BigTime Literacy
458 Followers
Chicago, Illinois, United States
About the store
I have been in education for 22 years now: my first 10 I spent teaching middle school ELA, and the last 12 as a Literacy Coach in elementary & now middle school. I have come to learn lots about reading and writing development at levels across K-8. Love curriculum, instruction, and assessment and always up to know what is the new best practice out there (currently deep into Structured Literacy!) Not a fan of worksheets (workshits), but love a learning tool that will help students build independence and knowledge.
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Running Records - First Grade Collection
Now Updated! The running records now include page numbers, space to record errors, self corrections, and to categorize errors by the Meaning, Structure, and/or Visual Cueing systems! Comprehension conversations were reformatted to better fit level E-G readers. Everything else still wonderfully the same!
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Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a more thorough
K - 3rd
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts, Reading
Running Records - Second Grade Collection
Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a more thorough assessment of comprehension? This product includes running records at second grade levels K through M. Each running record includes a form for noting and analyzing miscues and questions for a comprehension conversation:
Running Records:
-typed, double-spaced text to be used to record miscues
-Running word count to determine words per minute
Comprehension Conversation:
-Each leve
K - 5th
Reading
Running Records - 3rd Grade Collection
Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a more thorough assessment of comprehension? This product includes running records at third grade levels O through R. Each running record includes a form for noting and analyzing miscues and questions for a comprehension conversation:
Running Records:
-typed, double-spaced text to be used to record miscues
-Running word count to determine words per minute
Comprehension Conversation:
-Each level
2nd - 4th
English Language Arts, Reading
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Chapter Notes
This product was created to use with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and the curriculum unit based around character traits. This product gives chapter summaries, suggested vocabulary, and the character development of the main character from the book. Use it in conjunction with the Character Traits Curriculum Unit to teach students to infer character traits and base their inferences on text evidence.
Please see my blog for more details on this product: http://bigtimeliteracy.blogspot.com
3rd - 6th
English Language Arts
Running Records - Kinder Collection
Now Updated! The running records now include page numbers, space to record errors, self corrections, and to categorize errors by the Meaning, Structure, and/or Visual Cueing systems! Comprehension conversations was reformatted to reflect a level A-D reader. Everything else still wonderfully the same!
***************************************************************************
Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a thorough assessme
K - 2nd
Reading
TIQA - Academic Writing
Do your students need a format for answering text-related questions? If so, this is it. TIQA stands for: Topic Sentence, Introduce the Quote, (cite the) Quote, and Analysis. This document includes an explanation of the acronym, instructions for writing a TIQA partagraph, and student work samples for the following grade levels / contents: 8th Grade ELA (x3) 7th Grade ELA 6th Grade ELA 6th Grade Social Studies 7th Grade Science
6th - 10th
English Language Arts, Social Studies, Writing-Essays
CCSS
CCRA.W.1
, CCRA.W.2
, CCRA.W.4
 +2
Peel the Onion: Poetry Unit
This unit is complete with three weeks of lesson plans for a poetry study. In this unit, students will be reading, studying, and interpreting poetry.
In week one, students begin by looking at the techniques authors use to write great poems: Emotion, Imagery, and Rhythm. In week two, students work with close reading strategies so that they can interpret the poems that they are reading. Finally, in week three, students study various poetry forms and then work on determining theme in poems.
Lesso
4th - 8th
Balanced Literacy, Close Reading, English Language Arts
CCSS
RL.5.2
, RL.5.4
, RL.5.10
Somebody - Wanted - But - So - Then
Somebody - Wanted - But - So - Then is a fabulous strategy to use to help students quickly summarize narrative text. In this product, you will find a review of a read aloud for the holidays, a poster describing Somebody- Wanted - But - So - Then, an exit slip for the strategy, and a running record form that can be used to monitor student reading progress.
For more information about this product, please see my blog: http://bigtimeliteracy.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-gift-of-reading-stop-12-somebody
2nd - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading Strategies
Running Record - Level I - First Grade - Fiction
Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a thorough assessment of comprehension? This freebie uses Reading A-Z's I benchmark book and includes Comprehension Conversation questions aligned to Fountas and Pinnell's Benchmark Assessment System.
Running Record:
-typed text of 163 words to get a good measure on accuracy
-Space to record miscues to inform instruction
-Running word count to determine words per minute
Comprehension Conversati
K - 3rd
Balanced Literacy
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Character Traits
This unit was created to teach third through sixth grade students about character traits and character change over time. The unit includes:
A short summary of the book as a whole
Chapter summaries, suggested vocabulary, and character development notes for chapters 1-5
List of character traits
Character Analysis Chart
Teacher and Student Directions for the Response to Literature
A simple checklist/rubric for the Response to Literature
Stationary for publishing a Response to Literature
Please se
3rd - 6th
English Language Arts
Word Study Posters and Implementation Guide
Do your students study words as part of the literacy instruction? This document will help with your Word Study instruction!
