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English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)

Explore tips, tools, and resources for teaching English Language Arts and Reading. Enhance literacy and inspire students with creative strategies.

28 Free QR Code Read Aloud Cards – in Spanish!

by Emily Horn May 6, 2022

written by Emily Horn

I’m back with more read alouds. This time- in Spanish! These 28 stories are available thanks to Scholastic Storybook Treasures, and they have stories in Mandarin as well. If you’re teaching Spanish as a second language, teaching in a bilingual setting, or if you have Spanish-speaking students in your class, you might find these useful. If you read my previous QR code blog article, I gave some tips for in-class read alouds and listed ideas for using the QR codes in class for independent reading. Those ideas also apply here!

What Works Well

I like these read alouds because they are visually pleasing. The images are animated and interesting, and the speaking is very clear and at a decent rate. They provide a good model for fluent reading and pronunciation in Spanish. No doubt they will be interesting for students!

Even Better If

These videos would be even better if they had closed captioning for accessibility and to allow students to see the words as they were being spoken. This would help with word recognition, vocabulary, and letter-sound correspondence. If you watch these directly on Youtube, be aware– there are a lot of ads. Nevertheless, these do provide a good option for independent Spanish read alouds in the classroom. But there is a trick for eliminating those ads using Wakelet! Don’t know what Wakelet is? No problem. Check out this great article. To prevent students from having to watch ads, I went ahead and placed them in Wakelet for you.

Removing Ads and Creating QR Codes in Wakelet

You can place each video link in a separate Wakelet collection and set the privacy for each collection to be “unlisted.” Then, for each collection, click “share” and chose the QR code option. I saved the QR codes as images to my laptop. Here’s a quick one-minute video tutorial.

The QR Code Cards

Download QR Codes to Spanish Read Alouds

I hope you find this Wakelet tip helpful and that you and your students enjoy these 28 FREE QR Code Spanish Read Alouds! Happy reading (and listening).

May 6, 2022 3 comments

Content Areas English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Libraries

68 Free QR Code Read Aloud Cards

by Emily Horn April 20, 2022

written by Emily Horn

Storyline Online has always been one of my favorites. At present, this site, created by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, has 68 read alouds in its collection– read by everyone from Seth Meyers to Allison Janney to Michelle Yeoh to Dulé Hill and more. Not only that, it has a free activity guide for each book! These teacher guides are based on the Common Core State Standards, but, be not dismayed; they are translatable to the ELAR TEKS. Today, I want to share all 68 read alouds as QR codes that you can use in your classroom– for FREE! (Who doesn’t like free? I personally love free.)

Why Are Read Alouds Important?

Read alouds are important for a variety of reasons. According to Reading Rockets (and many, many other sources), “Reading aloud is one of the most important things parents and teachers can do with children. Reading aloud builds many important foundational skills, introduces vocabulary, provides a model of fluent, expressive reading, and helps children recognize what reading for pleasure is all about.” That’s it in a nutshell, right there! It is a critical component of building the foundational reading and vocabulary skills necessary for fluent reading and good reading comprehension. Boom.

Tips for Successful Read Alouds

In ASCD’S fantastic article “Why Every Class Needs Read Alouds,” Pernille Ripp, Regie Routman, Barbara Moss, Tanya Friedman, and Valentina Gonzolez offer some great tips:

Don’t over teach! Stopping with too many instructional-related tasks will cause students to lose interest. Read the book in advance and plan your stops strategically, but give students the time to enjoy it.
Think about your English Language Learners (ELLs). Pictures, slowing down your reading, and adding movements or gestures can support understanding and help build vocabulary.
If the kids aren’t into it, let it go. Don’t spend time on texts your students aren’t into. It’s ok to drop it if it’s not something that works for your class.
Don’t be afraid to get informational. Students love to read about what’s happening in the world around them. Add nonfiction to the mix– everything from history to news and science is great.
Create a structure or routine. Build read alouds into your daily schedule and make a routine. Time is scarce, but planning for read alouds will keep them from getting nixed and replaced with other things.
Get students talking. Choose your texts with conversation in mind. If students are wanting to talk about it, they’re interested in it.
Choose texts that are “culturally relevant and rigorous.” According to ASCD’s article, “A culturally relevant read aloud creates a self-propelling cycle of engagement where students not only want to learn more, but also want to do something with their new knowledge.” I could not agree more. What high-order thinking does the read aloud instigate? What do students already know about the content, and how does it relate to them?

Ways to Use the Read Aloud Cards

So can Wanda Sykes, Chris Pine, or Connie Britton follow this advice and host an adaptive read aloud through their Storyline Online video? Nope. Then how can you use these read alouds in meaningful ways? Here are some ideas based on reinforcement, extension, and enrichment:

Classroom library. Students can revisit texts you’ve already read in class or discover new ones. Rotate which books you highlight in your class library by switching out the cards regularly.
Read aloud center. Give students the chance to listen to reading in a class center.
English Language Learners (ELLs). ELL students can benefit from revisiting texts and having access to audiobooks.
Interacting with characters. Use images from the book to make stick puppets. Place them with the read aloud cards so that students can interact with the characters as they are listening and watching.
Sequencing. As they hear the story, students can put images from the book in order to sequence it! They’ll love this.
Retelling. After the student listens to the read aloud independently, ask them to retell the story. You can use a retelling rubric to help you assess their understanding. You can use the images from the book and/or the stick puppets to support students who may need it.
Early finishers. When a student finishes early, let them grab a read aloud! Pair it with a writing prompt for some additional enrichment or extension.
Vocabulary reinforcement. Give students access to read alouds that will reinforce specific vocabulary you’ve taught in class.
Paired Reading. Make a read aloud available that pairs well with a text you’ve recently read in class. Put some visuals up that encourage students to make comparisons between the books. Or have them complete a KWL chart to activate prior knowledge from their previous reading.

I hope you enjoy using these read aloud cards and find them useful for your students. If you have any additional ideas for how they can be used, please let me know in the comments. I always love to hear from you.

Download QR Codes

April 20, 2022 15 comments

Content Areas Culturally Responsive English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Equity, Diversity, Inclusion ESL/ELL Social Studies

Five Resources for Indigenous Peoples and Native American Heritage

by Miguel Guhlin April 18, 2022

written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for free lessons and activities for your students? Let’s explore five sources of content– including lessons, books, Google Earth, and podcasts. You can adapt these resources for several purposes. The focus of the resources is on Indigenous peoples and Native American Heritage. Rediscovering our history and exploring native perspectives can provide powerful insights. One place to start learning is the National Museum of the American Indian.

