About the store
I taught in both inner city and private schools until 2023. My five licensed areas were: art K-12, English, elementary 1-8, reading K-12, and my newest area; ESL which was clearly my absolute favorite area! I loved teaching English learners. I recently retired but still want to advocate for these kids. I'm a fourth-generation English learner (some of my family immigrated from Southern Italy with no language skills). I understand some of the issues English learners have and I have a heart for them for life!
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Metaphor/Simile Sorts and Practice Literacy Center
If you are looking for a practical way students can become confident in recognizing similes and metaphors in context with a quick and easy format, this is it. There are forty metaphors/similes with four sorts to cut and glue as well as a page to identify, explain, and illustrate a metaphor and a simile.It's also a grand way to have students participate in an activity that is not on a computer screen, while at the same time one that covers a needed skill. Sometimes kids need to take a breath
2nd - 5th
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts, Grammar
CCSS, TEKS
L.2.5
, L.3.5a
, L.4.5
+6
Also included in: Figurative Language Bundle
I CAN FIND THE MAIN IDEA Comprehension Passages w/ Easel Audio Back to School
Do you need a quick way to assess how (grades 2-4) students are able to demonstrate their understanding of both fiction and nonfiction texts ? Great for back to school! Students will choose details that help them know the main ideas or key ideas by writing out those main ideas. I wrote the passages to be just long enough for teachers to quickly assess whether students know the skill. One buyer wrote that she liked this for quick extra practice at finding the main idea in addition to her guided r
2nd - 4th
Balanced Literacy, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
CCSS, TEKS
RL.4.1
, RI.2.2
, RI.3.1
+14
Fiction vs Non-Fiction Sorts & Comparisons Differentiated Activities
Back to school! Do you need a resource that will help alleviate any confusion student might have about the differences between fiction and nonfiction? This resource addresses not just the attributes of the two genres, but also gives students a chance to put what they know to use. My favorite part of this packet is the side-by-side comparison of the attributes of fiction vs. nonfiction. This packet has 30 pages of printable material for grades 1-3. There is a reality/fantasy pocket chart s
1st - 3rd
Balanced Literacy, Reading, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RL.1.2
, RL.1.3
, RL.1.5
+6
Making Sentences 38 Sight Words For Early Learners w/ Easel Back to School
Do you need a resource for SUMMER SCHOOL that you could use all year long to help students create sentences? Making sentences is a skill young readers need to be confident in doing. If your students need more exposure to the Dolch pre-primer sight words and making sentences, this resource might be helpful to you. This is a build, cut, and glue product with the first 38 Dolch pre-primer sight words. Students cut the sentence pieces, build the words into sentences, and glue the words next to
K - 2nd
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
RF.K.1a
, RF.K.1c
, RF.2.4c
+10
Also included in: Back to School Ready SENTENCE MAKERS BUNDLE YEAR ROUND PRACTICE
Fragments, Run-Ons, or Sentences Activities & Posters
Do you need a resource to teach fragments, run-ons, and correct sentence structure ? If so this resource might be helpful for your fourth grade students. This resource has task cards, sorting cards, posters, and writing to correct sentences so that kids can differentiate between fragments, run-ons, sentences, and answer keys. Included:18 task cards task card recording page 24 sorting cards sorting template 3 teaching posters 3 practice pages core standard poster ESL insights answer keys direc
4th
English Language Arts, Grammar, Writing
CCSS
L.4.1f
Alphabet Activities and Extra Support for ESL NEWCOMERS w/EASEL
Are you looking for a resource FOR SUMMER SCHOOL that will assist you in serving your newest English language learners all year long? This ESL resource might be just what you need for back to school or really any time of the year! It has loads of alphabet activities with letter, word, and picture support. It is especially helpful for teaching new English learners at the beginning of school. If you serve the newest prefunctional ELL children to the country, this resource will help you teach t
K - 5th
English Language Arts, Spelling
Also included in: NEWCOMERS BUNDLE Support for the Teachers Who Teach Them BACK TO SCHOOL
CLAUSES Correctly Use Dependent & Independent Clauses w/EASEL PAGES
If you are looking for a back to school resource that will help you teach students writing confidence and well-structured sentences this one will help. This printable and digital resource will build student confidence in writing. It will help explain what makes dependent and an independent clauses and allow students to practice their learning. It gets to the "meat" of teaching grammar and sentence structure. It fosters variety in student writing and gives and understanding of how sentences are
5th - 7th
English Language Arts, Grammar
CCSS
L.4.1f
, L.5.2b
, L.5.2c
+5
Vocabulary Sorts for English Language Learners BUNDLE BACK TO SCHOOL
Are you looking for a way to increase vocabulary for your English learners for back to school? The vocabulary words in this resource are words that are often used in daily life. This resource has BOTH MY ORIGINAL VOCABULARY SORTS AND PART 2 of my vocabulary sorts for ELL learners. Sorts like this are great to have for times you need to do in-class assessment and students need to have a resource that is valuable to do. These vocabulary/picture sorts provide lots of reading practice with pic
K - 5th
English Language Arts, Vocabulary
Thanksgiving Metaphors/Similes Sort and Practice
Just in time for Thanksgiving! If you are looking for a practical way students can practice recognizing similes and metaphors in context with a quick and easy format, this is it. There are ten metaphors/similes with a sort to cut and glue as well as a page to identify, explain, and illustrate a metaphor and a simile. It's just enough for early morning work on the day before Thanksgiving break. Hope you like it. If you like this sort, you might also like:Metaphors/Similes Sorts and PracticeAdag
