 5th grade Level T reader are listed on the first page of the story.

This story is one of the books in the collection of Level T - Set 2 readers. The ten books in that collection are:

- Alternative Energy Sources – Wind, Solar, Geothermal, and Hydroelectric Power;

- John Deere – An Improved Plow;

- Founding of St. Augustine, 1565;

- Orville and Wilbur Wright – Free Spirits;

- Fun with Words – Simile, Metaphor, and Onomatopoeia;

- The Greatness of the Plains;

- Causes and Effects of the French and Indian War;

- Sedimentary Rock, Fossils, and Fossil Fuels;

- The Manifest Destiny;

- Metric Conversions.

Find these books, and more, at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

2/23/2015: Sam Houston

March is just a week away!  On March 2, 1793  Sam Houston was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  Do your students enjoy reading biographies?  In my first-grade Level G reader Sam Houston: Hero of Texas students will learn about Sam Houston, who was a governor of Tennessee and Texas and who fought for Texas' freedom from Mexico. He is also the namesake of Houston, Texas.  

The book is sold as a single book as well as part of two collections of books -

Level G (Set 1) and Social Studies Topics: First-grade level F/G books which includes:

F: Constitution Day; Facts about the Alamo; Garrett Morgan;

Jobs; Alexander Graham Bell; G: Why Work?; San Jacinto Day;

Statue of Liberty; Sam Houston; and Ben Franklin

1/17/2016: It is Almost Martin Luther King Jr Day!

It is almost Martin Luther King Jr Day!

The week Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a wonderful time to teach your students about the life and legacy of the great American Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I have created two original plays about Dr. King, I Have A Dream - The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Dream - A Play about Martin Luther King, Jr.

These plays are complete with a teaching guide that lists questions before and after reading the play, words to preview, and extension activities, your students will have fun, build self-confidence and increase in reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development.

You can read more about Dr. King in my reader Martin Luther King, Jr. - First Grade Level D Reader.  My original series of leveled books is written to incorporate the Fountas and Pinnell leveled vocabulary, Rebecca Sitton spelling words, and common core curriculum standards for grades K-6 in the United States. They are great materials for Black History Month in February as well!

9/30/2015: Happy National Hispanic Month!

National Hispanic Month 2015 is here!

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month.  This month began as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and was later expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.  

According to the official website “The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.”

Now is a great time to honor Hispanic history and culture in your classroom with some of these offerings from Haven Hill Learning on Teachers Pay Teachers:

San Jacinto Day – 1st grade Level G Level

Cinco de Mayo – 4th grade level R

San Jacinto Memorial –  4th grade Level R

Cesar Chavez – 5th grade level T

My original Level T reader Caesar Chavez: Champion of Farm Workers' Rights is Great book for your students to learn more about the life of Cesar Chavez who was a champion for rights for migrant farm workers. It is written as a Level T reader but can be used with younger grades for advanced readers or as a read-a-loud and also for higher grade levels for special education students or ELL learners with various reading abilities.

This four-page reader comes with three accompanying worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing. Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in the book are listed on the first page of the book.

9/16/2015: Prepare for National Fossil Day on October 14th, 2015!

Are you ready to celebrate National Fossil Day on October 14th, 2015?  National Fossil Day was begun in 2010 by the National Parks Service to raise awareness of paleontology.  Today, National Fossil Day continues to be organized by the National Park Service as a celebration “to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values.”  The National Fossil Day website has a number of great resources, including a kid’s site and information on their annual National Fossil Day Art and Photography Contest.  

Fossils can be a fun  way to engage your students with science.  My Fourth Grade Leveled Books: Level Q - Set 2 consists of 7 books, including “Fossils and Paleontologists”  Each book comes with accompanying worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing. Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in each book are listed on the first page of each story.

9/9/2015: Happy Post-Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!  I hope that everyone enjoyed a restful holiday weekend, and you all feel energized for the new school year!

Why not get your students excited for a new year of reading with some of my original plays?  These plays are written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production.   Using plays in literacy-based classrooms promotes active listening for the performers, as well as the audience, and offers an engaging way to teach reading skills.

9/9/2015: Get Ready to wish "The Star-Spangled Banner" Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner!”

During the War of 1812, on September 13–14, 1814 Francis Scott Key watched Fort McHenry being bombed by the British forces in the Battle of Baltimore.  In the morning, Key could see that the American flag was still flown over Fort McHenry, showing that the Americans had not lost possession of it. The inspired Key’s to write a poem, which became “The Star-Spangled Banner”  

Learn more about Francis Scott Key with your class with my book  Francis Scott Key and The Star-Spangled Banner: First Grade - Level I Reader.  

This first grade Level I reader gives students the interesting background of the United States national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner".   Francis Scott Key and the American Flag are also featured in my First Grade Level I – Set 2 book set.  

My  five-page Level O reader The Founding Fathers is a wonderful resource to bring information about life in the American colonies about the founders of the United States into your classroom.  The book comes with three accompanying worksheets to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading comprehension, language, spelling, and writing.   

Your class can learn more about some of America’s other important Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality

my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I