Anna Geiger's Blog, page 35

Free reading comprehension passages for early readers!

Enjoy this set of free reading passages for young readers!

Without a doubt, one of the biggest requests I get at The Measured Mom is for simple reading passages for young readers.

I love to create reading passages, but they take a lot of time.

Because of that, I’ve started sharing new reading passages every month on my paid membership site.

Here’s a free sample so you can get a taste of what members get every month (in addition to��many other printable resources!).

Each set of early reading passages comes in three different levels.

My kindergartner enjoyed the simplest passage and read it easily.

Every time she read the passage, she colored one of the smiley face circles. (Rereading builds fluency!)

Next, I helped her answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

Finally, she traced the vocabulary word (“snow”) and wrote it twice in her best handwriting.

She did well with the level 2 passage as well, although she needed help with the word “covers.”

The level 3 passage was at her frustration level, and she didn’t enjoy it. For her second reading, we read it chorally (at the same time) to boost her confidence. If I was using these with her in the classroom, I’d have her do the level 2 page.

How to use these passages

Use them with individuals or small, ability-based reading groups.


Encourage your learners to use their word solving skills when they come to tricky words.

Find a part of the word you know.
Read the first chunk and see if you can add the rest of the word.
What would make sense?
Say all the sounds in order.




Teach your students how to read the question��and all the possible answers before choosing the correct one.


Consider completing these at school and sending them home for more practice.


After you have done the passages with your learners, you might place them at a fluency center so students can read the passages again (alone or in pairs).

Enjoy your free set of passages!

Have you checked out

The Measured Mom Plus?

Get one-click access to hundreds of printables, including

Alphabet printables
Grammar games and task cards
Phonics resources
Reading passages
Partner plays
Quick video trainings

and so much more!

Not a member yet? Join here! 

© 2020, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post Free reading comprehension passages for early readers! appeared first on The Measured Mom.

What is shared reading?

What is shared reading, and what are its benefits? Get answers to these questions and more in today’s post!

If you’re little fuzzy on shared reading – or you want to make sure you’re on the right track, this post is for you.

Let’s tackle some common questions.

What is shared reading?

Shared reading is when a teacher and a large group of students read an enlarged text��together.

There is��one copy of the text, and it’s big enough that everyone can see it.

How is it different than guided reading?

Quite a bit.

Guided reading is always done with small groups who are at a similar reading level. While shared reading��may be done with small, ability-based groups, we typically do shared reading with a large group of learners at all different levels.


With guided reading, each students gets his/her own copy of the text. Shared reading works best when everyone shares the same (enlarged) text.


During guided reading lessons, each child reads the text��on his/her own. In contrast, shared reading usually involves all learners��reading the text in unison.

Both guided and shared reading have an importance place in a balanced literacy model.��

What age/grade levels should do shared reading?

I recommend doing shared reading starting at the PreK level and going all the way through mid-elementary school.

I believe it is��most valuable at the K-2 level.

What do you read during shared reading?

I recommend choosing a text that is 1-2 levels above the average reading level of your group. This way the text provides a small challenge as you work with it throughout the week.

Your text could be …

a poem or other text written on chart paper
a poem written on sentence strips in a pocket chart
a Big Book
any text enlarged with a document camera

What are the benefits of shared reading?

Here are just a few reasons to make shared reading a regular part of your school days.

Shared reading …

encourages enthusiasm for reading
builds book and print awareness
supports students at all reading levels
introduces students to different genres
gives practice with word solving skills
provides an opportunity to teach comprehension strategies
provides a platform for modeling and building fluency

How often should you do shared reading?

With all those benefits, you’d think that shared reading is going to eat up a lot of your day.

But it won’t!

You only need to set aside 10-15 minutes 3-5 days a week.

Stay tuned for more about shared reading!

��Part 1 ��Coming January 14 ��Coming January 21 ��Coming January 28 ��Coming February 4

 

And check out the mini-course

in The Measured Mom Plus!