Note: In writing this, I realize how ignorant I am in spite of my efforts. I invite those of you who know more to share what amazing resources may be missing in the comments. Let’s learn together.

#1: Indigenous Peoples Day Lessons and Activities

Indigenous Peoples Day includes a rich collection of lessons. You can use the content here for Native American Heritage Month (month of November).

TechLearning.com offers a list of lessons and activities; here are two that caught my eye from their list:

a) Celebrating Indigenous Languages. Use Google Earth to explore how indigenous languages are being kept alive. When you visit the website, you will find a digital homage to at-risk languages. On the website, they share:

Indigenous communities around the globe are working to preserve and revitalize their languages. They teach them to future generations and share them with non-Indigenous speakers. You will find indigenous traditional greetings, favorite sayings and meaningful songs.

b) Indigenous Peoples’ Day Resources. This website offers lessons, books, and films. The goal is to share what happened when Christopher Columbus invaded indigenous lands. Lessons focus on:

Critical analysis of the textbook version of Columbus’ discovery
Role-playing a trial of Columbus’ genocide of the Tainos people in the late 15th century
Analysis of President Andrew Jackson’s speeches relevant to the Trail of Tears

Current events are also included, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline. These lessons offer a powerful counterpoint to dominant cultural perspectives. They serve as a great way to engage students in problem-based learning (PBL). What’s more, students can develop critical thinking skills as they analyze past policies.

You can also find author interviews and booklists via the Colorin Colorado website.

native american history — Screenshot by author

#2: Teaching for Change

As a native Panamanian and American of Swedish descent, I undertook a quick inventory. The inventory wasn’t of my possessions, but rather, my history and cultural roots. Even though I grew up in Central America, I know very little about its history. Many children who grow up in the United States should learn the history of Central America. They also may be curious, as I am, about their heritage.

Teaching Central America offers this point:

More than four million Central Americans live in the United States today. The lack of school resources on Central American heritage make its history invisible. Central America is too-often portrayed as a strip of land on a map connecting North and South America. There is a scarcity of literature in the school libraries.

To address the dearth of resources on history and literature, you can find more online now. Teachers can find “free downloadable lessons, bios, poetry, and prose.” You can test your knowledge of Central America with a short quiz (I scored 1 correct out of 5).

Did You Know?
Microsoft has an Indigenous theme for its Edge browser. You can find Google Chrome browser themes that have a Native American look to them appear online.

The website offers a few free books for students, including:

Wilfredo: Un Nino de El Salvador (45 pages, free)
Beauty and Eco-Relationships in the Natural World of Central America
Leaving Home: Socratic Dialogue with Art
Geography is History: Locate the Countries of Central America
Rediscovering America

Although these are for elementary level students, there are others for older students. This site offers some fantastic content.

#3: University of Connecticut

Need to deepen your knowledge of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino history? Consider the resources the University of Connecticut offers as one source. Their online curriculum offers an African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino studies course. The content has five units featuring:

Early Beginnings
Blood and Beauty
Sweat
Resistance
Where Are We Now

Each unit is replete with readings, primary sources, historical fiction, films, and activities. The historiographies cover quite a bit of ground, including web and journal articles. You will find quotes like this one from Jayline Hernandez Gomez:

“Although I come from an uneducated family background, my parents are not the ones who failed to educate me,” Hernandez Gomez read during a three-minute public comment. “My history classes failed me.” (Source)

With websites like this one, you get a sense of the scope of what’s left to learn about history. One drawback to the site is that it relies on published books, so you may find yourself paying out of pocket.

#4: A Google Slides Template

Check out this Native American Heritage focused, Google Slides template. Developed by Google for Education, it offers a wide variety of slides and activities. For example, you will find links to make a copy of Google Slides templates for:

Native American Heritage Month Activity (requires Google account)
World Kindness Day Compliment Chain

These two templates are simple and meant for children to use. Students customize the compliment chain:

In addition, Google Arts and Culture has released a massive Indigenous Americas collection. Some of the things you will find in it include:

And there’s much more– like sixty-five years of Navajo history through music.

#5: The Clio

The Clio makes it easy to explore history. Among the walking and virtual tours, you will find a focus on Native American History. For example, you can find walking tours for the Crow, the Nez Perce War of 1877, and the Native American Museum. There are others, of course.

Having grown up reading Donald Clayton Porter’s historical fiction, which had an interesting take on early colonial conflict with First Nations, I found Clio’s content enlightening. The site provides some real history to explore in pictures, audio, and video.

Additional Resources

If you’re like me, you love to read and listen to others. Allow me to share a few sources of both.

No doubt, you’ve read your share of “white Indian” stories. That is, children adopted or stolen from American settlers, then raised by Indigenous peoples. One of the books in my school library included Conrad Richter’s “The Light in the Forest.” I still remember my negative reaction, but curiosity spurred me on. Since then, I found many better stories.

Learn more about the We Are Water Protectors

You may find this collection of kid-friendly books better fare than those two authors. It’s important to keep in mind that…

Only 1% of the children’s books published in the U.S. in 2016 featured Indigenous characters, and even fewer (1/4 of the 1% = 8 books total) were written by Indigenous authors. (source)

Explore more titles via Strong Nations, an indigenous book publisher and seller. Debbie Reese shares more books of interest. You may gain a deeper appreciation for cultures lost and at-risk, as well as why they became so.

Finally, listen to these three podcasts for children:

Intended for younger children, they have a common goal of celebrating indigenous stories. Educators may also find this Kidlit These Days episode of interest, Episode 13: An Indigenous Peoples’ History.

Deepen Your Awareness of History

Don’t be afraid to explore and deepen your knowledge. There’s so much to learn and share about Indigenous peoples and Native Americans. Why not start with this collection of children’s books?

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author

April 18, 2022 0 comments

Educational Research English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Good Teaching

Four Ways to Improve Reading Fluency

by Emily Horn April 1, 2022

written by Emily Horn

Who loves reading? (raises hand) So you’re working with students to build their reading skills. That’s a big job! How are you working on building fluency? Let’s take a look at reading fluency and explore a few “not boring” ways to engage students in practice to build reading automatization and support comprehension.

What Is Reading Fluency?

