A Quote for Short Response Practice

There's no better time than now, as we approach the marathon that is the test taking season, to not only practice strategies for success, but to inspire success as well.

Share this quote, one of my favorites, and use it to empower your students.  Give them time to reflect and make them think about how it could apply to their own lives while practicing RACE - a tried and true "formula" for answering short response questions:

Click HERE to download and print a copy.  Project the quote and use the question sheet (which also includes the quote) for your students' responses.  Share answers and discuss how powerful a positive attitude can be!

I hope that both you and your students find this freebie helpful.  I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for February 11th.  Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Enjoy!

7 Reasons Why the Teaching of Roots and Affixes Is a Middle School Matter

In the 14 years that I've been teaching, I've seen a real shift in the philosophy of English Education.  When I started, whole language was the focus of all reading and writing instruction.  Quite honestly, this was a shock to me since, as a student in a very small K-12 school in upstate New York, I only knew traditional methodology.  My English classes were filled with diagramming sentences, memorizing the forms of the verb "to be," and studying vocabulary - including root words and affixes.  That being said, as you can imagine, seeing my own students read and write just for the love of reading and writing...not concentrating on the number of complex sentences versus compound-complex sentences in a passage, was exciting!  I loved it!  My students loved it...ELA was fun!  

But...the question of whether or not it was wise for the pendulum to swing so far to one side and seemingly abandon the systematic teaching of grammar, conventions and vocabulary - specifically Greek and Latin roots and affixes - now arises. Is there something to be said for the shift to a "back to basics" approach that the Common Core Standards require?  When looking carefully at the CCSS and researching the benefits of learning and internalizing the basic building blocks of language, to me the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"  The interesting thing I found is that the CCSS vocabulary standards pertaining to Greek and Latin affixes and roots begin at 4^th Grade and end at 8^th Grade.  Here's some of what I've found and why I think this is so:

1. Quite simply, let's start with knowing the parts helps our students to understand the whole.   Knowing commonly used roots and affixes can help students infer the definitions of new words in context.

2. The ability to infer meaning: Knowing Greek and Latin word parts helps students recognize and gain clues to understanding of other words that use known affixes and roots (Nagy & Scott, 2000).

3.  Over 60% of the words students will encounter in school textbooks have recognizable word parts; and many of these Latin and Greek roots (Nagy, Anderson, Schommer, Scott, & Stallman, 1989).  This means that word study can helps students' comprehension in all content areas.

4.   Recent reading research has supported the morphological approach to vocabulary development in elementary and middle school.  In linguistics, this practice of identifying and analyzing the parts of words in a given language is helpful in its acquisition.

5. Content area vocabulary is largely Greek and Latin-based and research supports this instruction, especially for struggling readers (Harmon, Hedrick & Wood, 2005).

6. Knowing commonly used suffixes can help students identify a word's part of speech, further helping with correct usage in writing.

7. Lastly, standardized tests assess students' vocabulary.  Whether we like it or not, state testing seems to be here to stay.  That being said, giving our students the tools necessary to be successful can turn what is often a stressful situation for many into an opportunity to confidently show what they know.

In doing some research to answer my own questions for this post, I also found a very well-written and thorough research summary on the topic created by the National Middle School Association.  In it you will find a great deal of research that not only supports the instruction of vocabulary in language development, but the need for word study at the middle school level.

So, with all of this said, we now need to examine how.  How do we meet the needs of our students without swinging the pendulum all the way back in the other direction...forsaking student-centered instruction for skill and drill?  I think balance is the key.  Direct instruction of vocabulary is a place to start, but time should be given for students to explore and analyze word parts in small groups or learning centers and on their own.  This gradual release of responsibility approach - which we know so well in the instruction of reading - pertains to vocabulary as well.  

In an effort to help you find materials that can help with organizing cooperative learning opportunities for word study, I'm also including a link to my Content Areas Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes - which includes a PowerPoint for reviewing word parts and their roles in language.  

