Category: Reading Instruction

2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, Book Units, Elementary, Guided Reading, Literature Connections, Reading, Reading Comprehension, Reading Instruction

12 Interactive Book Units for Young Readers

My Teaching Library

I want to discuss reading. Specifically, moving beyond merely reading words on the pages of a book.

When our children are young and we read to them, reading time is special and children begin to show their love of books. They’ll bring books to us saying, “Read to me!”. 

At such an early age, they aren’t necessarily loving the stories as much as cherishing the relationship between parent and child, the time spent together and the interactions that occur while we read to them. Perhaps you change your voice for different characters, you ask them questions and make reading a fun interactive parent child time….and during that process, they are learning about the world around them. 

…and then comes the time that they begin to read those same stories themselves.

Once children are tasked with reading those written words themselves, many lose that initial love for the written story as they have to sound out letters, say the words and put sentences together. Now, of course, it is essential that they do these things! They need to learn those letter sounds, the words and how sentences are formed…but often, during the process they begin to lose their initial love of the written word…the stories that are being told.

So, how can we nurture the love of books during this process…and beyond? How can we implement reading strategies and activities that will help our children ‘get into’ and ‘stay into’ the story? How do the inspire our children to delve deep into the stories being told, the thoughts of the characters, the differing points of view, the role of illustrations…to find whimsy, excitement, adventure! 

To help you with this task, I’ve created 12 book units for (1st – 4th) elementary students that will help! These units are fun and engaging and will give you, the parent teacher, specific guidance while providing fun, interactive activities for your child(ren). 

Have multiple children just a couple grades apart, you’ll be able to use these units to teach them together. Have an older child that could benefit from teaching their younger sibling(s)? Have them use these resources with their younger sibling(s). 

I’ve placed all of these 12 units together in an easy to access: Literature Bundle. Every book included in this bundle is a Caldecott award winning book! 

This BUNDLE offers 12 fun and engaging book units, all offering guided reading questions and student activities designed to increase student interest, test student comprehension, help students use critical thinking skills and explore their creativity.

Included book units:

What can you expect in each of these units? Let me give you one example of what you’ll find in them…

In “The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses“, you’ll find:

For the Teacher: Suggested Pre-Reading, About the Cover, After Reading and About the Artwork questions. What type of questions can you expect? Here are just a few examples of the questions you’ll find… 

  • Pre-reading – What do you think this book will be about? Do you like horses? Why or why not? 
  • After reading – Do you think the storm was just a bad dream or did it really happen? Talk about a bad dream you’ve had and what you did to make yourself feel better. Do you think this story could be true? 
  • About the art – What do the pictures tell you about the time in which the story takes place? Which picture is your favorite?

For the Students:

  • Worksheet for students to answer questions from the story (comprehension and critical thinking)
  • Worksheets to produce questions both while reading and after reading (to engage both during and after)
  • 3 Art responses (emotional and creative response)
  • A poster of horse and label the parts worksheet (going beyond the story)
  • A Teepee shape book to create a book report, a summary; to record and define unfamiliar vocabulary; use to create a poem inspired by the book (from study skills to creative expression)

Here are just a few preview images from a few of the included units:

Now, I do offer each of these book units as separate book unit resources. If you are an All-Access member, you can download each for FREE or the ENTIRE BUNDLE for FREE. 

Not an All-Access member? When you purchase the Literature Bundle, you’ll save 20% off purchasing each individually! 

Need the books for the above units? 
If you do not already have these books, you can go to your local library to borrow them or you can purchase them and have them delivered to your door. The following links will take you to view and purchase on Amazon. My Teaching Library is an Amazon associate:

Ready to get your 12 engaging book units? Do so now!

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1st grade, Kindergarten, PreK, Reading Instruction

Learning to Read: A “How To” Progression from Letters to CVC Words (Part 2)

My Teaching Library

In part 1 of this series, I stated a pretty obvious fact…That children must be able to recognize individual letters as the first part of learning to read. However, you also learned that while teaching children letter names, you can (and should) introduce them to the sound each letter makes.

Here, in part 2, I’ll discuss progressing forward to CVC words.

What are CVC words?

It’s important to emphasize the significance of CVC words in early reading education. These three-letter words, comprised of a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant, are pivotal in introducing blending sounds and decoding words to young learners. Mastery of CVC words is essential for the development of phonemic awareness, a fundamental skill for achieving reading success.

Remember, as you taught children to recognize letters, you also taught them to recognize the sound each letter makes. Once they know the letters and sounds, progressing to CVC words is the next step!

To practice blending CVC words effectively, it’s essential to model the process by pointing to each letter and articulating its sound. For example, for the word “cat”. First, say the word. Then, simply start with “c” and make the sound. Next, add the “a” sound followed by the “t” sound. Point to each letter in the word as you make the sound. Once you make each sound separately, say them (blending together) as you once again say the word.