Log in to your account at The Measured Mom Plus and view my mini-course about shared reading.

Learn exactly what to teach during shared reading lessons.
Find out how to keep the same text from getting boring.
Get 5-day shared reading lesson plans for multiple books and grade levels!

Not a member yet? Join here! 

© 2020, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post What is shared reading? appeared first on The Measured Mom.

24 Cinderella versions to read aloud

For weeks, my two youngest kids were treated to a variety of Cinderella versions. We discovered quite a few new favorites (and, admittedly, a few we didn’t care for). Read on to find the best Cinderella versions to read aloud!

24 Cinderella Versions

Cinder Edna, by Ellen Jackson

This is my favorite book in this list, so I’m putting it first. Cinderella and Cinder Edna live next door to teach other. Both girls are forced to work for their wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella sits among the cinders, moping about her problems. Cinder Edna, on the other hand, uses her spare moments to learn exciting new things and earn money doing jobs for the neighbors.

Cinderella is beautiful; Cinder Edna is plain. While a fairy godmother helps Cinderella dress for the ball,�� Cinder Edna wears a simple dress and loafers. Cinderella rides a carriage to the ball; Cinder Edna takes the bus.

Cinderella marries the handsome, proud, and vain Prince Randolph. Cinder Edna marries his plain, clever, and kind brother Rupert. Can you guess who lives happily ever after?

Highly recommended!

Seriously, Cinderella is So Annoying!, by Trisha Speed Shaskan

This is a funny book told from the perspective of the “wicked” stepmother. Apparently, Cinderella is a silly, scatterbrained girl who tells stories all day (and leaves the house covered in dust).

Cinderella tells so many stories that she loses her voice – so of course her stepmother must keep her home from the ball.

Older listeners will catch the humor better than preschoolers, and this book would be excellent for a study on point of view.

Cindy Ellen, by Susan Lowell

This is another Wild West version of the familiar story. Instead of going to a ball, Cindy Ellen goes to a rodeo, where she wins every event (and Joe, the rich rancher’s son, is so enchanted, he doesn’t even mind losing). When Cindy Ellen and Joe meet again at a square dance, Cindy leaves one of her diamond spurs behind. Of course Joe won’t rest until he founds its owner.

A clever and fun version – recommended!

Joe Cinders, by Marianne Mitchell

Joe Cinders has three mean stepbrothers (Butch, Buck, and Bart) who make him do all the work on the family ranch. When a mysterious man waves a stick and turns Joe’s rags into new cowboy clothes, things start to look up. The man changes his horse into a red pick-up truck, and Joe zooms to the fall fiesta, where he dances every dance with Rosalinda. When Joe leaves his red cowboy boot behind, Rosalinda won’t rest until she finds its owner.

One to read!

Chickerella, by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

This was just plain weird, and I was tempted to hide it from my three and five-year-old, who kept requesting it. They liked the chicken mannequin/collage artwork, but I just found it creepy. Combine weird illustrations with bad puns, and you have an eggstraordinarily disappointing book.

The Turkey Girl, by Penny Pollock

This Zuni version of Cinderella is unlike any other version I read because it��doesn’t end happily ever after. The Turkey Girl is a poor young woman who herds turkeys for a living. One day a huge gobbler surprises her by speaking and promising that she shall go to a special dance.�� When the birds dress her in beautiful clothes and jewels, they insist that she return to them by sunset.

The Turkey Girl promises, but she has so much fun at the dance that she fails to return in time. In the end, she loses her turkey friends and (we presume) is alone forever.

I didn’t read this aloud to my kids; the illustrations are far from engaging, and the text is extremely hard to read since it’s often on a dark background.

Not recommended.

Cinder-Elly, by Frances Minters

In clever rhyme, Minters tells the story of Cinder-Elly and her mean stepsisters, Sue and Nelly.

Instead of going to a ball, Elly goes to a basketball game. Instead of riding a coach, she rides on a bike (with glass sneakers). In the end, Elly goes on a date with Prince Charming, the star basketball player.

