Thinking Strategies

Have you ever heard of using the "Tug of War" strategy with your students? I got this great idea from the book, "Making Thinking Visible" This is an AMAZING teaching resource! If you are looking for ways to promote engagement and critical thinking in your class (who isn't?!) this is definitely a must read! So, the Tug of War strategy goes like this: Present a fairness dilemma. Identify the factors that "pull" at each side of the dilemma. These are the two sides of the tug of war. Ask…

Reading Comprehension Strategies - Scholastic - This is a great resource when you're looking for explicit wording for your anchor charts.

I am super excited about this new feature on my blog…my sweet hubby helped me name it, and his idea was “Tell Me a Story Tuesday.” And so it is… Here is my vision… In many of my task card sets, I find pictures to use to help students practice essential reading skills in a ... Read more

Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education

To Understand What You Read

“Nice visual! MT @tombarrett: 5 simple questions to encourage student voice via @WordLib.”

Browse over 190 educational resources created by Susie Rios-Panicked Teacher in the official Teachers Pay Teachers store.

“Questions a Critical Thinker Asks #onted”

by Gina Trapani

Why not teach common core standards for English Language Arts using Pixar short films, Ted Talks, popular film clips for students and other inspirational video clips for students? For example, have…

This is a list of inferential questions to ask during reading. These questions can be used with just about any story. Students can ask themselves inferential questions during reading to self-monitor comprehension. Use as a formal or informal assessment. Makes a great poster! Please remember to leav...

Literature Analysis Using Socratic Circles: Providing a framework for analytical creativity, Socratic Seminar nurtures deep thought through dialogue while encompassing many of the Common Core State Standards for reading, speaking, and listening. This strategy targets competence in analysis aligned with common core standards and expectations. Includes exemplars (questions) from American and world literature. Grades 9-12 $

Support the five conversational skills required of students for 21st century learning: Elaborating & Clarifying, Supporting Ideas with Examples, Building On & Challenging the Ideas of Others, Paraphrasing, and Synthesizing Ideas. ($)

If you are looking to add some high interest activities for teaching characters and settings, try using the animated shorts Geri's Game to teach reading skills.