One effective technique that some love to use when teaching CVC words…Placing dots underneath each letter to provide a tactile reference for students. Begin by repeating the process 2-3 times, gradually increasing the pace and seamlessly blending the sounds together until the word is formed.

Following this, encourage students to participate alongside you and eventually attempt the exercise independently. As a beneficial warm-up, start with oral blending before progressing to using actual words on a blending line. With consistent modeling and ample practice, students will develop the ability to independently blend CVC words.

My Teaching Library has a comprehensive bundle designed just for students who are ready to begin learning and practicing CVC words…

LEARN TO READ | CVC BUNDLE

This fun, engaging BUNDLE includes all three CVC workbooks, (short a | short e and i | short o and u), plus a BONUS end of study assessment!

Watch preview videos of each workbook that is included:
– Short A
– Short E and I
– Short O and U

Using this CVC BUNDLE, students will color, trace, write, cut, and glue as they learn and read CVC words!

How to Progress from Letters to CVC Words

Moving from learning individual letters to blending CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words is a pivotal milestone in a child’s reading journey. It signifies their transition from recognizing basic phonemes to forming and pronouncing simple words. This phase can be enriched by integrating various engaging activities, interactive games, and providing access to straightforward reading materials. Through a harmonious blend of these approaches, educators and parents can effectively steer young learners towards achieving reading success. Furthermore, cultivating patience, offering consistent encouragement, and fostering a sense of joy in the learning process will lay a sturdy foundation for their future literacy endeavors!

Want to view the TOP SUGGESTED RESOURCES for PreK and Kindergarten students? Click the button below…

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Kindergarten, PreK, Reading Instruction

Learning to Read: A “How To” Progression from Letters to CVC Words (Part 1)

My Teaching Library

Reading is a crucial skill that begins by mastering the alphabet. However, as students progress, they encounter another milestone in their journey – the transition from recognizing individual letters to seamlessly blending consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. This is an essential step that helps them decode and read more complex words. In this series, I will share a step-by-step guide on how you can help your students make this transition effectively.

In this blog post, part 1, I’m addressing the skill of mastering letter recognition.

Learning to Recognize Letters

Students must be able to recognize individual letters before introducing them to mixing CVC words and thus beginning to read.

  • Students should be able to recognize both capital and lowercase letters in order to be proficient in letter recognition.
  • Identify the various print fonts (consider the numerous ways to write an or g).
  • Have rapid and accurate sight letter recognition.

Some practice ideas if a student isn’t recognizing at least half of the alphabet’s letters…Reinforce letter recognition with fun activities including worksheets, flashcards, and alphabet games.

Need resources to help teach letter recognition? My Teaching Library has a great variety…

Go to: ABCS TRACE AND COLOR 
Free to All-Access Members
Non-Members will find listed price on product page

Go to: LETTER LAPBOOKS | A-Z
Free to All-Access Members
Non-Members will find listed price on product page

Go to: LETTER LEARNING A-Z CAPITAL LETTERS | INTERACTIVE COLOR, CUT AND PASTE
Free to All-Access Members
Non-Members will find listed price on product page

Go to: MORNING WORK FOR KINDERGARTEN | 1ST SEMESTER
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Non-Members will find listed price on product page

Go to: MORNING WORK FOR KINDERGARTEN | 2ND SEMESTER
Free to All-Access Members
Non-Members will find listed price on product page

It’s crucial to understand that letter recognition is just one component of the process of enabling students to blend. Acknowledging the need for students to recognize a minimum of 50% of the alphabet’s letters before progressing is essential. This criterion is vital because students could potentially advance to blending at a faster pace than anticipated. Once students grasp letters and their respective sounds (for example, m, a, p, s, t), they are ready to begin blending!

As you practice letter recognition, it’s important to introduce the sounds associated with each letter. As students learn each letter, say when they are completing a lapbook for each letter or working on a letter page, you can you can say, “The letter b makes the /b/ sound heard at the beginning of ball or big.”

Encourage the students to repeat after you or complete the sentence, such as, “this is the letter __ ‘b!‘ It makes the __ ‘/b/’ sound”. This brief daily exercise will help your students learn both the letter names and sounds simultaneously!

It is also always helpful to use multisensory approaches, such as associating sounds with gestures or using tactile materials, to enhance understanding!

Continue reading…PART 2!

Want to view the TOP SUGGESTED RESOURCES for PreK and Kindergarten students? Click the button below…

PreK-Kindergarten top resources

My Teaching Library has thousands of digital downloads ready to use!
Curriculum, Units, Worksheets, Posters, Activities…and more.

On My Teaching Library, YOU CHOOSE!

Purchase resources individually or…
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