November Resources for the Elementary Classroom

November Reading Challenge inspires your students to read more books in the month of November.  November Reading Log will keep record of how many books read. There are 2 challenges for readers; one for beginning readers and another for more experienced readers so it is very easy for your to diversify instruction and reading tasks.    Students feel a sense of accomplishment and enjoy good books for the entire month of November and longer!  You can grab your November Reading Challenge HERE.

Perfect for distance learning or homework assignments!

In November - Book Companion

In November by Cynthia Rylant...

Read. Write. Do. Learn. These reader response pages will engage primary readers in literacy skills after reading this wonderful picture book about November. 

16 pages for reader response and writing prompts that give the opportunity to write about this book and the author’s message. These pages can easily be assigned for distance learning and school-at-home.  Click below to get your book companion for In November.

Arthur's Thanksgiving -
Book Companion

Everything you need for your readers to respond to this book,

 Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown. Everyone loves Arthur! and he is the director of his class' school play about Thanksgiving; and he runs into a problem or two. These reader response pages will enhance the reading experience. You might read the book aloud to the entire class, use in a small reading group, or assign to an independent reader. Also included are Thanksgiving bookmarks for your students.

Pete the Cat

Pete the Cat, 

The First Thanksgiving 

by Kimberly and James Dean. In this story, Pete the Cat is feeling a bit nervous as he is going to be in his school play about the First Thanksgiving. This book entertains the reader and the listeners with true facts about the First Thanksgiving depicted by a lovable fictional character, Pete, the Cat. The perfect book to teach about the voyage of the Mayflower, the hardships of the Pilgrims and how we have decided to celebrate each year their success to the new world. Teach fact and fiction; as you will discover the many facts about the early Pilgrims but will also recognize wonderful fictional characters.  Read this book aloud and choose these reader response pages to enhance the reading experience. There are many pages to choose from and you can easily diversify instruction by choosing those pages that best accommodate your students. Also included is a Pete, the cat, craftivity to make for Thanksgiving. These pages can easily be assigned for distance learning or school-at-home.

20 November riddles for your students to read, think, write and solve. These riddles are a great writing activity for morning seat work. Students settle right in with reading and writing. It is motivating because the children love to guess what today's riddle answer might be. You can easily assign these riddles for distance learning and school-at-home work.

Each riddle is a November theme idea and contains many high frequency words. Your students read the riddle, think, and write a sentence that answers the question. Next, they illustrate the sentence that they wrote. This is a motivating writing-reading-thinking literacy activity that you may use for morning seat work, homework, for fast finishers or anytime. This resource includes teacher directions, bin labels and an answer key.  Also there are covers if you wish to make an 'November Riddle' booklet.  It is appropriate for grades 1 -2 and homeschoolers.  Grab your November riddles HERE

This project is a study of Early American life. More specifically, the story of the Pilgrims adventure over to America. Reading and writing about the Pilgrims' adventure encourages collaborative group work. There are materials for 5 groups to study this part of American history --Thanksgiving.

Groups start this project by reading about their part of the story in history. 

The 5 groups are:

Old World to New World
Mayflower Journey
Wampanoag Village
Pilgrim Village
Harvest Feast

Each group has a reading passage to start. The reading passages include questions for them to explore and find the answers. Included is a graphic organizer to write a paragraph about their topic. Organizer includes topic sentence, interesting details and concluding statement. Also included are other graphic organizers, real photographs from the time in history, illustrations to visualize and learn about the ways and customs of the people. A map of the journey to America. Then students create a diorama or poster board display to represent their part of history.

Presenting their display and reports are the goal of this group project. Also included is 

a parent -family invitation, if you wanted to invite families to the class presentations.

This is a high-interest and motivating project. Teacher guidelines and directions are included. It would be helpful if you had other resources i.e. books about the pilgrims and Wampanoag, access to the computer etc.  You will need to provide materials for students to create their dioramas or posters.  This would be appropriate for Grade 3.  Grab this resource for collaborative project on Pilgrims- Wampanoag HERE

Happy November .... reading and writing!

Find more teaching resources for November HERE

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Teacher Resources | Math | Halloween | Double Digits

Double Digit Addition and Subtraction Practice Pages with a Halloween Theme. 

These worksheets provide practice in adding and subtracting double digit numbers without regrouping. These pages can be fun and colorful to practice the skill of adding and subtracting double digit numbers with a Halloween theme. Also practice to add 3 single digits in a column. Set them at a math station for needed practice on a math skill learned and mastered. Assign for independent math practice for double digit addition and subtraction.

These practice pages are ideal for:

• independent practice
• morning seat work
• math class warm-up
• fast finishers
• Halloween math station
• homework
• extra practice for adding and subtracting double digit numbers
• quick and easy assessment of double digit addition & subtraction skill
• these worksheets can easily be assigned for distance learning

Click HERE to get Your Halloween Math Practice

Teacher Resources for Halloween | Elementary Grades

Halloween Fun!  

Boo! tiful! Resources

Children's Literature and Writing Prompts

My Teacher On Halloween is more fun for the teacher! than her students!

Read on to find more teacher-created resources  that will engage your students in reading, writing and learning. 

Authentic writing prompts and celebrating a holiday that is child-centered and fun for everyone.  

Spookley, the Square Pumpkin
Book Companion

Read Spookley, The Square Pumpkin and create your very own Spookley.  He is a square pumpkin and teaches a life lesson! 
Children's literature in the classroom always brings about high interest in your students. 
In this story, Spookley is feeling a bit sad, lonely and square; and those other pumpkins are teasing him! But not for long, as you will read to find out what makes being square a unique feature and also helps to solve a big problem. This book entertains the reader and the listeners with rhyme and rhythm. The perfect book to teach and review the different shapes... and also teach awareness of differences; and how we might not want to judge a pumpkin by it's shape. Get this book companion here. 

Halloween Writing and Activities

Grab this teaching resource for Halloween reading and writing activities:
writing prompts, Halloween poetry, label the picture and word study.  Create an interactive reading booklet that will have your children reading for fluency in minutes.  Download these halloween vocabulary cards for your pocket chart.  It's easy... print and go! for the teacher.


Read. Think. Draw. Write. Listen. Learn.
Smile!  It's all here!

Learning color names and writing about reading! For beginning readers and writers. Read this wonderful book, Frankencrayon , by Michael Hall and then write about the book. Even make a scribble monster! It's motivating! It's educational and it's fun! Literacy lesson #1 read good books; read, think, write, listen, share!

This teaching resource is to use with Michael Hall's wonderful book, Frankencrayon. There are 10 reader response pages included:

Frankencrayon, Book Companion

• Who is your favorite character?
• Color Frankencrayon
• Make a 'Scribble Monster'
• Read crayon colors - match
• Read crayon colors - color and match
• Color in the color words
• Handwriting practice for color words
• Eight color word flash cards for display

Life Cycle of a Pumpkin

Understand the life cycle of a pumpkin. Easy foldable booklet that students see each stage of growth. Stages include:

1. seeds

2. sprout

3. growing sprout

4. vines and flowers

5. green pumpkin

6. big, fat pumpkin in the pumpkin patch

Also included are 3 pages for reference on the 'life cycle of a pumpkin' . One black and white for students to color, one in color, if you wish to display and the third one is a graphic organizer that the students can fill in to show that they remember the stages of a pumpkin's life cycle.

The booklet is a fun foldable that students love and after completing it guides them through retelling the stages.

Book Companion for
Creepy Carrots

Writing Prompts and craftivity for

 Creepy Carrots, by Aaron Reynolds. 

34 Pages to respond in writing to this fun book at Halloween time! This book entertains the reader and the listeners with Jasper's adventures at Crackenhopper Field. Read about creepy carrots and learn how Jasper solves his problem.

It's fun fiction! And leads to an ending that makes the reader think! Read this book aloud and choose these reader response pages to write about the book. Also included is a Creepy Carrot craftivity. Make these creepy carrots and create a colorful bulletin board.

All About Pumpkins
Resource HERE

All About Pumpkins 

Read. Write. Think. Do. Learn. These pages about pumpkins will engage primary readers in literacy skills, thinking and learning about pumpkins. Improve literacy skills and reading achievement with reading passages and writing prompts within a unit of studying pumpkins. Add these pages to a science corner or literacy station with books and literature about pumpkins. These reading passages and writing prompts can be used for independent practice, small group instruction and whole class unit study about pumpkins.

There are 50 pages:

• reading passages
• comprehension checks
• writing prompts
• drawing and illustrating
• facts about pumpkins
• KWL chart
• Poetry Booklet about Pumpkins
• word study
• label the jack-o’-lantern
• writing sentences
• learning new words
• vocabulary for display
• ABC order
• rhyming words
• word sorts
• math – skip counting- puzzles
• count by 10’s
• count by 5’s
• count by 2’s
• combinations of 10
• tally marks
• Life Cycle of A Pumpkin [anchor chart, cut and paste]
• collecting data about the class pumpkin
• Float or Sink?