According to the International Literacy Association (and most definitions), reading fluency is made up of three measurable parts: accuracy, rate, and expression (or prosody). Some definitions also include phrasing as a component while others lump this under prosody. When a reader is considered fluent, they read at a nice pace, they accurately recognize words without noticeable effort, and they bring texts to life by making reading sound similar to natural spoken language.

The ultimate goal is for reading to become automatic. And automaticity means that a lot of interdependent and interconnected skills and processes, like phonemic awareness, decoding, etc., must work together. For this reason, fluency is very complex. Don’t be fooled by the simple definition. I like what Dr. David D. Paige, Professor of Literacy and Director of the Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic at Northern Illinois University, says in his article “Reading Fluency: A Brief History, the Importance of Supporting Processes, and the Role of Assessment,”

Why Is Reading Fluency Important?

The Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) says:

You can sign up for a free CLI account to access a plethora of great fluency materials. Research definitely backs CLI’s statement. The more automatically a student reads, the more they are able to understand and interpret texts, and the more motivated they are to read. Imagine being a student that lacks fluency. Their brainpower is completely focused on decoding and deciphering the words to get through the text. This hinders them from devoting brainpower to interpreting meaning to understand what they read. Fluency is key to reading comprehension and reading enjoyment! And developing fluency skills, along with vocabulary acquisition, in the lower grades is vital to supporting reading comprehension moving forward.

Measuring Reading Fluency

Assessing students regularly and keeping running records will be key to monitoring growth and progress for making sure students are on track. Here are some tips from Reading A-Z on how to take a Running Record with an example mark-up. Let’s take a look at calculating components of fluency for assessment.

Accuracy

To measure accuracy, you can take the number of words a student reads correctly and divide it by the number of words read in total. For example, if a student reads a total of 100 words, and out of the 100, they read 90 words correctly, the student read the passage with 90% accuracy.

Rate

To calculate the rate at which a student reads, or the Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM), you will need to time them reading for one minute. Subtract the number of errors from the total number of words read, and you will have the WCPM. Let’s say a student read 95 words in one minute, and 80 words were read correctly. The student made 15 errors. You would take the 95 total words and subtract the 15 errors, so the student would read at a rate of 80 WCPM.

Prosody

Prosody and expression are a bit more subjective; however, using a rubric can be very helpful. A rubric will guide in comparing students to a clear set of criteria. Here is a great rubric to help assess prosody from Dr. Tim Rasinksi of Kent State University.

Fluency Norms

You’ve assessed your students’ fluency. Now what? In order to track growth and progress and to have discussions with parents about where students are at, it will be important to know how they compare to fluency norms or standards. Using a chart based on data collected on fluency levels at different grade levels is super useful. The Hasbrouck and Tindal Oral Reading Fluency chart (2017) tells you the percentiles and norms for WCPM for each trimester (fall, spring, winter) with the average rate of improvement by week. I’d recommend reading this report if you’re interested in the full research. Now, let’s get to some ways to improve fluency!

Ways to Improve Reading Fluency

1. Modeling

Reading aloud to students is one of the best ways to model reading fluency. It lets them hear what good fluency sounds like. Even in the upper elementary and middle school grades, reading aloud is an important part of building solid reading and listening skills. Take time to read to students and then place read aloud books in the classroom for students to access for re-reading. Having heard the story already, fluency can be built by revisiting the book or text to read it on their own. Not only that, but partner reading familiar texts can build motivation and fluency through modeling as well.

2. Fluency Centers

Fluency centers are a great way for students to practice and build fluency on their own or with a partner. Florida Center for Reading Research has some resources for fluency centers. Just choose your grade level in the menu on the left, and you’ll find a variety of resources to boost reading progress. We Are Teachers has an article with a whopping 37 ideas for literacy centers. You can create cards with Free Sight Words Flashcard Creator (Dolch, Fry, custom, and blank). And you can use these free PDFs to copy/paste Fry fluency phrases to create your own fluency phrase cards with this tool. You can also offer choice boards so students can choose how they’d like to practice at the center. Here are some example choice boards with some sample fluency activities. Feel free to download and edit the template.

3. Repeated Readings

Repeated reading is when a student reads a text multiple times until they no longer have errors. Students feel better and better as they see their fluency is improving each time they read the text. Here are some free repeated reading task cards to make repeated reading fun (and a little silly!). Key components to repeated readings are error correction, peer-to-peer feedback, and goal setting. Students can practice repeated readings independently or with a partner. This article by ThoughtCo has some great suggestions for choosing texts for repeated readings and how to use audio recording and timing in independent repeated reading. Additionally, the article presents choral reading, echo reading, and dyad reading as good partner reading activities.

4. Visuals References

Having visuals for students to reference is fantastic. Here are some fluency posters that you can give to students or hang in your classroom to help them remember what fluent readers do.

*Click here to access these poster templates.*

And here is a coordinating bookmark you can offer your students.

I hope you were able to get some ideas from this article. How do you work with students to build reading fluency? Please share your ideas and activities below to get the conversation going.

April 1, 2022 0 comments

Content Areas Educational Trends English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)ESL/ELL Good Teaching Math Science Social Studies Special Needs

Templates and Ideas for Making Differentiated Choice Boards

by Dr. Bruce Ellis March 29, 2022

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

There’s a country song by Barbara Mandrell that says, “I was country when country wasn’t cool.” In the same sense, you may have been using choice boards way before they became trendy. It seems that “choice board” has now joined the list of educational buzzwords. You may know them by another name such as playlists, menu boards, pathways, tic-tac-toe, or learning menus.

Why Use Choice Boards

Regardless of what you call them, choice boards offer many benefits based on sound pedagogy. In fact, Dr. Robert J. Marzano, author of “The Highly Engaged Classroom,” provides some research-based tips on student engagement, several of which directly relate to the positive impact of choice. Allowing students to choose how they want to demonstrate their learning can increase student buy-in and recall because students are more interested in their learning. Choice boards also provide the teacher with an organized way to differentiate, even beyond what you may realize is possible. Yes, the teacher may be thinking of specific students when they identify types of activities for a choice board. But teachers also may find that some students shine more than expected and choose activities differently than anticipated, showing interests and gifts the teacher wasn’t aware of previously.

How to Differentiate with Choice Boards

To increase retention, many teachers using choice boards will have students select multiple activities to complete instead of just choosing a single activity. A few ways to ramp up the learning process when students select multiple activities is to differentiate with choice boards in one of the following ways.