CCR and CCSS aligned for ELA 5 - 8

 

It includes charts and Memory Match cards for roots in ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies as well as for commonly used prefixes and suffixes. My Student Accountability Form and my My Vocabulary Keeps Growing graphic organizer are also included.

Please feel free to click HERE  if you would like more details.

In providing links to some of the free materials I've created for vocabulary, and following the post I wrote for Common Core Classrooms, I've received some great feedback, and questions as to the whys and hows have been asked.  I'm hoping that I've given you some more information, places to look for additional answers, and have offered some resources that may be helpful.  Are you teaching roots, prefixes and suffixes in your classroom? If you have fun ways that you have had your students review or practice...please consider sharing more in the comments below.  The more insight and resources we can gather, the better!

Harmon, J., Hedrick, W., Wood, K. (2005).  Research on vocabulary instruction in the 
Content areas:  Implication for struggling readers.  Reading & Writing Quarterly, 21, 
261-280. 



Nagy, W.E., Anderson, R.C., Schommer, M., Scott, J.A., & Stallman, A.C. (1989). Morphological families in the internal lexicon. Reading Research Quarterly, 24(3), 262-282.


Nagy, W. E., & Scott, J. A. (2000). Vocabulary processes. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. III, pp. 269–284). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Valentine Parts of Speech Fill-in FREEBIE

Let's hear it for some Parts of Speech-love for Valentine's themed review!

(Click on link to download Google Doc.)

Your students can complete a valentine for their mom.  The finished piece will not only be an expression of love that will touch both hearts AND funny bones.  

I hope that both you and your students have fun with this freebie.  I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for February 4th.  Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Also check out:

Friday Favorites, a Freebie AND a Big Sale? Good Times!

It's that time once again...Friday is here and there's much to celebrate!  (I'm hearing Kool and the Gang in my head right now..."Ce-le-brate good times, come on!")

First, I would love to share with you a couple of great finds that I made recently.  One of them is a video that was brought to my attention by a former student who thought it might be something "cool to share on my blog." (How much did I love that, by the why?  It made my day!)  He was so right, and I posted it to my Middle School Matters Blog FB page, not knowing who Kid President was but loving everything that he said in the short clip that is both inspirational and guaranteed to make you smile.  Wouldn't you know, I then saw Kid President was featured on the Today Show a few days after?  Social Media is amazing.  Who would've thought it possible that Matt Lauer would be taking cues from me? ;-)

In his "A Pep Talk from Kid President to You," this adorable 9 year old's  platform is simply that "it's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance."  It's one of the best pep talks I've heard, touching both my heart and my funny bone.  




In case, like me, this is the first you've heard of Kid President, there are other sweet video that your kiddos will love...even if they've seen them before.  They are great catalysts for discussion and/or writing prompts, for sure!

My second favorite I would like to share is a blog that I discovered through my first giveaway last week!


This is a great blog to visit to find TONS of creative ideas for your teaching and for your classroom.  Tina offers her own creations, but she also generously shares ideas she discovers from others so that her audience can easily find them, too.  Talk about "bloggy love!"  What better way to start February - the month of hearts, valentines and all things kind - then to bring your attention to a blog that shares the love all year round?!   Speaking of Valentine's Day, I also have a new FREEBIE that I would like to share.  The beginning of a new month means the introduction of a new theme for my Cooperative Learning Partners:

(Click on image for download)

This month, I decided to ignore the temptation to focus on the "lovey-dovey" theme that Valentine's Day brings immediately to mind and chose to focus on perfect pairings for food - a theme much more palatable for middle schoolers. :)  Be sure to click HERE to visit the first post about how I use Cooperative Learning Partners as a classroom management tool for cooperative learning.  By visiting my FREEBIES page, you'll be able to pick up previous months' themes as well. 