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Halloween Pages for Writing & Math

Halloween Handouts!   

Writing Halloween Sentences 

and Solving Riddles with Multiplication

Halloween pages focus on:

• students learn about the 4 kinds of sentences
• students show what they have learned by writing 'Halloween' sentences

• students solve multiplication facts to solve a riddle about Halloween

Looking for some fun Halloween resources ...  find more HERE

Finding these resources is easy. Just click here

Learning to write the four kinds of sentences with a Halloween them.

• declarative 
• interogative
• imperative
• exclamatory                                                           What fun! Grab yours here

Solving riddles by math...everyone loves to solve a math problem or riddle.  These pages give practice with a Halloween theme.

Each page has a riddle and after completing the multiplication problems you place the correct letters to match the numbers and discover the answer. 

Classroom Posters that Teach Well Being

Grab Your Poster HERE

Classroom Posters that teach good behavior. These posters can brighten your classroom and show messages for good behavior and well being.

     

                         Eat Well
                         Exercise
                         Be Nice to People
                         Care for Nature

There are 2 poster designs posting the same message.

The posters measure 8.5" x 11". Easy download and print. Display these in your classroom and teach 4 key life skills. Discuss why each directive is important. Place them at eye level for all to see.  Classroom decor can easily teach and motivate .... important life skills and messages that make an environment that thrives with healthy living and happiness.  Everyone can make a difference everyday.  Hmmm, maybe another poster in the making.  .....

Grab your poster here FREE.  

The Hare and the Tortoise | Reading Aloud | Teach Literacy & Life Lessons with Children's Literature

The Hare and the Tortoise - Book Companion

Reading time should be enjoyable  with follow up activities that are easy for the beginning reader to show understanding of the story and the message 

the author conveys.

**Teacher Idea:** Leave this book companion and book for your Substitute teacher for an engaging and worthwhile reading experience for your students. And NO PREP for you!

Listen to The Hare and the Tortoise

by Brian Wildsmith

on my youtube channel. 

Favorite stories, such as The Hare and The Tortoise, invites you to be creative with your voice when reading aloud. 

Some suggestions that will enhance the read aloud are:

• •  Change your voice for the different characters speaking.  Hare might have a high, fast voice and tortoise might have a low, slow voice.  In this way, children will gain further understanding to each of the characters in this entertaining story. 
  • When the tortoise trudges up the hill, you may even read with slower, tired voice.  When hare is sleeping, you might do a small and faint snore. 
  • Vary your tone when reading, use a worrisome tone when hare realizes he, in fact, will lose the race.  Use an excited voice when tortoise crosses the finish line. Vary your tone, further.  For sad parts, talk in a lower tone. For happy parts, talk in an excited tone!

Be sure to share the beautiful illustrations when reading picture books.  

Gathering the audience around you is a great strategy to invite your listeners closer.

• Read and share.  Hold the book, pictures toward the reader, read the page and then show the listeners the illustration.
• Read and show.  Show an opened book to listeners inviting them to see the illustrations as you are reading. 

Both ways are good ways when reading aloud.  You may alternate these two ways and always be mindful of your audience.  During a read and show, small children see the illustrations when hearing the words to understand fully the text.  During a read and share, showing illustrations after, children are fine tuning their listening skills as they rely solely on the words to gain understanding.   Also try both methods with the same read aloud, alternating sharing illustrations while reading and sharing illustrations after the page has been read. 

After reading this classic, your students can talk, draw and write about the book,  

The Hare and the Tortoise, by Brian Wildsmith.    Students will answer comprehension questions about the book, complete word work, color and write and learn new vocabulary. This teaching resource makes it very easy to diversify instruction. There are pages to color and write, pages to practice phonics skills as well as pages to accommodate more writing to show understanding, comprehension and evaluation of the story. 

This book companion includes:   comprehension questions, character traits, story elements, responding to events in the story, word work, rhyming words and phonics, roll and read and cut and paste, color and write, draw and write, lessons from the story, before, during and after questions for your read aloud and teacher notes for class discussions.

There are many pages to choose from; however, sometimes a good book talk is all that is needed to teach valuable reading strategies and listening skills.

 One good book leads to another!  

Happy Reading!

MrsQuimbyReads.com