Scholastic teaching resources mini file folder centers in color reading writing grades 1 3

Mini Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR Reading descriptive words, and more! Reading & Writing Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources T Grades 2–3 12 Irresistible and Easy-to-Make Centers That Help Students Practice by Betty Jo Evers and Strengthen Important Reading and Writing Skills Pocket-Folder Centers in Color: Reading Grades 2–3 ISBN: 0-545-13035-2 T h e M o s t Tr u s t e d N a m e I n L e a r n i n g® www.scholastic.com Just cut and fold stand ard file folders fo r instant c enters! This book is dedicated to my husband, David (educator and secondary school administrator), who has provided consistent support and encouragement throughout my teaching career Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Without his guidance, my life as a teacher, presenter, and writer would not have been possible Scholastic Inc grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 Edited by Immacula A Rhodes Cover design by Jason Robinson Interior design by Solas Cover and interior illustrations by Teresa Anderko, Maxie Chambliss, and Rusty Fletcher ISBN-13: 978-0-545-17693-4 ISBN-10: 0-545-17693-X Copyright © 2010 by Betty Jo Evers Illustrations © 2010 by Scholastic Inc Published by Scholastic Inc All rights reserved Printed in China 10 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Contents About This Book What’s Inside Making & Using the Mini File-Folder Centers What the Research Says Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Meeting the Language Arts Standards Mini File-Folder Centers Owl’s Wonder Words (synonyms) Antonym Antics (antonyms) 14 Prefix Mix (prefixes) 18 Scoring With Suffixes (suffixes) 22 Compound Words Playground (compound words) 27 Plural Nouns on Parade (irregular noun plurals) 32 Cool Contractions (contractions) 36 Doggy-Bone Word Sort (nouns and verbs) 41 Shopping for Syllables (syllables) 45 Build a Yummy Burger (sequencing) 49 Fruity Fun With Sensory Words (describing) 53 Fact Fill-In (summarizing) 57 About This Book As teachers, we realize that students learn at different times and in different ways The desire to help every student succeed leads us to research, learn, and gather information to make teaching as effective as possible We are constantly in search of ideas and materials that capture students’ interest and motivate them to engage in independent reading and writing activities Mini File-Folder Centers in Color: Reading & Writing, Grades 2–3 was created for just this purpose Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources In the 3rd edition of Best Practice: Today’s Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools by Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde, (Heinemann, 2005), the authors remind us that, “A room with centers offers kids variety in the day, a chance to engage content actively, natural occasions for quiet talk, opportunities for spontaneous collaboration, and the responsibility for making choices.” The classroomtested learning centers in this book give students a fun, engaging way to practice and build skills that help them meet the language arts standards, including the Big Five—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency—the essential components in the Reading First Program guidelines identified in the No Child Left Behind Act (See “What the Research Says” and “Meeting the Language Arts Standards,” page 8, for more.) In addition, the unique mini file-folder format appeals to kids of all learning styles, while the self-checking activities encourage independence and lend support to students who need extra help in reading and writing The mini centers are a snap to set up and store: Just cut out the templates, glue them inside file folders that have been cut in half and folded into quarters, and you’ve got twelve instant centers! The activities are designed to reinforce students’ reading and writing skills and include topics such as synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, suffixes, compound words, parts of speech, sequencing, and more And they make a great classroom management tool—whether used as anchor activities or sponge activities (exercises that support learning by giving students opportunities to practice, reinforce, or extend skills they already know)— the centers are perfect for individual or partner work, as well as for smallgroup instruction What’s Inside Everything you need for the mini file-folder centers is included in this resource Each center activity includes the following: ] an introductory page for the ] a label with the title of each teacher that shows how the center for the file-folder tab center is assembled ] a pocket to attach to the front ] a list of materials needed to of the file folder for storing the prepare and use the activity activity cards Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources ] step-by-step assembly directions ] colorful templates to glue to the inside of the folder ] extension activities, including writing activities that continue ] directions that explain to reinforcing students’ skills students how to use the center and interest ] activity cards ] an answer key Making the Mini File-Folder Centers Follow these easy directions to prepare the mini file folders and assemble the centers How to Prepare the Mini File Folders Cut each extended-tab file folder in half horizontally Open the folders Then fold the left side of each mini file folder toward the center fold Fold it to the right two more times When finished, you’ll have a foldout mini file folder that’s divided into four sections by the folds Materials first fold second fold *  extended-tab file folders (in a variety of colors, if available) * * scissors * craft knife third fold  glue stick or rubber cement Assembling the Mini File-Folder Centers Glue the center label onto the file-folder tab With the tab of the folded folder at the right, glue (or tape) the pocket to the front Glue only along the top, bottom, and left edges of the pocket, leaving the right side open to serve as the pocket opening (Note: Instead of a pocket, a front label is provided for Fruity Fun With Sensory Words, page 97, and Fact Fill-In, page 105.) Glue the answer key to the back of the file folder Open the folder and glue the three templates and directions to the inside sections (Glue the directions to the far-right section.) Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Laminate the assembled folder and activity cards for durability After laminating, use a craft knife to carefully slit open the pocket Assembly Tips efore cutting the * Bactivity cards apart, make additional color or black-and-white copies to have on hand in case pieces are lost Answer Key (back of folder) o help students keep * Tthe activity cards in place when using a center, you might affix self-adhesive Velcro® dots to the inside of the folder and on the back of each card Template Pocket Opening Pocket (front of folder) Template Template bee flower worm Directions snake bumb le Cards Label Using the Mini File-Folder Centers ] Before introducing the centers to students, conduct mini-lessons to review the reading concepts used in each center ] Model for students how to use each center ] Store the mini file-folder activities in a learning center and encourage students to use them for independent learning activities before or after school, during Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources center or free-choice time, when they have finished other tasks, or while you work with other individuals or small groups One Step Further Sharing learning is a key component in using the mini file-folder centers After students complete an activity, provide the time and opportunity for them to share their responses with a friend, partner, small group, or the entire class When students share what they learn with others, they get further practice in applying their reading and writing skills as they also build vocabulary, communication, and social skills ] Keep a supply of pencils, markers, and paper available with the centers Have students complete a writing component for each activity Some center directions specifically include a step that involves writing, and you’ll find additional writing activities in the Extending the Activities section for each center ] When students complete a center, invite them to share their work, including the writing component, with others Afterward, you might have them place their writing sample in a specified location You can use their work to track progress and assess skills ] Keep the centers handy for use as quick assessments or for volunteer tutors to use as instructional tools ] Send the mini file-folder centers home with students to give them extra practice and to encourage family involvement in their learning Storage Tip A small shoebox makes an ideal storage container for your mini file-folder centers You might reinforce the corners of the box and lid with strapping tape for durability, then cover both with decorative paper or vinyl To prepare for use, set the box inside the lid Then stand the folders tab end up in the box so students can easily see the labels to find the center they’ll work with For storage after the school year, lay the centers flat in the box and place the lid on top What the Research Says In their book, In a Reading State of Mind: Brain Research, Teacher Modeling, and Comprehension Instruction (International Reading Association, 2008), Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp note that “The more we practice new information, the more familiar the information in the neuronal pathway becomes and the less difficulty we have with retrieval and related learning This is why it’s so important to provide time for students to practice any new learning that you’re modeling Without this practice and use, the brain will prune this information, which it views as Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources irrelevant It will so to make space for the next new learning to occur.” Meeting the Language Arts Standards Connections to the McREL Language Arts Standards Connections to the Reading First Program Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, has compiled and evaluated national and state standards—and proposed what teachers should provide for their Grades 2–3 students to grow proficient in reading The activities in this book support the following standards: The activities in this book are also designed to support you in implementing the Reading First Program, authorized by the U.S Department of Education’s No Child Left Behind Act The National Reading Panel has identified the five key areas of reading instruction as follows: Reading  ses the general skills and strategies of the reading U process including: • Uses basic elements of structural analysis (syllables, basic prefixes, suffixes, root words, compound words, spelling patterns, contractions) to decode unknown words • Understands level-appropriate sight words and vocabulary, including synonyms and antonyms Writing Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process: • Uses strategies to organize written work (uses a sequence of events) • Uses writing to describe familiar persons, places, objects, or experiences Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing: • Uses descriptive language to convey, clarify, and enhance ideas • Uses declarative sentences in writing Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions including: • Writes in complete sentences • Uses pronouns, nouns, verbs, and adjectives in writing • Uses contractions, roots, suffixes, and prefixes in spelling • Uses conventions of capitalization and punctuation in writing Source: Kendall, J S., & Marzano, R J (2004) Content knowledge: A compendium of standards and benchmarks for K-12 education Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning Online database: http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/ Phonemic Awareness