Lastly, I want to make sure that you are aware of two fantastic sales going on this weekend - as if the Super Bowl doesn't bring with it enough excitement!  Teachers Pay Teachers AND Teacher's Notebook are both offering amazing deals on their own...and I am also providing additional discounts at both of my stores.  MANY teacher sellers are taking part and making similar markdowns, so be sure to take time this weekend to visit all of your favorite stores and attack those wishlists!

Teacher's Notebook:  Sale Saturday and Sunday (February 2nd and 3rd) all products in my store will be will be 25% off!

Teachers Pay Teachers:  I will be running a sale for 20% off both Saturday and Sunday (February 2nd and 3rd) AND on Sunday, February 3rd, TpT will be contributing and ADDITIONAL 10% discount off my already discounted price! (That's 28% OFF! Sa-weet!)  Just enter promo code: SUPER at checkout on Sunday.

Check out the savings at all of your favorite stores.

Have a great weekend filled with  family, friends, football, fantastic food and FABULOUS SALES!

Good Students AND Good People - 10 Tips for Success

Yesterday was a bad weather day for us here, so I was able to spend some extra quality time with our son at home.  He just started Kindergarten this year, and even over the past few months, I can't get over how my little guy is changing; my baby is definitely not a baby any longer!  As we were making cookies, carefully measuring each ingredient scarfing down chocolate chips, my kiddo chattered away about school and friends.  Just a short time ago everything was new and intimidating.  Yesterday he was a confident, happy little person standing next to me in the kitchen, sharing the things he's learned about reading, writing, math...humanity...and life as a Kindergartner.  Hearing all he's learned so far made me think of a letter I wrote to him...for him...for me, as he began school in September.

The following is a post I wrote in another blog that I started at the same time as Middle School Matters.  (Being so new to this, I thought it would be easy to keep up with two blogs - one for teaching and one for simply recording our thoughts and experiences during our son's first year of school.  I was wrong.  Cra. Zy.)  I've decided to focus on Middle School Matters, but yesterday this particular post came immediately to mind.  It's advice to my son - as his mommy, but also as a teacher - to help him navigate through the maze that school can be.  As we are now at the half-way point of the year, heading to celebrating 100 days of school, I'm reflecting on what I thought he needed to know:

Even at five, our little man has been the recipient of many letters.  The first was written before he was born and included things I wanted him to know about how much he was loved from the moment we knew he was coming into our lives.  Then there was the one of thanks from our Bo-Bo Fairy, given to him when he was ready to give up his pacifier (Bo-Bo). It was time to have our Bo-Bo Fairy take it to a new baby who needed it, and she felt he needed to be congratulated.  Since then, letters from us on birthdays and from Santa at Christmas have become traditions in our family.  These letters hold words of love and the recognition of milestones that have been met along the way.  Little Man looks forward to these letters now.  In fact, this past Christmas, truly understanding what an undertaking it is to deliver toys to deserving boys and girls all over the world, he was concerned that Santa might not have time to write a letter since he was so busy.  I felt pretty confident that Santa would come through.

It has become easy to see, that even at a young age when his daddy and I still need to help him read these letters, the written words have had a great effect on him.  He knows we are proud.  He knows his actions are appreciated.  He knows he is loved.  As his mother, I know how important all of this is.  That being said, I'm also a middle school teacher.  After fourteen years with tweens and newly-turned teens, I've seen a lot.  In fact, I've often told my students that they are the subject of a book I've been writing. The working title is The Things I Never Thought I Would Have to Say, But Do In Middle School.  They think I'm so funny!  I'm not kidding.

As my little scholar begins his future in public school this week, I feel another letter needs to be written. This one, however, will not be filled with the warm fuzzies of the others.  This one has a need for practicality and a degree of bluntness that will allow some very important advice - not only for Kindergarten, but for life as he goes through school - to be gleaned.  It will include the following pieces of advice that, as his mother and a teacher, I know he needs to be made aware of and will help him to be successful:

1) Don't feel the need to be perfect.  No one is.

