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Teach the Children. Love the Children. Change the World.

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July 26, 2014

Reading Response Letters & On Demand Writing

Hi, friends! With training in my new district starting Monday,
I’ve been spending a lot of time at Panera polishing the resources I used
throughout the year to get them ready to share with you! Today I wanted to
share my most recent resources and give you the opportunity to win them for
your classroom! To learn more about these resources, click on the links or
pictures below. 🙂

Teaching fifth grade for the first time, I began implementing
reading response letters (replacing book reports) and I was completely
overwhelmed by the amazing results! Writing back and forth, I formed a special
‘reading bond’ with my students. From these letters, I knew their likes,
dislikes, struggles, and tendencies as readers. I was able to recommend certain
books for them, help them identify their ‘just-right’ book level, and I could
encourage them to think more deeply about the text they were reading. This
resource is my favorite resource yet, and includes all the materials and tips
you need to implement reading response letters in your classroom.
Teaching writing to 90 5th
graders, my teaching cohorts and I were desperate for a more equitable and
faster way to assess student writing. Students wrote at least one On-Demand
piece a week and the grading was killing us. These rubrics were developed to facilitate the
feedback process, as well as allow students to see exactly where their piece
needed tweaking and where their writing was spot-on. A companion to my On Demand Writing Prompts resource, these rubrics are
standards-based and Common Core aligned for 5th grade.
Rather than
introducing or creating ‘class rules’, these “We
Believe” statements
 are ideals my class holds
about our classroom, our work together, and the world. Short, sweet, and easy
to remember, these phrases have tremendous power. Within the first few weeks of
school, we discuss (as a class) the implications of these statements asking
“How will my actions reflect these beliefs?” This neon set was made upon
request of some sweet followers based on my original
set
 that uses a white
background (saving ink) and non-neon colors.
Assigning
students table numbers, as well as, a partner letter (A or B) is an easy
management tool. These editable
desk labels
 allow for simple material
distribution, an easy partnering tool, as well as, an effortless way to call on
groups of students. I’ve included premade labels show in the 8 colors below, as
well as, editable labels to meet the needs of your class!
All of these resources have
been classroom-tested, tweaked, and approved! I’m so excited to share them with
you and your students. I’d love to give you a chance to snag the resources that
would work best for your classroom. Pin any of the resources shown above (from
the links I’ve given you in the Rafflecopter) for a chance to snag them. I’ll
choose and announce 4 friends on Monday! 🙂

For right now, have a wonderful evening! I’ll see
you all tomorrow for some BIG news.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join me for weekly classroom updates and free resources that are just-right for your guided math classroom!

Sweet! Thanks so much for joining me. Now check your email to confirm your address & snag your freebies. Happy Teaching! -Catherine

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Filed Under: 5th Grade, ELA, On Demand Writing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hope Newport says

    July 27, 2014 at 12:29 am

    I love reading response letters. We carve out special time a few days a week for this and you are ao right; it really creates a special reading bond between the kids and I. Will these work for 3rd graders?

    Hope
    Teaching with Hope

    Reply
  2. Steven Marconi says

    July 27, 2014 at 1:27 am

    I was just looking at the we believe posters for my 6th grade classroom!

    Steven
    teachlikeahero

    Reply
  3. Mrs. Eurich's Middle School Blog Page says

    July 27, 2014 at 11:46 am

    New 6th grade teacher here. Language Arts. I would love to win any of your resources.

    Reply
  4. Amy S. says

    July 27, 2014 at 3:42 pm

    I love everything that you create. I already have the We Believe Posters that I used last year. I have your Reading Response Letters and On Demand Writing Rubrics on my TPT wishlist. Thanks for creating such stellar products that are so user-friendly and visually appealing. Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  5. Mrs. Decker says

    July 27, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    This is an amazing giveaway! I TOTALLY LOVE YOUR WE BELIEVE POSTERS! Can't wait to hear the big news, and thanks for the awesome giveaway!

    Reply
  6. Steven Marconi says

    July 30, 2014 at 4:05 am

    I'm hoping that I'm the Steven that won!!!!! 😀

    Reply
  7. Kaitlyn says

    August 4, 2014 at 4:09 am

    I hope I'm the Kaitlyn that won-your letters look awesome!

    🙂 Kaitlyn
    Smiles and Sunshine

    Reply
  8. Kelsey Hayes says

    March 28, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    I NEED your desk tags! I love them! Are they in your TPT store?

    Reply

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My name is Catherine Reed, and I am in my 8th year in elementary life, residing in small-town, Kentucky.  I student taught in 1st grade and never ...

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Join Me!

Join me for weekly classroom updates and free resources that are just-right for your guided math classroom!

Sweet! Thanks so much for joining me. Now check your email to confirm your address & snag your freebies. Happy Teaching! -Catherine

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