Color code by degree of difficulty.

In this scenario, the teacher has identified a variety of activities that give students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of their learning. Along with this, they have identified which activities may be easier or harder than others. For example, out of ten activities, there may be three designated as easy, four designated medium difficulty, and three designated as hard. Students are then directed to choose one from each group to complete. Having students choose activities from each degree of difficulty ensures that they are engaged at various levels.

Assign points to activities.

In this scenario, each activity is assigned a points value, and students are tasked with choosing and completing enough activities to earn a certain number of points. The points can be based on difficulty level or how much time the activity may take. Students can complete activities that exceed the goal point total but should not subceed it. Some students will tackle the assignment by trying to accomplish the exact goal point total, while others will choose activities that they enjoy most, even if it means that they exceed the total points required.

Differentiate by learning goals with interventions.

In this scenario, you have some students who may have IEPs that afford them accommodations that the majority of students don’t have. Great! Identify some activities that take that into account by creating a separate choice board for them. It doesn’t have to be as extensive, but it can be more attuned to their needs while maintaining high expectations. Incorporating intervention strategies within the choices can help some students feel more confident tackling learning objectives.

Differentiate by learning goals with upperventions.

Likewise, you may have students who have been identified as gifted learners. For these students, consider offering upperventions– strategies that are incorporated and designed to meet the specific needs of talented and gifted students. Edutopia shares a variety of upperventions that you can consider when trying to meet the needs of gifted students.

Templates for Choice Boards

If you are looking for a Google Slide or PowerPoint template to create your choice board, consider checking out Slides Mania’s website. Here are a few specific templates to help you make your choice boards look great. These are ready-to-use, and you will just need to tweak the slide deck some in addition to adding activities. When you are done, you will have a digital choice board that your students can access online. They may need to Save a Copy to their Drive and edit their own copy if their work is in a digital format.

Choice Board Resources

Anyone can use a search engine to look for choice boards. The dilemma is that you may have to wade through pages of results to find ones that are meaningful. To help you cut to the chase, here are some resources that you can explore (or tweak) to find choice boards that you can use in your classroom.

Choice Boards for Elementary Learners – Lori Gracey shares specific choice boards for elementary learners and more resources and blog posts to help you move forward in creating and using choice boards.

Interactive Summer Resources for Students with Diverse Learning Needs – Dufferin-Peel Catholic School’s Special Education and Learning Services has put together this extensive 46-page PDF of choice boards to support students with special needs.

Algebra 1 Tic-Tac-Toe Boards – Algebra teachers in Judson ISD used these four choice boards during the spring of 2020 to engage their math students online.

Earth Day Choice Board – If you engage your students on Earth Day, you will be ready for this year with this simple choice board. Since it is a Google Slide, you can click on File, Make a Copy, and then add the copy to your Google Drive to edit as needed. Earth Day this year is on Friday, April 22.

Rethink Choice Boards- Free Templates for All Grades – Beth Davidson of Elkhart Community Schools in Elkhart, Indiana, has curated a variety of choice board templates and samples, including progressive choice boards, homework choice boards, tic-tac-toe choice boards, staggered choice boards, and early finisher choice boards.

Progressive Choice Boards: Provide Choice Without Overwhelming – Matt Miller provides clear information (along with samples) on making your choice boards more appealing to students who may struggle with the freedom that typically comes with using choice boards.

How to See Quick Examples

If you are just trying to find examples quickly and aren’t so worried about having the examples in an editable format, you can Google search for choice boards and click on the images results tab. This will give you a much quicker and cleaner view of what may be available. Many times, just seeing examples will be enough for you to recreate them with your own spin on the activities. Or it may give you new ideas on how to make a particular choice board look more appealing. If you are trying to remove search results from sites behind a paywall, just include “-site:” and the name of the site you want to exclude from your results. You’ll notice in the search query provided here that examples from teacherspayteachers.com have been excluded.

Share Your Favorite Choice Board Resources

What are your go-to choice board resources? Leave us a comment to share it with others. Or do you have a template that you’ve made that works well with your content and grade level? Share a link to it in the comments below so that others can recognize you for your work!

Interested in becoming a choice board pro? TCEA is offering a self-paced online course worth 12 CPEs for just $29! Interested? Register before April 1 to secure the $29 registration rate.

March 29, 2022 0 comments

Content Areas Content Creation English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Good Teaching Math Science Social Studies STEM/STEAM

Virtual Reality with Panoform Is Easy, Engaging, and Fun for Everyone

by Dr. Bruce Ellis March 22, 2022

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

What is Panoform?

Panoform combines real-life drawings with immersive VR (virtual reality) experiences. It’s a revolutionary tool that is still making great experiences for students, and it is a game-changer in classrooms. Panoform allows students to download and print a grid from the website, sketch on the grid, and upload a picture of their grid drawing to the website. Then, they can have a VR experience of their sketches in a virtual reality headset, on their phone/tablet, and even on the computer. For example, it’s a simple and easy way to diagram an organism and use VR tools in the classroom. Did I mention that it’s free? And– no ads!

How Does Panoform Work?

The Panoform system requires a pen and paper, colored markers, and a grid. Panoform is a tool that students can use in their classrooms in their learning process. Using crayons, pencils, and markers, students can create a world and upload it to a website. Students can also cut out pictures and lay them on their paper grid. Once done writing or illustrating with the grid, students take a picture of it. Before uploading to the website, students need to make sure that they crop out anything outside the grid image. Once uploaded, Panoform will wrap the grid into a VR cube– one in which the viewer is placed inside the cube and can look around at the four walls, ceiling, and floor. Items drawn or written on the grid will appear accordingly in the virtual room.

With this tool, students can easily create VR worlds without any programming knowledge, and they can use the VR environment to express their creative talents. They can use their imagination to design! Teachers can also use the VR world to enhance learning experiences. Additionally, the virtual environment is accessible to anyone with an Internet-connected device. All you need is content to put on each of the four virtual “walls.”

Is it Safe for Sharing Student Work?

No student work is stored (or uploaded) to the Panoform cloud. The tool pulls the image from the device but does not store it in their servers, making it super safe for students. Because the work is not uploaded and stored on Panoform’s servers, the viewer will need to have a copy of the image to pull into Panoform. When you want to share content with students or have them share their work with you or others, you’ll need to curate the images in a shared drive or post/link them on your class website. Students can then download them to their devices and upload them into their viewer. They can also store images on their devices to upload directly.

Using Google Slides with a Panoform Grid

You can print out a grid to draw or write on it. But you can also use Google Slides for your layout!

Open a new Google Slide.
Go to File, Page Setup, and then set the dimensions to 10 inches across by five inches high. This will make sure the slide deck is the same layout and size as the Panoform grid.
Now you just need to upload one of the grid images as the slide background. Having the grid background allows you to see where items should be.
Add clipart, text boxes, icons, and more just like you would when creating a presentation.
When done, be sure to delete the grid background (unless you don’t mind it being seen).
Save the slide as an image by clicking on File, Download, and then choosing JPG Image.

You can now use this file to upload to Panoform for your VR world. Instead of creating your own Google Slide for Panoform, feel free to use this template to jumpstart the fun.

Trying Out Virtual Reality

Here are a few images you can download to your device to use for exploring Panoform to get an idea of how it can be used.

Right-click on the image and choose Save Image As.
Save the image to your device.
When you are ready to upload to Panoform, go to https://tool.panoform.com. Click on the Choose an Image button to upload the image.

You can now drag the image around by using your mouse or clicking on the VR headset icon (lower right corner) to transfer the image to be used on a phone.

Though these are simple examples, think of concepts or content that could be divided into four parts (because there are four walls in the virtual cube). Each wall could be completely different or show a process being studied.

What concepts will you reinforce with Panoform? Will it be vocabulary (word, definition, used in a sentence, and illustration), world countries (country name, capitol, location on map, and major facts), the steps in solving Algebraic equations, or a summary of Macbeth (Title/author, setting with image, protagonist name with sketch of person, and themes)? Whatever you teach, Panoform can be an interesting way for students to summarize and demonstrate their learning.

March 22, 2022 2 comments

English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)ESL/ELL Online Tools and Apps

Five Ways to Use QR Codes for Second Language Development

by Emily Horn March 18, 2022

written by Emily Horn

Before we talk about QR codes, I’m going to tell you a secret. Many of you reading this are going to think that I’m absolutely crazy because of this secret. But there will be a few of you who will gasp lightly, smile, get a little excited, and think “Oh my gosh. Me, too!” Ok. Here goes.

I absolutely loved teaching prekindergarten. Loved it. As in it is my favorite grade I’ve ever taught.

It’s true. I am “that” person. The Pre-K-8 school where I taught prekindergarten had a major focus on language development, and I worked with many students learning English as a second (or third) language. This is the case for many students and teachers in classrooms around the country. If you teach prekindergarten or lower elementary and have English Language Learners (ELLs) in your classroom, let’s look at five ways QR codes can be used to support language development and promote vocabulary acquisition in your classroom. In the end, I’ll also share how to create different types of QR codes. But before we get started, let’s take a look at some research and information on language development in young children.

Why Is Language Development Important in Early Years?

Language development has been theorized for years by great psychologists and sociologists who have impacted education in major ways– like Skinner, Chomsky, Piaget, and Vygotsky. There is so much research out there! According to researcher Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D. in “Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition,”

There is evidence that early mastery of the phonetic units of language requires learning in a social context.

So the family, school, and social environment of learners is an important part of their language learning. This can be connected to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development which is focused on language development through social interaction. Kuhl, along with many other researchers, also finds that:

In the domain of language, infants and young children are superior learners when compared to adults, in spite of adults’ cognitive superiority. Language is one of the classic examples of a “critical” or “sensitive” period in neurobiology. Scientists are generally in agreement that this learning curve is representative of data across a wide variety of second-language learning studies.
Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition

For example, here is a chart shared by Kuhl showing the age of second language acquisition related to grammatical proficiency in the second language. It’s interesting to see that proficiency is highest in those children learning the language before age seven. Teachers working with ELLs in preschool through second grade, you have an important job during a critical stage in language development. But if you’re a teacher working with older students, research also shows that our brains are still very skilled, more so than originally thought, at learning the grammar of a new language up to age 17 or 18.

***Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition***

Seeing how important second language learning is in the critical stage before age seven, let’s take a look at five ways to use QR codes to boost acquisition of language structures and vocabulary and foster positive social interaction to support language development.

1. Vocabulary Reinforcement

Learning supply and school vocabulary. Label supplies, materials, and toys in your classroom with audio-only QR codes. This will allow students to scan and hear the words for vocabulary practice.

Checking for understanding. Students can pick QR codes from a mystery box or bag, listen to the word, and identify the correlating object(s) in pictures, flashcards, or the classroom. For example, if a student scans a QR code and hears the word “scissors,” they can show they understand by finding scissors in the classroom, choosing them out of a set of picture cards, or by pointing to scissors in a picture of a classroom.

Scan and say. You can also put audio QR codes on image cards for students to scan and say. Labeling flashcard images with QR codes for matching games is fun, too. Students flip the card, scan to hear, then say the word before choosing their second card. You can also place codes on “I Have/Who Has” cards if a student gets stuck.

2. Songs, Poems, and Nursery Rhymes

*Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Audio Only Example)*

Songs, poems, and nursery rhymes are fantastic for language learning. And they are a tried-and-true way to teach vocabulary and sentence structure. Not only that but students really love them! Give ELLs the opportunity to revisit songs, poems, and nursery rhymes to reinforce vocabulary on their own by creating a Song and Poetry book with QR codes. Prior to introducing a new song, create a video or audio recording of it. Be sure to speak (or sing) slowly and clearly. Once students have been introduced to the song and any related vocabulary, you can paste the audio or video QR code along with lyrics and related pictures of vocabulary into the Song and Poetry book. This book can stay in the library or music center, for example. Repeated listening is good vocabulary reinforcement and it builds confidence in students who may be hesitant to participate at first.

3. Language-Based Scavenger Hunts

*Clue 1 for Scavenger Hunt to Find the Missing Bear*

There are several ways you can create fun, language-based scavenger hunts for your ELLs. Place audio-only QR codes on numbered cards around your classroom or school to give oral instructions on where to go next for treasure hunts. Or have students pick a QR code from a bag to collect objects or have “I Spy” adventures.

Here are just a couple of adaptable scavenger hunt ideas:

The class mascot is missing!
Find the hidden treasure.
Spy objects on a nature walk.
Gather a collection of items.
Look for shapes, numbers, and colors!