I really didn’t care for this modern New York City version, but my Three and Five requested it often.

Smoky Mountain Rose, by Alan Schroeder

I always love reading aloud a book with fun dialect, so the Appalachian style makes this one extra fun. Just to give you a taste …

“Now lis’en. Smack in the heart o’ the Smoky Mountains, there was this old trapper livin’ in a log cabin with his daughter. One night, while Rose was fryin’ a mess o’ fish, the trapper, he starts lookin’ dejected-like.”

Rose meets a rich feller (who “made his fortune in sowbellies and grits”) when he hosts a square dance.

My favorite page is the last one, which features an old couple sitting on a porch swing. “To this day, Rose and Seb are still livin’ there, and folks reckon they’re about the happiest two-some in all o’ Tarbelly Creek.”

The Persian Cinderella, by Shirley Climo

This version features Settareh, a beautiful young woman who catches the attention of the prince at the No Ruz festival. The story is well told, and illustrations are so beautiful that they almost look like photographs. The tale itself is very different from other versions; Settareh uses magic from a tiny glass bottle, and when her stepsisters get their hands on it they turn her into a turtledove.

Overall I found the story quite strange, and this wasn’t my favorite. But you may feel differently.

Fair, Brown & Trembling, by Jude Daly

In this Irish version, Trembling lives with her stepsisters, Fair and Brown. Instead of meeting the prince at a ball, Trembling makes her appearance in the back of church. The folk-style art gives the book an older feel. Because of that (and the fact that one woman cuts off a bit of her big toe to fit in the shoe … complete with dripping blood!), I do not recommend this book for your youngest listeners.

Cendrillon, by Robert D. San Souci

This version is told by a poor washerwoman from a Caribbean island. While I love the vivid paintings, neither my kids nor I enjoyed the story.�� However, the 5-star reviews on Amazon reveal that many people feel differently. It’s worth checking out.

The Orphan, by Anthony L. Manna

In this Greek version, the young girl gets gifts from Mother Nature (The Sun gave her brilliance, the Moon, beauty etc.). When the prince decides to attend the village church, the orphan must fix her stepsisters’ hair and dress them in lavish new gowns. However, Mother Nature’s gifts allow the orphan to make a radiant appearance at the church door.

There is no fairy godmother; instead, the orphan hears messages from her dead mother at her grave.

(Yeah, it’s weird.)

Prince Cinders, by Babette Cole

My three-year-old asked me to read him this silly version many times. Prince Cinders is a “small, spotty, scruffy, and skinny” prince with three big hair brothers.

When an accident-prone fairy falls down his chimney, she turns him into a big, hairy ape. When Princess Lovelypenny meets the ape, she’s terrified – but when the prince turns back into himself, she’s convinced he has rescued her.

A shy Prince Cinders runs away – leaving his trousers behind him. When the skinny Prince Cinders is the only man who fits the trousers, Princess Lovelypenny proposes immediately.

We like this goofy version of the classic.

Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella, by Tony Johnston

This is just an all-around great version that kids will love (as did my youngest three kids, ages 3, 5, and 7).�� Instead of the heroine being tiny and beautiful, Rrrrella is a big, smelly Bigfoot. She wins the prince’s heart when she’s the only Bigfoot strong enough to spin his log and dump him into the water. When she runs away, the prince is heartbroken. “Where my stinking beauty go?”

As it turns out, no one else’s foot is big enough to fit Rrrrella’s left-behind wooden clog, and the prince and his bride live happily ever after.

Twinderella, by Corey Rosen Schwartz

Did you know that Cinderella actually had a twin? Cinderella and Tinderella��both complete the lengthy chore list given by their wicked stepmother, dividing their tasks right down the middle.

Their fairy godmother gets both girls ready for the ball, and when they arrive, the prince is entranced by both Cin and Tin. Thankfully, the fairy godmother makes a twin for the prince, and the girls have a double wedding.

The ending was a bit weird to me, but I love the clever rhyming text, the integrated math concepts, and the delightful illustrations.

Dinorella, by Pamela Duncan Edwards

This was by far my least favorite version. Normally I like Edwards’ alliterative stories (where many words begin with the same letter), but this letter d-themed book fell short.

The story idea (three dinosaurs living in a den) is cute, but there’s too much name-calling (dingbat, dumbhead, dummy, etc.)

When Duke Dudley hosts a party at the disco, Dinorella arrives and rescues the Duke from a deinonychus. The dinosaur sees only her glowing eyes and thinks she’s a demon. “A devil! See its dreadful demon eyes!”

No thanks.

Mufaro’s Beautiful��Daughters, by John Steptoe

This is an absolutely stunning picture book about two sisters who live with their father in Africa. One is kind and generous; the other is vain and cruel. When the young king searches for a wife, the sisters react in different ways. The king recognizes their true natures and chooses Nyasha, the kind and generous daughter, to be his queen.

Cinderella Penguin, by Janet Perlman

The pictures in this book crack me up, but it���s also a great version of Cinderella told exceptionally well. ��My Three wasn���t interested at first, but as the book got going and he recognized the familiar fairy tale, he was hooked.

Plus, the blond wig on Cinderella – not to mention the picture of her stepsister trying to squeeze into a corset – are just hilarious.

The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin

This is one of those stunningly beautiful picture books that you just��have��to read. This version (from Algonquin Indian folklore) tells the story of a girl whose face and arms are scarred by the fire her stepsisters force her to tend.

All the young women want to marry The Invisible Being, because he is rich, powerful, and (supposedly) handsome. To marry him, a woman must prove that she has seen his face.

Though many women try to prove otherwise, only the Rough-Face girl has seen The Invisible Being. And when she finally meets him face to face, he looks past her scars and sees the beauty inside her.

I love this book,��and my kindergartner loved it too.

Cinderella: The Untold Story,��by Russel Shorto

This is a fantastic book for teaching point of view. When you read one side of the book, you read the familiar tale. Flip it upside down and start from the other side, and you have a completely different story! In the Untold Story, Cinderella is a pretty but excessively imaginative girl who lives with her kind father, stepmother and stepsisters. In the end, she marries the prince’s cousin, who also likes to tell stories that aren’t true.

Both stories are cleverly told, and the illustrations are wonderful.

Cinderella: The Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper,��by Diane Goode

The pictures in this book are a little weird (dogs dressed in old European clothing, complete with wigs, and walking on two feet). But my daughter enjoyed the humor in the illustrations, and the story is well-told without being too wordy.

The Golden Sandal, by Rebecca Hickox

In this middle eastern tale, beautiful Maha works day and night for her cruel stepmother and stepsister. When Maha spares a little red fish from becoming the family’s dinner, it promises to help her whenever she needs it.

True to the culture of the time, Maha marries Tariq without ever having met him (his mother decides whom he will marry).

My daughter requested this one more than I’d have thought, I suspect because of Will Hillenbrand’s beautiful illustrations.

Adelita, by Tomie DePaola

Adelita is a young Mexican woman who lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. The bright spot in her life is Esperanza, the kind old woman who had cared for her father when��he was a baby. Esperanza helps Adelita reunite with a young man she had known as a child, and the two (of course) marry and live happily ever after.

Cinderella,��by Marcia Brown

You may have a hard time convincing your young listeners to sit for this one, because this vintage (1954) version’s illustrations won’t grab today’s kids. But please do give it a try. Even though the story is familiar, Brown’s storytelling is wonderful!

Find all of our book lists here.

© 2020, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post 24 Cinderella versions to read aloud appeared first on The Measured Mom.

It’s a giveaway!

Have you seen the wonderful fractured fairy tales by Corey Rosen Schwarz?

Frankly, they’re hilarious.

And I’m excited to host a giveaway* for five of Schwarz’s engaging picture books! These will make a fantastic addition to your home or classroom library.

Hansel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks
Ninja Red Riding Hood
The Three Ninja Pigs
Twinderella
Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears

*Because of shipping costs, this giveaway is for U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post It’s a giveaway! appeared first on The Measured Mom.

The best order for teaching multiplication facts

Looking for the best order for teaching multiplication facts? You’re in the right place!

This post contains affiliate links.

Have you been wondering what order to teach the multiplication facts?

If you Google it, you’ll find quite a few recommendations.

I recently shared a mini-course inside The Measured Mom Plus with tips for teaching multiplication facts.

In that course I shared a recommended order for teaching multiplication facts, based on the book Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Multiplication and Division.

Why not teach the facts in order from 0-12?

We’re going for��understanding, not just memorization. It makes sense to choose a particular order, because that will let us start with the simpler facts first and help our�� students build on the knowledge they already have as they learn each new set of facts.

Teach the foundational facts first
Start with x2.

I know, I know. Most people will tell you to start with x1 or x0, because they’re the easiest to memorize.

The reason I recommend starting with x2 is because we want to start with the��concept of multiplication. Kids have experience with doubling and grouping in pairs,�� so it makes sense to start with x2.

Next, teach x10.

10 is a foundational number that students have a lot of experience with. They know how to skip count by 10, group in tens, and work with base ten blocks.

Continue with x5.

Students know how to skip count by 5. And now that they know how to multiply by 10, we can teach them that multiplying by 5 is half of multiplying by 10.

NOW teach x1 and x0.

Yes, it’s easy to memorize these facts, but they can be difficult to visualize. Now that your students have a conceptual understanding of multiplication, it’s a good time to teach x1 and x0.

Move on to the derived facts
Teach x11.

Multipying by 11 is the same as multiplying by 10 and adding one group. You can also teach the shortcut of writing the factor twice, but this only works for multiplying 11 by 1-9.

If students are multiplying 10 x 11, they can think of it as 10 x 10 (100) and then add one more group of 10. 10 x 11 = 110

Next comes x3.

Teach this fact by helping your learners understand that multiplying by 3 is like tripling a number. Teach them the shortcut of doubling the other factor and adding one more group.

For 4 x 3, they can double the 4 (to get 8) and then add one more group of 4. 8 + 4 = 12.

Move on to x4.

Multiplying by 4 is like doubling the product of a the x2 fact.

Teach x6.

I like the shortcut of multiplying by 5 and adding one more group.

If a child is doing 7 x 6, she can first think about 7 x 5, which equals 35. Add one more group of 7, and you get an answer of 42.

See how it helps to know those foundational facts first?

Now teach x9.

There are a lot of tricks for teaching the x9 facts. If you want to simply build on previously learned facts, just teach students to multiply by 10 and subtract one group.

If a learner is doing 8 x 9, he can think about 8 x 10, which equals 80, and subtract one group of 8 to get 8 x 9 = 72.

There’s a really cool trick to help students multiply by 9. Lead them to see that each two-digit answer to a x9 fact has two digits that��add up to 9.

For example, 3 x 9 = 27 (2 + 7 = 9)

To use this trick when solving a fact, they need to take the factor that isn’t 9, decrease it by 1, and put that number at the start of the answer.

4 x 9 = 3_

For the second digit, they choose the number that, when added to the first digit, will equal 9.

So 4 x 9 = 36

(For all the tips for teaching x9, check out this post by Shelly Gray Teaching.)

Teach x8.

If your students know their 4’s facts, they just need to double multiplication by 4.

For 5 x 8, they can start with 5 x 4 = 20, and then double that answer to get 40.

Next comes x7.

These aren’t the simplest facts, but if your students have learned all the other facts in the order I recommend, they only have a couple left.

A great mental math strategy for x7 is to multiply by 5 and add a double.

For example, for 6 x 7 the students can multiply 6 x 5 to get 30. Adding a double (of 6) would mean that 30 +12 = 42, so 6 x 7 = 42.

Last is x12.

We’ve reached the end! Students only have one fact left to learn: 12 x 12 = 144.

Hurray!

But if they need a mental math strategy for the x12 facts, teach your students to multiply by 10 and add a double

With 8 x 12, they can multiply 8 x 10 first, to get 80. If they add a double of 8 to the answer, they will get 80 + 16 = 96. Therefore, 8 x 12 = 96.

Want a printable list with

shortcuts for learning each fact?

You’ve got it!

 

P.S. Did you know that this printable is part of the mini-course, Tips for Teaching Multiplication Facts? It’s part of The Measured Mom Plus. Learn more about membership here.

 

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post The best order for teaching multiplication facts appeared first on The Measured Mom.

How to teach revising and editing in K-2

Wow, we’ve covered a lot in this free video series!

We’ve talked about what to teach writers in K-2.
We’ve discussed how to get kids actually interested in writing.
We gave tips for getting your writing workshop started .
We’ve shown you how to help kids move from drawing to writing .
We’ve explained the secret to meeting every writer’s needs .
We discussed how to teach young writers to spell on their own.
We gave tips for managing writing workshop .
We shared a list of mentor texts perfect for K-2.

We’re on the home stretch!

Today, it’s all about revising and editing. Is it really possible to teach these skills in K-2?

Absolutely!

Today’s video will show you how. And don’t forget to grab the free chart at the end of the post!

 

Sign up below to get the free revising and

editing charts for your learners!

Be sure to check out the rest of the videos!

��Video 1 ��Video 2 ��Video 3 ��Video 4 ��Video 5 ��Video 6 ��Video 7 ��Video 8 ��Video 9

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post How to teach revising and editing in K-2 appeared first on The Measured Mom.

10 of the best mentor texts for teaching writing

How do you feel about teaching writing?

Apprehensive?

Nervous?

A little unqualified?

The good news is that you’re not alone. Many teachers don’t feel confident about teaching writing. Even better news is that you probably have hundreds of other writing teachers right in your home or classroom.

They’re called��books –��also known as mentor texts.

Today’s quick sneak peek video will show you how to use them!

 

Get your printable list!

Have you seen the rest of the series?

��Video 1 ��Video 2 ��Video 3 ��Video 4 ��Video 5 ��Video 6 ��Video 7 ��Video 8

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post 10 of the best mentor texts for teaching writing appeared first on The Measured Mom.

The secret to meeting every writer’s needs

Have you been watching our free video series about teaching writing in K-2?��

So far we’ve shared …

What K-2 writers need to know
How to engage young writers
How to get started at the beginning of the year
Tips for helping learners move from drawing to writing

Today it’s time to get specific about how we meet each writer’s needs. Is it really possible to have an individualized approach with a roomful of learners?

Yes! And it’s not as complicated as you might think. Today’s video tells you how.

To get your free guide, click below …

Don’t miss the rest of the series!

�� �� �� �� ��

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post The secret to meeting every writer’s needs appeared first on The Measured Mom.

5 Tips for Launching Writing Workshop

In our free series about teaching writing, we’ve shared the following:

What K-2 writers need learn
How to engage your writers

Launching writing workshop

We’ve laid the foundation. Now let’s talk about how to get started! Today’s video shares five tips for launching writing workshop.

 

 

Check out the other videos in our series

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© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post 5 Tips for Launching Writing Workshop appeared first on The Measured Mom.

What do K-2 writers need to know?

What writing skills do our youngest writers need to know?

If you teach writing to kindergarten, first, or second graders, you know how difficult it can be to know exactly what to teach.

In fact, many readers have asked me for a complete scope and sequence.

This video will help you out!

Watch it for an overview of what K-2 writers need to learn with respect to

engagement
composing with pictures
finding ideas
word choice
using details
focus & organization
the writing process
conventions
spelling

 

 

We hope this video was helpful, and we look forward to sharing the full course this fall!

© 2019, Anna G. All rights reserved.

The post What do K-2 writers need to know? appeared first on The Measured Mom.