2) Not everything is going to be easy.  Whether it's learning to read, tackling math facts or climbing the rope in P.E. - just keep trying.

3) Please use a tissue.  Please do not use your hand, your sleeve or the paper you are giving to your friend or teacher.

4) You will come across bullies.  It will happen...and most likely it will be when an adult isn't right there to help.  I know this can be scary, but I don't want you to be an audience to this. Don't just let it happen. You don't have to say a thing to the bully.  In fact, I wish that you wouldn't.  He or she probably won't hear what you are saying anyway.  The person being bullied, however, will be straining to hear ANY kindness in that moment.  Be THAT voice.  Be his or her friend.  Will you be best friends from that moment on? Maybe not, but your kindness will be remembered - and on a day when you need it - maybe it will be returned.

5) Use your manners.  A simple "please" and "thank you" make more of an impression than you think.

6) Please revisit #3.  Seriously.

7) If someone asks you to do something that you know is wrong - whether it is unkind or unsafe - say, "No."  If you feel you need a reason, use me.  I'm happy to be the "mean mom" if it gets you out of an uncomfortable situation.

8) School is not a race.  You do not need to be the first person finished to show how smart you are.  Take your time and do things well.  Take the time to show what you know.

9) Part of growing up is realizing that you may not choose to be friends with everyone with whom you have to work.  From peers to adults, I know it can be difficult to work with people when you don't see things in the same way.  Yet, you need to be respectful and willing to work together when necessary.  Your future teachers and employers will find much value in this skill.

10) Mommy and Daddy have spent a small fortune on school supplies.  Please keep them out of your mouth.  Nothing is more gross than chewed up pens, pencils and marker caps that are covered in spit.  Nothing except...well, once again, please see #3.


As you can see, this is a different type of post than usually seen in this blog.  I'm not examining the Common Core or sharing resources for helping our kids be successful students.  I'm looking at my son, and our students, and thinking about the things they need to know to be, simply, successful humans.  How does my list fare?  Considering your children and the students that you see each day, what tidbits of wisdom would you share for their consideration during the rest of your time with them...and as they grow?

I have linked this post to:

Find lots of fun "Top Ten" Lists on all kinds of topics!

Giveaway Winner AND Valentine's Day Bookmarks FREEBIE

Thank you so much to all of you who participated in my very first giveaway here on Middle School Matters Blog.  Congratulations to Tina C.!  She will be receiving a FREE item of her choice from my TpT store.  If she is even half as excited about this as I am, the news has been a great start to her Monday morning!  I'll be doing something like this again very soon, for certain, so keep checking in. :)




No need to wait to get ready for Valentine's Day!  Alone or with other sweet treats added by you, these free Valentine bookmarks will hopefully encourage your readers to fall in love with a good book! With 4 different designs made with upper-grade students in mind, just download, copy (probably on cardstock, if possible, would be best) and cut apart to use these as a gift or prize on Valentine's day.  

(Click on the image to download.)

Sa-weet! :)

I hope you find this FREEBIE helpful.  I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for January 28th.  Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Thanks for stopping by!

SURPRISE!!! It's a Flash Giveaway!

(Sorry about all of the exclamation points...I'm just super excited about this! :-) )

So I just noticed that Teachers Pay Teachers has altered their product statistics pages a bit, and sellers can now see the number of items placed in wishlists.  I was SO excited to see the number of people interested in my products and I've decided to...make someone's wish come true! :-)  This is my FIRST little contest, and it is a SURPRISE: Flash Giveaway - the prize being one item of your choice from my TpT store...FREE!

Just take a look at the Rafflecopter widget below...and if you would like to try for a chance to win, choose one or both options for entries into the giveaway.  That's it!  This will run for Sunday, January 27th (only one day)...and then the winner will be randomly drawn.  When I wake up Monday, I, with coffee in hand, will email the winner.  I really can't wait to see which item will be chosen.  Best of luck - being a winner is a great way to start your week!

(Click here to go directly to my TpT store and look around.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway