Darlene Anne - Middle School ELA
10,812 Followers
Seaford, New York, United States
About the store
Hey, there! I'm Darlene, and I hope to save you time and help you fall in love with teaching again! With 20+ years of experience teaching ELA 5-8, reading, and writing, and an M.Ed. from Stony Brook University, I understand your challenges. It's my goal to help you out by creating high-quality English Language Arts resources that simplify your workload while making learning both enjoyable and impactful for your students.
I understand the unique dynamics of teaching middle school, where engaging content and scaffolding are key. This insight shapes each resource I create, from writing units and escape rooms to independent reading activities and listening activities. Every resource and activity is designed to enchant and educate simultaneously. Additionally, every single product in my store is designed to make YOUR life easier. Whether you are purchasing an argumentative lesson slideshow with notes or an ELA reading and writing spiral review bellringer, rest assured that it is teacher-tested with care.
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📗 Teach, Practice, Test
These units include step-by-step instructions, slideshows, guided notes in interactive and/or Cornell styles, practice worksheets, AND editable tests for assessment. Most include digital versions. They're all ready- to-go and include everything you need to teach to mastery!
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Teaching Theme Slideshow, Notes, Practice, Test Bundle
Teach theme in literature with this animated slideshow in PowerPoint and Google, a choice of student notes, worksheets, and a theme test. Lesson plans and extensions activities are also included in this comprehensive unit! Determining theme in literature is a challenging literary element for middle school students to grasp. (I understand that, but I still wanted to cry when I heard, The theme is you can’t judge a book by its cover, for virtually every work of literature ever written!) Since
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.1
, RL.6.1
, RL.6.3
+4
Text Structures Nonfiction Reading & Writing Bundle
Text Structure Teach, Practice, Test provides everything you need to make teaching EASY. Everything you need is included, so planning and teaching nonfiction text structure will be greatly simplified when you use introduce the five common nonfiction text structures: description, compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause & effect, and sequence (including chronological). It’s a step-by-step, “soup to nuts” unit that includes a PowerPoint presentation with guided notes, practice worksheets, FU
6th - 8th
Informational Text, Reading Strategies, Writing-Expository
CCSS
RI.6.5
, RI.7.5
, RI.8.5
+6
Plot Elements & Conflict Slideshow, Notes, Practice Worksheets, Test
Plot: Teach, Practice, Test is an engaging, step-by-step way to teach plot elements. It’s a thorough unit that includes PRINT & DIGITAL options, a PowerPoint presentation with guided notes, follow-through practice activities and worksheets, and an editable test that includes self-checking multiple-choice and constructed response questions. The print unit provides you with two types of notes. You have a choice between folding notes or Cornell outline notes. The practice work will reinforce
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.3
, RL.5.9
, RL.5.10
+6
Fiction & Nonfiction Reading -Teach, Practice, Test BUNDLE - Middle School ELA
Reading Comprehension and Writing Skills Units - Step-by-Step, Complete, No Prep Lessons for Middle School ELAEVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER needs the resources that are now available in this HUGE, money-saving bundle. Thousands of teachers (including ME!) are saving countless hours of planning time and are using these resources with great success! It's ready to go; everything has been done for you! Complete lesson plans, notes, PowerPoint presentations, students' activities, and edit
6th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.1
, RL.5.4
, RL.6.1
+27
Nonfiction Central Idea PowerPoint, Notes, Worksheets, Test PRINT & DIGITAL
Finding the main/central idea of nonfiction paragraphs and passages will be easy once your students know exactly what to look for! These resources will also help your students find supporting details and write using text evidence. Students will then complete the collaborative and independent practice and the final assessment. The PowerPoint corresponds with the guided notes that come in Cornell AND folding versions. BOTH are engaging and require interaction!* This now includes links to Googl
6th - 8th
Informational Text, Reading Strategies, Writing-Expository
CCSS
RI.6.1
, RI.6.2
, RI.7.1
+4
Author's Purpose & Point of View Notes, Worksheets, & Test
Determining the author's purpose and point of view can be challenging for middle school ELA students. This resource follows an effective step-by-step process that will help your students learn how to figure out the author's purpose and how to determine the author's perspective. When looking for author's purpose activities, I found that the usual method of using PIE just wasn't enough. So this resource starts with PIE: persuade, inform, and entertain, but then goes into many other reasons aut
6th - 8th
Informational Text, Reading Strategies, Writing-Expository
CCSS
RI.6.6
, RI.7.6
, RI.8.6
Characterization PowerPoint, Notes, Practice Worksheets & Test PRINT & DIGITAL
Learning methods of characterization is definitely a great way for kids to develop their inference skills, as well as their narrative writing abilities. Using the Teach, Practice, Test method is the best way to ensure mastery of these important skills. Step-by-step directions show you how to begin by using the PowerPoint and guided notes for instructing and modeling. Students will move on to collaborative and independent practice worksheets. Then you can assess with the editable test. UPDATE
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.1
, RL.5.3
, RL.6.1
+7
Point of View Slideshow, Guided Notes, Practice, Test PRINT & DIGITAL
This Point of View Teach, Practice, Test resource couldn't be easier to use, as it now includes PRINT & DIGITAL versions. Just click, copy, and assign! It is an engaging, interactive, step-by-step way to teach the five types of point of view: first person, second person, third person limited, third person omniscient, and third person objective. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ strong > ***Save 25%! This product is now part of an amazing, money-saving bundle: Literary Elements: Teach, Practice
5th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.6
, RL.6.6
, RL.7.6
+1
Close Reading: PowerPoint, Notes, Worksheets, Test PRINT & DIGITAL
"Close Read: Step by Step Strategies for Success" is now a TEACH, PRACTICE, TEST unit! LOOK at this! More comprehensive than ever, this unit includes the following: - an animated PowerPoint presentation - Cornell AND folding guided notes for interactive learning - detailed step-by-step lesson plans with visuals - reading passages on TWO levels - student activity printables - an EDITABLE test on two levels - DIGITAL replicas of the entire unit - posters and bookmarks - fiction and nonfiction t
5th - 8th
Reading, Reading Strategies
CCSS
CCRA.R.1
Also included in: Close Reading: Step by Step Strategies BUNDLE for Middle School English
Setting, Mood, and Tone PowerPoint, Notes, Practice Worksheets, and Test
Setting, Mood, Tone: Teach, Practice, Test Have tone and mood been stumbling blocks for your middle grade students? One of the most frequent questions I get from teachers is about how to teach tone. Now, I no longer have to reply, "I'll be darned if I know!" ;) This resource contains all of the tricks I've always used, plus some additional goodies! This Teach, Practice, Test unit is an engaging, interactive, step-by-step way to teach setting, mood, and tone. It’s a thorough unit that includes a
6th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
Literary Elements Units: PowerPoints, Guided Notes, Worksheets, & Tests BUNDLE
Literary Elements: Teach, Practice, Test includes lessons, practice, and tests to teach story elements using the awesome, step-by-step, gradual release of responsibility method! The Literary Elements Teach, Practice, Test Bundle will help you save you 30% off of the individual prices of the units! Everything you need to teach literary elements to mastery will be at your fingertips. GOOD NEWS! These resources are now part of a GROWING bundle, available here: Fiction and Nonfiction Teach, Pract
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.1
, RL.5.4
, RL.6.1
+9
Figurative Language PowerPoint, Notes, Worksheets & Test DISTANCE LEARNING
Figurative Language: Teach, Practice, Test provides everything you need to teach students how to locate and analyze figurative language. It’s a step-by-step, “soup to nuts” unit that includes a PowerPoint presentation with guided notes, follow-through practice worksheets, a long-term assignment, and an editable test that includes multiple choice and written response questions. UPDATE (4/2020): I've added a digital file to reduce your remote teaching prep work by providing Google Drive versio
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.4
, RL.6.4
, RL.7.4
+1
Summarizing & Paraphrasing PowerPoint, Notes, Worksheets, Test PRINT & DIGITAL
Summarizing and paraphrasing fiction and nonfiction passages using the Teach, Practice, Test method is the best way to ensure mastery of these important skills. Step-by-step directions show you how to begin by using the PowerPoint and guided notes for instructing and modeling. Students will move on to collaborative and independent practice worksheets. Then you can assess with the editable test. UPDATE (4/2020): I've added a digital file to reduce your remote teaching prep work by providing G
6th - 8th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies, Writing
Character Types PowerPoint, Notes, Practice Worksheets, Test PRINT & DIGITAL
Character Types: Teach, Practice, and Test has everything you need in both PRINT & DIGITAL versions. Just click, copy, and assign! This fun and engaging 3 step PowerPoint presentation, combined with guided interactive or Cornell notes and printables will provides the notes and the follow through practice that students need to achieve complete understanding of character types in literature. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***Save 25%! This product is now part of an amazing, mon
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.1
, RL.5.3
, RL.6.1
+5
Context Clues PowerPoint, Notes, Practice Worksheets, & Test
Context Clues Teach, Practice, Test♥ A Context Clues PowerPoint show is now included! ♥ Using context clues to define unfamiliar words is essential to comprehension; however, most kids struggle with it. This scaffolded, interactive unit will go a long way toward helping students define unfamiliar words and phrases. Most students have only learned how to define words using other text. This unit teaches them how to use visuals, word parts, parts of speech, AND surrounding text to define words.Y
5th - 8th
ELA Test Prep, Reading Strategies, Vocabulary
Characters in Literature PowerPoint & Notes: Cornell & Folding Interactive
Students will understand character types in literature after you use this fun and engaging lesson. The fun PowerPoint show covers protagonists, antagonists, dynamic characters and more. Students will learn notetaking skills as they fill out either guided interactive folding notes or Cornell notes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Please Note: This resource is the TEACH part of my Teach, Practice, Test unit. If you would like more practice work and the editable test, the bigger u
4th - 8th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
Middle School ELA Test Bundle Digital
This extensive collection of pre-made, editable ELA assessments can be used individually or can be combined to create a diagnostic exam, pretest, post-test, or final exam. The Google Form multiple-choice questions are all self-checking. Most of the tests also include short constructed responses and essay questions; these can be removed or edited, if you'd like. I will add to this bundle, and I will occasionally add to each test. The price will definitely increase. As a buyer, you will be entit
6th - 8th
English Language Arts, Informational Text, Literature
CCSS
RL.6.1
, RL.6.2
, RL.6.3
+39
3:27
Teaching to Mastery Using the Gradual Release of Responsibility Method
The gradual release of responsibility method ensures that students have the tools, strategies, and academic language they need, before attempting to work out problems independently. The method can be used across disciplines and grade levels. It provides an instructional framework, with each step propelling students toward independence. This short video includes an overview, with examples from a lesson in which I use it. An editable lesson planning template is also included, as well as a Google D
4th - 11th
English Language Arts, For All Subjects, Informational Text
Showing 1-18 of 18 results
About the store
Experience
Hey, there! I'm Darlene, and I hope to save you time and help you fall in love with teaching again! With 20+ years of experience teaching ELA 5-8, reading, and writing, and an M.Ed. from Stony Brook University, I understand your challenges. It's my goal to help you out by creating high-quality English Language Arts resources that simplify your workload while making learning both enjoyable and impactful for your students.
I understand the unique dynamics of teaching middle school, where engaging content and scaffolding are key. This insight shapes each resource I create, from writing units and escape rooms to independent reading activities and listening activities. Every resource and activity is designed to enchant and educate simultaneously. Additionally, every single product in my store is designed to make YOUR life easier. Whether you are purchasing an argumentative lesson slideshow with notes or an ELA reading and writing spiral review bellringer, rest assured that it is teacher-tested with care.
Teaching style
I strive to be the ELA teacher I would want my own children to have. That means differentiating instruction and challenging students at every ability level. It also means being interesting! Teaching is 3/4 theater. Finally, it all comes down to demonstrating respect for students and appreciating them for who they are right now.
As teachers, the promise of the future is in our hands. I try to remember that every single day.
Awards & shining teacher moments
Although I am honored to be a Founder's Day Award Winner in my district, my most cherished "trophy" is a battered, second-hand binder filled with letters and poems from thankful students and parents. That binder is precious to me and never fails to warm my heart.
My own education history
My master's degree is from Stony Brook University, and I am certified to teach English 7-12 and Elementary Education N-6.
Additional biographical information
When I'm not writing or teaching, I love to play tennis, read, and travel with my family.
You and I can hang out together at my blog <i><b><a href="http://meatballsinthemiddle.blogspot.com/">ELABuffet</a></b></i>
We'll settle in for some teaching tips, free resources, and a whole lot of fun!
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