This doc includes 5 word study posters, an implementation guide, and further explanation of the implementation guide. It is based on Words Their Way (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2008).
If you are using Words Their Way, this would be a great resource to have!
K - 8th
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Spelling, Vocabulary
Peel the Onion: Poetry Unit Freebie
Here's the truth: I'm not as crafty and cutesy as some of the other curriculum developers here on TpT, but I deliver solid resources to support your ELA instruction! In this freebie, you will find the first week of a three week poetry unit. In the first week, students learn how poetry is different from prose, and how poets use the devices of emotion, imagery (including simile and metaphor), and rhythm to engage their readers in their poetry.
These plans will work best for a classroom that uses
4th - 8th
Balanced Literacy, Close Reading, English Language Arts
CCSS
RL.5.4
, RL.5.10
Plot Diagram
Nothing fancy, but a fab plot diagram for your kiddos to use to think through narrative text structure!
3rd - 8th
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts
Clicking and Clunking Reading Strategy Organizer
Your students will easily determine meaning of unknown words with this reading strategy organizer. "Clunk Words" are words that are unknown to readers. This organizer will help them problem solve the unknown words they find.
Please refer to my blog post to read up on how to use this organizer:
http://bigtimeliteracy.blogspot.com/2013/10/super-sleuth-blog-hop-stop-15-clicking.html
2nd - 9th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies, Vocabulary
Pacing Calendar Template
Facilitate individual / team planning with a pacing calendar. Use this document as the hub of all the work you do with your students. To begin, add all holidays, teacher work days, half days, etc. Then, as you carry on over the course of the school year, update this pacing calendar with links to assignments, documents, and/or instructional resources. On year two, you will have a diary of all the work you've done previously, which will greatly facilitate the efficiency of plan times with your
Not Specific
English Language Arts, Math, Science
Traditional Literature Posters
Grab this doc to facilitate an investigation of Traditional Literature (TL) with your students! Teacher will begin briefly, sharing what the general characteristics of TL are, but then, use the bibliography included to gather books of each of the five subsets and set students off to construct meaning of each. Together with small groups, they will read stories in each of the five categories of TL: Fables, Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales and use a matrix (graphic organizer that is als
3rd - 6th
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts, Literature
Running Records - Kinder Collection - Volume 2
A second collection of Running Records at Kinder levels A-D! These new docs include space to note errors, self-corrections, and also for analyzing errors based on one of three cueing systems: Meaning, Structure, Visual
Do you have a subscription to Reading A-Z and would you like better running records that can provide a more thorough assessment of comprehension? This product includes running records at Kinger levels A through D. Each running record includes a form for noting and analyzing miscu
K - 2nd
Balanced Literacy, English Language Arts
Reading with a Writer's Eye; Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant
Use this freebie as you engage students in studying Cynthia Rylant's Scarecrow. Students will close read the text, looking through the characterization lens. They will study how Rylant develops her character through his feelings, actions, physical traits, words, and thoughts. Then, after close reading and studying the mentor text, students will develop a character for one of their stories more thoroughly and use the new ideas to enhance their drafts.
Included in this document:
- Mini-Lesson
- T
4th - 7th
Close Reading, Creative Writing, English Language Arts
Text Structure Organizers
This product is based on Dymock and Nicholson's Teaching Text Structures: A Key to Nonfiction Reading Success. The product is aligned to CCSS 5th grade and up and shares organizers for main idea/details, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem/solution. Organizers have a snowflake theme, but are also copied without the theme. There is an introduction page that explains the standards and why you should teach it and also a page that references the book that it is based on.
4th - 8th
English Language Arts, Informational Text
CCSS
CCRA.R.5
Book, Head, Heart Organizer
During reading, we usually ask our students to keep some brief notes that describe a summary of the text and also some inferences they make. But, Beers & Probst (Disrupting Thinking) argue that we need to show students how to become better people as they read their books, too, so a third component - Heart - was added to their note-taking. Students should use this organizer during reading, to annotate a retell (Book), think beyond the words on the page (Head), and consider their feelings about th
4th - 12th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies
CCSS
CCRA.R.1
, CCRA.R.2
, CCRA.R.3
 +1
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About the store
Experience
I have been in education for 22 years now: my first 10 I spent teaching middle school ELA, and the last 12 as a Literacy Coach in elementary & now middle school. I have come to learn lots about reading and writing development at levels across K-8. Love curriculum, instruction, and assessment and always up to know what is the new best practice out there (currently deep into Structured Literacy!) Not a fan of worksheets (workshits), but love a learning tool that will help students build independence and knowledge.
Teaching style
Social Constructivist
Awards & shining teacher moments
Golden Apple Foundation: Demonstrated Excellence in Teaching, 2017
Governing Board Award: Writing Innovation, 2009
My own education history
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading & Spelling (LETRS), 2025
Arizona State University (2009) M.Ed. Language and Literacy; Northern Arizona University (2003) B.A. Elementary Education, ESL
Additional biographical information
Swiftie, Dog mom, Auntie
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