If you are an upper elementary reading teacher, then you are already well aware that in order for students to improve reading, they must... well... READ. And while our classrooms may be full of independent readers engaged in a plethora of books from our well-organized book bins, simply reading is not enough for developing comprehension. Explicit instruction of key reading strategies is vital for helping our young readers develop their comprehension, and so is another aspect that is sometimes overlooked: responding in writing to reading.  Providing students with a variety of opportunities to respond in writing to reading helps improve comprehension by enabling students to connect ideas, analyze, summarize, and interpret key ideas from the text. Even by simply providing students opportunities to write personal reactions to text, comprehension can be improved.  Although answering questions is one way for students to write about their reading, why not provide stude......

Hi! I'm Kelly from Teaching Fourth, and I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this amazing group of teachers that make up Upper Elementary Snapshots! Today I'm excited to share with you one of my favorite tools to use in my classroom. Fifteen or so years ago I attended one of the best workshops of my teaching career.  The ideas presented actually changed my teaching from that moment forward.  This workshop introduced me to flipbooks.  I loved all of the possibilities of using this simple tool in my classroom, and I was amazed at the versatility this tool offered.  I was hooked, and I have been using flipbooks ever since! Flipbooks are interactive graphic organizers that help students write, organize, and retain information. They can be used with any subject and just about any topic! The possibilities are endless!  From science to math or reading to grammar, these easy flipbooks can help students organize the information that they have lear......