4. Connect School and Home with Language Journals

Create a Language Journal with ELLs. Include lyrics to songs, poems, and nursery rhymes, and add images and words for vocabulary. Add QR codes for these so students can practice outside of school. They can take their journal home each weekend to add photos or drawings to bring back to school on Monday. In my classroom, students were very motivated to speak about their lives. They enjoyed showing me their pictures and drawings and describing them. Not only was it a great time to connect with students on a personal level, it was also a great way to get them comfortable speaking.

5. Read Alouds

Storyline Online: **Clark the Shark read by Chris Pine**

Record your own read alouds or find them on YouTube. Laminate QR code cards containing the QR code and a picture of the book cover, and students will love to revisit texts you’ve read in class. This is great for listening comprehension and reinforcing vocabulary, much like the Song and Poetry book. I kept these in a basket in the library center. Students could watch a video read aloud or listen to an audio-only read aloud while looking at the book.

Read Aloud Resources:

Storyline Online
Indianapolis Public Library
WeAreTeachers Best “Read Alouds on YouTube for Classroom or Home”
Storyvision Studios UK
Toadstools and Fairy Dust
StoryTime at Awnie’s House
KidTimeStoryTime

How to Create QR Codes

Video QR Codes

This video shows you how to create a QR code using a video in your Google Drive. Be sure that your share settings are set to “Anyone with the link can view.”

For YouTube videos, you can use the same instructions, but with a YouTube video link.

Audio QR Codes

You can follow the instructions above for audio files in your Google Drive. But you can also easily use Vocaroo. Vocaroo is a fantastically easy tool to use for creating free, audio-only QR codes. Click the red record button, click Save and Share, and then download your audio QR code. This has been one of the most valuable tools I’ve found.

In Conclusion

I hope you’ve found something you can use in your classroom to make second language learning fun and to support vocabulary acquisition. If not, I hope one of these ideas sparked an idea in you. Please feel free to share what’s worked in your classroom in the comments section.

March 18, 2022 4 comments

Chromebooks English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Google Tips and Tricks Online Tools and Apps STEM/STEAM

Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (March 2022)

by Sara Qualls March 16, 2022

written by Sara Qualls

Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite Chrome extensions on TCEA’s Facebook Page. I’ve included some of those here. Please keep sharing, and I’ll keep adding to my list. But would it even be a blog post of mine if I didn’t include random finds? I think not. So I’ve also included some spontaneous extensions and sites I’ve found for you to enjoy and explore. Ready? Let’s jump right in!

Chrome Extensions to Try

Eyedropper. If you’re the type of person who likes to get all “matchy-matchy,” download this extension right now. No really. Do it! Eyedropper lets you pick colors from web pages so you can coordinate and match all you like.

Natural Reader Text to Speech. This extension allows you to listen to any email, webpage, PDF, Kindle book, and more. You read that right. It converts online text into natural-sounding audio. Just press play, and it will start reading aloud to you.

Wordtune- AI-powered Writing Companion. If you’re at a loss for words but you “kinda sorta” know what you want to say (Yeah, me too. ), Wordtune is here to come to the rescue. This extension uses artificial intelligence to help you get your message across.

Wordler. Are you into the Wordle craze? I can honestly say that I have not taken the leap on this trend. That said, I wasn’t able to try it out. But I thought it was worth a share since many of you are into Wordle. This extension will help you solve those tricky ones that leave you stumped.

Reaction Time Game. This one was right up my alley. Improve those ninja reflexes in no time with this game of skill. I like to use it while I’m waiting for a website to load. And all it takes is a space bar! I’ve got it down to 301 milliseconds. It’s definitely harder than it looks.

Must-Visit Websites

PointerPointer. Okay, this one is strange. However, if you like to people watch, you might enjoy it. My first question? Where did the creator get all of these random photos? After putting that thought aside, I found it a bit addictive. Move your mouse to different parts of the screen, and a new photo of a random person pointing at your cursor will appear after each move.

Domino Roilipman. Did you ever set up dominos as a kid with your younger brother so you could watch them fall? (Just me? Okay, then.) This site is housed in Google’s Arts & Culture Experiments. Now you can play and build with dominos, then watch them crash without all the cleanup. If you have early finishers, send them here.

Ancient Earth Globe. Have you ever wondered what Earth looked like years upon years ago? No need to wonder any longer. Enter a time frame, and you will go back in time. You’ll also get a short snippet of information regarding the time period. This site could be incorporated as an extension activity to a project. Bonus: They also have the largest dinosaur database filled with pictures and facts. It was assembled by hundreds of paleontologists over the last twenty years.

Let me know how exploring, creating, and building up those reflex times goes for you. If you have a faster reflex time than me, share it with me on Twitter, so I have something to strive for!

More From This Series

March 16, 2022 2 comments

English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Libraries Social Studies

Six Popular Biography Series Featuring Women Heroes

by Peggy Reimers March 15, 2022

written by Peggy Reimers

When I was teaching, biographies were limited to encyclopedias or to a rainbow-colored covered book called “Biography Today.” (Yes, I am that old.) It was published once a year, and I located it in the school library. It said right on the cover, “Profiles of People of Interests to Young Readers.” But today, I visited my local library and searched the internet. WOW. The selection of biographies available today is astonishing. I am amazed and thrilled at what I found. Check out these six series that will have you celebrating Women’s History Month (WHM) every day of the year.

1. Ordinary People Change the World

Author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos were determined to create biographies highlighting American heroes. Brad’s motto is, “It’s a time in America where we need goodness, kindness, and Kermit the Frog lessons.” In this series of picture books and graphic novels for K-2 students, each biography includes influences, timelines, and photos. And each hero exhibits a trait that makes them a role model for the reader. Check out supplemental resources on their website. Here are some titles specific to WMH:

Marie Curie
Malala Yousafzai
Billie Jean King
Oprah Winfrey
Frida Kahlo
Anne Frank
Sonia Sotomayor
Harriet Tubman
Sacagawea
Harriet Tubman
Jane Goodall
Helen Keller
Lucille Ball
Rosa Parks
Amelia Earhart

2. Who HQ

This series of illustrated biographies written by multiple authors is packed with history, culture, and illustrations on each page. Appropriate for grades 3-7, each biography offers timelines to include personal life and world events. Check out the educator section on this website. The selection for female biographies is extensive, and here is just a small sampling:

Georgia O’Keefe
Celia Cruz
Selena
Coretta Scott King
Venus and Serena Williams
Princess Diana
Lucille Ball
Jacqueline Kennedy
Hillary Clinton
Julia Child
Rachel Carson
Dolly Parton
Abigail Adams
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Frida Kahlo
Michelle Obama
Maria Tallchief
Annie Oakley

3. Little Feminist Board Book Sets

If you’re looking for something to highlight women heroes to younger learners, these durable books are perfect for infants to age two. These board books, written by Emily Kleinman and illustrated by Lydia Ortiz, feature colorful portraits of women. And each woman has made a historical impact on the world. Here is a list of the sets offered, and each set comes with four books:

Little Feminist
Little Feminist Activists
Little Feminist Pioneers
Little Feminist Artists
Little Feminist Leaders

4. She Persisted

These picture and chapter books, written by Chelsea Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, are great for students in grades K-3. Each picture book tells the story of more than 10 women who never took no for an answer. These women always, inevitably, and without fail, persisted. Chelsea and Alexandra invited other authors and illustrators to write a series of chapter books about women who spoke up and defied the odds. You can join the monthly book club for an author video and Q&A and get the downloadable guide here.

Picture Books:

She Persisted
She Persisted in Science
She Persisted Around the World
She Persisted in Sports

Chapter books:

Harriet Tubman
Claudette Colvin
Sally Ride
Virginia Apgar
Nellie Bly
Sonia Sotomayor
Florence Griffith JOyner
Ruby Bridges
Clara Lemlich
Maragret Chase Smith
Maria Tallchief
Coretta Scott King
Wangari Maathai
Oprah Winfrey
Helen Keller

5. Little People, Big Dreams

These biographies, by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and various illustrators, are for younger readers in grades K-3. And they each have adorable illustrations for readers to enjoy. Each life is told as a story with facts and a photo section at the back of the book. There are more than 100 titles! A selection geared to WMH includes:

Kamala Harris
Yoko Ono
Iris Apfel
Aretha Franklin
Mary Shelley
Amanda Gorman
Ella Fitzgerald

6. You Should Meet

This nonfiction biography series was written by Laurie Calkhoven and various other authors. It focuses on inspirational people who have achieved amazing success in their field. These paperbacks are Ready-to-Read Level Three books for first grade and up. Female titles include:

Misty Copeland
Mae Jemison
Katherine Johnson
Roberta Gibb
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Shirley Chisholm
Yayoi Kusama

For more books with a STEM focus, check out this blog. Or for more WMH books, click here.

Featured image: designed by TCEA staff

March 15, 2022 0 comments

Announcements/Important Dates English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Libraries

Celebrating Black History Month All Year Long

by Emily Horn February 2, 2022

written by Emily Horn

Literature is power. Regardless of genre. In fact, it is so powerful that throughout history, literature has invoked fear to the point of banning, burning, censorship, and more. Why is it so powerful? It represents. People, history, ideas, facts, theories, perspectives, realities. It challenges. Literature provides information that may align with our belief systems or contest them. It can offer differing and multiple perspectives, provoking questions and leading to searches for truth or deeper understanding. It transforms. Literature can generate a connection with and empathy for characters and people unlike ourselves, showing us that our reality is not everyone’s reality. And in doing so, it can change us dramatically from the inside out.

Literature provides an experience. And so, I challenge schools to extend Black History Month and provide students with the opportunity to be represented, challenged, and transformed through varied, rich literature representing Black individuals, narratives, families, communities, and history all year long.

But before diving into this, let’s take a look at why Black History Month is celebrated and the original vision.

The History of Black History Month

How Did Black History Month Start?

According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the roots of Black History Month started way back in 1915 with a man named Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D. Along with other African American exhibitors, Dr. Woodson participated in a three-week celebration in Chicago, Illinois, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the emancipation proclamation. The celebration included exhibits spotlighting the progress made by African Americans over the past 50 years. Dr. Woodson’s exhibit featured Black history. This experience led him to form an organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), now the ASALH, along with A.L. Jackson and three others, and to establish The Journal of Negro History in 1916. In 1924, in collaboration with his fraternity brothers in Omega Psi Ohi, the Negro Achievement Week was created, with significant outreach through the journal. Dr. Woodson desired greater impact, and in February of 1926, he publicized Negro History Week through a press release.

Why Is Black History Month in February?

Dr. Woodson chose February primarily due to tradition within the Black community since Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays were both widely celebrated in the community during this month. He wanted to build Negro History Week into pre-existing celebrations of Black history. But his underlying desire was to transform celebrations into a celebration of African Americans because he believed that the people created history, not just “great men.”

What Was the Response?

The response was overwhelming and led to the vast expansion of the ASNLH across the United States. However, Dr. Woodson fought against any commercialization or trivialization of Negro History Week since there were publications of non-scholarly works, “intellectual charlatans,” and those seeking to profit from public interest in Black history. And he pushed schools to use this week “to demonstrate what students learned all year.” The Black community slowly expanded the study of Black history in the 1940s by teaching it in schools. Freedom Schools in the south also incorporated it into the curriculum.

When Did Black History Month Celebrations Begin?

West Virginia celebrated Black History Month in February as early as the 1940s, and activist Frederick H. Hammaurabi began celebrating it in Chicago in the mid-1960s. By the late 1960s, college students led protests for the inclusion of Black Studies in universities, and there was an expansion of celebrations into the public. Additionally, there were calls for a month-long celebration by notable groups, universities, and communities.

When Was Black History Month Officially Recognized?

In 1976, the association started by Dr. Woodson replaced Negro history with Black history and moved from a week-long celebration to a month-long celebration. February 1976 was the first official Black History Month, proclaimed by President Gerald Ford, and every United States President has promoted the annual theme for Black History Month since the mid-1970s.

Literature for Black History Month

So in the spirit of Dr. Woodson’s vision for seeing the Black community, Black history, Black progress, and Black people celebrated throughout the year, I took to Twitter to ask educators, librarians, readers, and thought leaders for literature recommendations. I also perused some other great book lists to help with the compilation. Here are the results. Please note that books may be great for multiple grade levels. So explore! Don’t be afraid to take some pre-kindergarten picture books and put them in your second-grade classroom library or put books from early elementary in your fifth-grade classroom, for example. And be sure to read the books in advance. Mix it up and fill your school or classroom with a diverse array of powerful literature.

Mary Had a Little Glam 0+
Ari J.’s Kinky Curly Crown 2+
Antiracist Baby 2+
Homemade Love 2+
Lola Gets a Cat 2+
Mindful Mr. Sloth 2+
My Locs Are My Crown 2+
Please, Baby, Please 2+
Ada Twist, Scientist 3+
Hair Love 3+
Last Stop on Market Street 3+
The King of Kindergarten 3+
The World Is Awake 3+
All Are Welcome 4+
Ambitious Girl 4+
The Day You Begin 4+
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race 4+
I Can Be Anything, Don’t Tell Me I Can’t! 4+
Jabari Jumps 4+
Jazz on a Saturday Night 4+
Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You 4+
The Me I Choose To Be 4+
One Word from Sophia 4+
Rosa 4+
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul 4+
Sulwe 4+
Trombone Shorty 4+
The Stuff of Stars 4+
What Is Given from the Heart 4+

The ABCs of Black History 5+
All Because You Matter 5+
Child of the Civil Rights Movement 5+
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut 5+
Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon 5+
Ellen’s Broom 5+
Freedom in Congo Square 5+
Henry’s Freedom Box 5+
Before She Was Harriet 6+
Carter Reads the Newspaper 6+
Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks 6+
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams, Brought to Life 6+
The Great Migration: Journey to the North 6+
I Have A Dream 6+
It Jes’ Happened 6+
Keena Ford and the Second Grade Mix-Up 6+
Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration 6+
Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School 6+
Nina: A Story of Nina Simone 6+
Pies from Nowhere 6+
The Undefeated 6+
When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop 6+
William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad 6+
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water 7+
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore 7+
Hip Hop Speaks to Children 7+
The People Remember 7+

Black Boy Joy 8+
Black Brother, Black Brother 8+
Finding Langston 8+
Hidden Figures Young Reader’s Edition 8+
Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton 8+
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just 8+
The Women Who Caught the Babies 8+
Tristan Strong Series 8+
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library 8+
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre 8+
Bud, Not Buddy 9+
Blended 8+
Fast Pitch 8+
New Kid, Book 1 8 +
The Parker Inheritance 8+
Dough Boys 8+
Unbound: A Novel in Verse 8+
We Are Family 8+
Clean Getaway 9+
The Crossover 9+
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans 9+
Stella by Starlight 9+
The Mighty Miss Malone 9+
As Brave As You 10+
Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court 10+
Betty Before X 10+
Brown Girl Dreaming 10+
Elijah of Buxton 10+
Ghost Boys 10+
Ghost: Track, Book 1 10+
Harbor Me 10+
Hidden Figures 10+
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero 10+
Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box 10+
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks 10+
Tight 10+
Class Act New Kid, Book 2 10+
King and the Dragonflies 10+
The Last Day of Summer: Legendary Alston Boys, Book 1 10+
Ninth Ward 10+
The Lions of Little Rock 10+
The Watsons Go to Birmingham 10+
Zora and Me 10+

Biddy Mason Speaks Up 11+
Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy) 11+
March Forward Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine 11+
One Crazy Summer 11+
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 11+
Genesis Begins Again 11+
Home Is Not a Country 12+
How I Discovered Poetry 12+
In The Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives 12+
Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case 12+
March: Book One (Trilogy) 12+
Miles Morales: Spider-Man 12+
This Is My America 12+
Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People 12+
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You 12+
The Voting Booth 12+
All the Right Stuff 13+
All the Things We Never Knew 13+
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America 13+
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice 13+
Darius & Twig 13+
Dread Nation 13+
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry 13+
If It Makes You Happy 13+
Long Way Down: The Graphic Nove 13+
Me (Moth) 13+
Monster 13+
With the Fire on High 13+
The Hate You Give 13+
The Boy in the Black Suit 13+
The Poet X 13+
One of the Good Ones 13+
Piecing Me Together 13+
Pride 13+
Punching the Air 13+
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager 13+
The Right Side of Wreckless 13+
The Skin I’m In 13+
Watch Us Rise 13+

Black Boy 14+
Black Birds in the Sky 14+
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree 14+
Calling My Name 14+
Clap When You Land 14+
Concrete Rose 14+
Dear Martin 14+
Every Body Looking 14+
A Song Below Water 14+
Happily Ever Afters 14+
I Am Alfonso Jones 14+
Let Me Hear A Rhyme 14+
Monday’s Not Coming 14+
Monster: A Graphic Novel 14+
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 14+
The Black Kids 14+
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation 14+
On the Come Up 14+
Their Eyes Were Watching God 14+
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them 14+
The Sun Is Also a Star 14+
Slay 14+
X: A Novel 14+
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come 15+
Beloved 15+
Not So Pure and Simple 15+
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing 15+
The Color Purple 15+
The Underground Railroad 15+
Ace of Spades 16+
American Street 16+
Grown 16+
When You Look Like Us 16+

Additional Literature Resources

The Freedom Reads Book Club, through BreakFree Education, provides some fantastic and diverse novels for literature study each month. They also include free Teacher’s Companion Guides. This is an organization with a wonderful mission “to radically improve education in the juvenile and criminal justice systems by investing in the potential and dignity of all its students.” And everyone reading this article should head to their website when they finish!

San Jose Public Library published a great list of graphic novels featuring Black characters and narratives. I highly recommend taking a look and including these in your school or classroom library (if you’ve not already).

The Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) has published lists of all recipients of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards from 1970 to the present. There are also free, published discussion guides for 2009-2021. We are talking about phenomenal literary works here.

Social Justice Books has some really incredible resources, reviews by theme, and articles available. There are a number of book lists published celebrating multiculturalism and social justice for all ages. They also have a Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books that offers strong guidance.

Marley Dias is the 16 year old author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!. She is also the founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, which she started because she wanted to read more books with Black girls as main characters. She has now collected over 13,000 titles and offers 1,000 in her database, updated every three to six months. You can filter by author, title, and reading level to find some great books. What an amazing vision, and isn’t it great that she has taken action? I love this.

Louisiana Anti-Bias Education also has a great spreadsheet with literature broken down by grade-level band with notes. They also include a teacher resource tab with some excellent links to check out.

This list and the resources provided do not do justice to all the incredible Black and African American literature available. Give your students daily access to the power of this literature and let them experience it fully. Let’s embrace the realities of Black History and the Black and African American narrative and incorporate them all year long.

Want to look at more resources for Black History Month and beyond? Here are some additional TechNotes articles for you:

February 2, 2022 2 comments

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