10/12/2014: Happy Belated Birthday, Eleanor Roosevelt!

Happy belated birthday, Eleanor Roosevelt!  This dynamic First Lady would have turned 130 on October 11. She was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City in 1884.  Among her many accomplishments, Roosevelt was a UN delegate, a longtime newspaper columnist, and once went flying with Amelia Earhart!  

With my reader Eleanor Roosevelt your class will learn a number of interesting facts about Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Roosevelt and a fighter for women's rights and the rights of African-Americans and children. This book is a first-grade level E reader and includes two accompanying worksheets.

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10/10/2014: Almost a month until Veteran's Day

Fall is moving ahead so quickly, it is hard to believe that Veteran’s Day, November 11th, is barely over a month away!

A Veterans Day Play 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.

Written with 9 speaking parts, the play also features a band and choir of unlimited members. The band marches in a parade that the family (mother, father and two children) comes to see on Veteran’s Day and the choir sings the national anthem, as well as additional patriotic songs when the play is over. With an announcer, two parade assistants and three narrators, you are all set to put on this play that helps us all learn more about this important holiday of honoring our veterans.

Some feedback for this play from other Teachers Pay Teachers users:

On  December 1, 2013,  Deb M. said:

This is a great resource and really added to our unit.

On  August 18, 2014,  Priscilla W. said:

Very nice. Going to use for our whole school.

On  October 5, 2014,  Martha S. said:

This is an excellent play for our Veteran's Day Assembly. I am doing this with our multi-age class for the assembly. The kids are excited about it and I have been able to add ways to make sure everyone in the class has a part in the assembly. By adding a few Patriotic songs with song tracks CD, we have an awesome assembly program that will appeal to people of all ages who will be attending. Thanks, Sue!

10/9/2014: Anniversary of the first telephone conversation

On October 9, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson held the first wire conversation when they spoke to each other by telephone over a two-mile wire stretched between Cambridge and Boston.

My first-grade Level F reader Alexander Graham Bell combines reading and social studies activities to provide interesting facts about Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. Your students will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension as they read the story, answer questions, and have fun with the criss cross puzzle.

10/6/2014: Happy National Hispanic Month!

Happy National Hispanic Month!

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

10/6/14: Today in History- Thomas Edison Screens his First Motion Picture

On October 6, 1889, Thomas Edison first projected a motion picture in his laboratory.  He received a patent for the "kinetograph"  He would eventually start his own production company “Edison Studios.”

My first-grade Level E reader “Thomas Edison - Inventor” will teach your students interesting facts about the great inventor Thomas Edison. They will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension as they read the story and answer questions and have fun with the word search.   

9/22/2014: "The Star-Spangled Banner" Turns 200!

Happy 200th 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

9/1/2014 Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!  As a new school year begins for many of you, 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.