2nd - 5th
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts
CCSS
L.2.3
, L.3.5
, L.3.5a
+5
Jumbo Classroom Labels with Pictures for Year-Round Practice 132+
BACK TO SCHOOL NECESSITY! If you need large easy to read labels to create a vocabulary rich classroom, this is it! These 132+ JUMBO CLASSROOM LABELS for back to school or any time of year are easy-to-read and great for incorporating into a print-rich classroom. These labels are great year-round practice with words and pictures. They are also great visuals for early childhood classrooms, special education and classrooms with English learners; especially for those students who are emergent read
PreK - 3rd
For All Subjects, Vocabulary
Also included in: NEWCOMERS BUNDLE Support for the Teachers Who Teach Them BACK TO SCHOOL
Vocabulary Sorts for English Language Learners
If you need a resource that increases vocabulary and provides reading practice this resource does that. It has vocabulary/picture sorts that provide lots of reading practice with picture support. Students cut, sort, and glue the cards into two different categories per page. It's a great way for students to begin the concept of compare/contrast as well as classification. This resource is included in my bundle listed below. Many of my English language learners are still learning these words, so
K - 5th
English Language Arts, Vocabulary
Also included in: Vocabulary Sorts for English Language Learners BUNDLE BACK TO SCHOOL
I CAN FIND THE MAIN IDEA Comprehension Passages w/EASEL/Audio Back to School
If you need a main idea resource for (grades 2-4) students to be able to quickly demonstrate their understanding of both fiction and nonfiction texts by choosing details that help them know main ideas and by writing out those main ideas this one is it. I wrote the passages to be just long enough for teachers to quickly assess whether students know the skill of finding key ideas with supporting details. There is a 24 page digital copy ON EASEL WITH AUDIO READING for you to assign on student's
2nd - 4th
Balanced Literacy, Reading Strategies
CCSS, TEKS
RL.2.2
, RL.3.1
, RL.3.2
+18
The TTQA Strategy Turn the Question Around Task Cards & Easel Back to School
If you need a resource to provide students with extra support and preparation for standardized testing specifically with writing, this one will be an immense help. It's great for back to school. The resource has the kinds of questions important for test-taking in grades 3-5 and an opportunity to practice responses . This resource is not meant to be a comprehensive study. It is however, an introduction to some of the skills important to testing and I believe it is helpful exposure. I used it
2nd - 5th
Balanced Literacy, ELA Test Prep
CCSS
RI.2.4
, RI.2.5
, RI.2.6
+25
AN OCEAN FOOD CHAIN FLIP BOOK from PLANKTON TO ORCA w/CRAFT
If you need a resource that explains interdependent relationships in the ocean food chain this one will help with that. This is a six page ocean flip book that explains the food chain progression from plankton to orca . There is a food chain craft that includes all five blackline graphics from the sequencing in the book; two to a page. There is also a drawing/writing page for students to sequence in writing as a follow up and a page with large arrows that can be used with the craft. I also
2nd - 5th
General Science, Informational Text
CCSS
RI.2.3
, RI.2.6
, RI.3.3
+5
Also included in: FOOD CHAINS FLIPBOOK BUNDLE
Sentence Builders Multi-Purpose Picture/Word Cards Back to School
If you need a back to school resource for your literacy center so that students can sort words and use them to build sentences, this one will work nicely for that! This resource has 102 picture cards of people, places, things, and animals along with 162 word cards. Students can sort the cards in multiple ways or sentences can be created with a combination of both the word cards and picture cards. The goal: Students should recognize how words are put together to create sentences that make
K - 2nd
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
RF.K.1a
, RF.K.1b
, RF.K.3c
+10
Also included in: Back to School Ready SENTENCE MAKERS BUNDLE YEAR ROUND PRACTICE
Buddy Reading Response Sheets for Any Reading Program
If you are looking a respond to reading resource for your students, especially when school begins to set a precedent for good reading habits, this might be just what you want. Here is your choice of four different reading buddy response forms that are both printable and digital. They are not editable. I designed them with the everyday "FIVE" in mind, however, they can be used for reading any text whatsoever for any reading program. There are two for fiction and two for non-fiction. These
1st - 3rd
Balanced Literacy, Reading, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RI.1.1
, RI.2.1
, RI.3.1
+4
Also included in: YEAR ROUND BUNDLE Reading Helps
Find Context Clues in Nonfiction 5 Types of Context Clues & Easel
Do you need a resource that has a variety of ways students can practice identifying and finding context clues in by reading text, practice pages, task cards, and writing for your back to school materials? If you do, this one has a lot of variety. It's a great supplement to online district resources that might not have this kind of variety and a springboard for further research for science themes.Finding context clues in text is a challenge for many students including my ESL students. I desig
4th - 6th
ELA Test Prep, Informational Text
CCSS
RI.4.1
, RI.4.2
, RI.4.4
+12
Sound-Alike Suffixes -tion -cian -sion with Easel Pages
If you need a differentiated resource that focuses on words with suffixes that sound identical, this one is it for your back to school needs! This resource has differentiated word-work for the suffixes -tion,-cian, and -sion. Ten of the pages are NO PREP digital. You will need to do no prep for these 10 pages. Just click on the green tab to view the PDF and Easel files. You can choose as few or as many of the Easel pages as you need for a particular assignment by clicking the edit pages tab.
3rd - 5th
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary
CCSS
L.3.4a
, L.3.4b
, L.3.4c
+4
Also included in: Prefix/Suffix Bundle
Compound Sentences Center: Creating Compound Sentence Structure
If you would enjoy having a literacy center or a file-folder game for students to form compound sentences this resource is just that! It can just as easily be used a paired work, small group work, or independent work. The students will manipulate the sentence strips and connecting word cards to form compound sentences and then write them on the recording sheet. It's valuable for use as early intervention for students who struggle with writing to understand the compound sentence structure or ho
1st - 3rd
Balanced Literacy, Grammar, Writing
CCSS
L.1.1g
, L.2.1f
, L.3.1h
+1
Also included in: CREATING COMPOUND SENTENCES YEAR ROUND BUNDLE
Let's Label the Zoo Animals
BACK TO SCHOOL FUN! Are you looking for a zoo animal resource? This is a label-the-animal resource with a drawing and writing template for those who choose to use them. It's a great for a follow-up to a zoo trip or as a writing center during your literacy block. Maybe your students won't be able to go to the zoo due to funding, but this resource might be something they will enjoy anyway. Students will become familiar with labeled diagrams and get writing practice as well as becoming familiar
K - 1st
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
RF.K.1
, RF.K.1a
, RF.1.1
+2
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About the store
Experience
I taught in both inner city and private schools until 2023. My five licensed areas were: art K-12, English, elementary 1-8, reading K-12, and my newest area; ESL which was clearly my absolute favorite area! I loved teaching English learners. I recently retired but still want to advocate for these kids. I'm a fourth-generation English learner (some of my family immigrated from Southern Italy with no language skills). I understand some of the issues English learners have and I have a heart for them for life!
Teaching style
When teaching, I used whatever resources I could find to teach those core standards in the most interesting way that I could. I used my Smart board, Google Classroom, and often had the kids use chrome books to do research. If it meant team teaching, teaching with centers, using Power Points, small groups, whole group, paired work, one-on-one conferencing, or interactive games I did it. I was always stubborn enough to keep persevering as a teacher.
I loved to do extensions to literature, especially with the Narnia series. In the past, I taught that series from first grade through fifth grades and it was all GOOD. My children have developed an enjoyment for fantasy and also come to realize that there are life-changing messages in books, too.
Awards & shining teacher moments
When I taught a homeroom at the second/third grade level, I won Ameritech grants on three occasions for multi-cultural/multi-age/cross-curriculum units for my district here in Ohio. My biggest award or should I say reward, is seeing children learn to read and actually enjoy it.
My own education history
I have attended three universities to become licensed in five areas: Asbury University, The Ohio State University, and Otterbein University. I originally went to Asbury as an art education major with an English minor.
While my family was young, I picked away at getting my elementary 1-8 certification from The Ohio State University. Much later after many years of teaching, I got my masters/ reading endorsement in 2008 from Otterbein University. Since I already had credits for many of the TESOL required courses list, I went on to get my ESL endorsement from The Ohio State University in 2010 (some coursework was transferred from Otterbein for which I am very grateful to Ohio State for accepting).
My five licensed areas: art, English, elementary 1-8, reading K-12, and my newest area; ESL K-12 which I am extremely happy about!
Additional biographical information
I am married and have two grown sons. My husband and I are very much enjoying our first grandchild, little Noah. I love to sing in my church's worship team, garden, and had a small standard-sized dachshund, named Sammy, who got old and began having seizures so we had to put him down. What will I do without my Sammers? I think about him everyday and pray there are doggies in heaven because that's where I'm going!
I've always wanted to write children's picture books and have actually sold a few pieces to magazines. One day you might see my name on a kids book!
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