The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes— the sounds of spoken language Phonics Development The ability to understand the predictable relationship between phonemes and graphemes—the letters and spellings that represent those sounds in written language—that helps readers recognize familiar words accurately and automatically and to decode unfamiliar words Vocabulary Development The ability to store information about the meanings and pronunciation of words necessary for communicating, including vocabulary for listening, speaking, reading, and writing Fluency The ability to read text accurately and quickly that allows readers to recognize words and comprehend at the same time Comprehension The ability to understand and gain meaning from material read Source: Guidance for the Reading First Program (U.S Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2002) Skill: XXXXXXXX Skill: Synonyms Owl’s Wonder Words How to Assemble Cut out the mini file-folder label, pocket, and Materials answer key on page 11 Glue the label onto the * pages 11–17 * foldout mini file folder * scissors * glue file-folder tab Then glue the top, bottom, and left edges of the pocket to the front of the folder Glue Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources the answer key to the back of the folder 2 Cut out the three templates, directions, and word cards on pages 13, 15, and 17 Open the file folder and glue each template and the directions to the inside sections, as shown When the center is not in use, store the cards in the pocket on the front of the folder Extending the Activity To extend learning, instruct children to the following: ] Add the words from this center to their personal dictionary or thesaurus ] Write a sentence with each word on the barns Then rewrite the sentence, replacing the word with one of its synonyms Template Template Label Template Answer Key (back of folder) large ed exclaim fantastic Directions chuckle present sprint Cards Pocket (front of folder) said: exclaimed, muttered, stated look: glance, glare, stare little: small, tiny, wee big: enormous, huge, large sad: gloomy, miserable, unhappy really: actually, certainly, truly good: excellent, fantastic, great bad: evil, mean, rotten Right: run: gallop, race, sprint laugh: chuckle, giggle, snicker happy: cheery, glad, pleased give: donate, present, share Middle: Left: Label Owl’s Wonder Words Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Owl’s Wonder Words Answers Answers Owl’s Wonder Words • Pocket Owl’s Wonder Words 10 Middle: invite jacket mitten over Left: after before cement happy upper today summer party Right: Label Shopping for Syllables Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Shopping for Syllables Answers Answers Shopping for Syllables • Pocket Shopping for Syllables 46 47 Shopping for Syllables in jack mit ov be ce hap Template af Template Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Template Directions Directions Take out the cards Say each syllable on the bags This is the first syllable of a word Check the cards to find the syllable that completes each word Place that card on the blue box par Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Check your answers sum Write each complete word on a sheet of paper to up Syllable Cards fore ment py vite et ten er ty mer day per Shopping for Syllables ter 48 Skill: XXXXXXXX Skill: Sequencing Build a Yummy Burger How to Assemble Cut out the mini file-folder label, pocket, and Materials answer key on page 91 Glue the label onto the * pages 91–95 * foldout mini file folder * scissors * glue file-folder tab Then glue the top, bottom, and left edges of the pocket to the front of the folder Glue Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources the answer key to the back of the folder 2 Cut out the three templates, directions, and food cards on pages 93 and 95 Open the file folder and glue each template and the directions to the inside sections, as shown When the center is not in use, store the cards in the pocket on the front of the folder Extending the Activity To extend learning, instruct children to the following: ] Use the sentence frames from this activity to write about how to make another kind of sandwich, such as a turkey sandwich, or a hot dog ] Write directions to tell how to make their favorite food Template Template Label Template Answer Key (back of folder) lettuce bun Directions pickles bite ketchup Cards Pocket (front of folder) 49 Answers will vary Label Build a Yummy Burger Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Build a Yummy Burger Answers Answers Build a Yummy Burger • Pocket Build a Yummy Burger 50 51 Build a Yummy Burger • First, take a Then, put on the Template Template and Next, add Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources , , Template Directions Directions Take out the cards Read each food card Choose the items that you would use to make a hamburger Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Finally, take a big Read the sentences Place the foods in the sentences Put them in the correct order to make a hamburger 5 Copy the sentences onto a sheet of paper Yum! Yum! Food Cards meat cheese lettuce tomato pickles ketchup mustard mayonnaise Build a Yummy Burger • bun bite 52 Skill: XXXXXXXX Skill: Describing Fruity Fun With Sensory Words How to Assemble Cut out the mini file-folder tab label, front label, and answer key on page 99 Glue the tab label Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources onto the file-folder tab Then glue the front label to the front of the folder Glue the answer key to the back of the folder 2 Cut out the three templates and directions on pages 101 and 103 Open the file folder and glue each template and the directions to the inside sections, as shown Materials * pages 99–103 * foldout mini file folder * scissors * glue Extending the Activity To extend learning, instruct children to the following: ] Fold a piece of paper in half Draw a happy face Tip A front label (instead of a pocket) is on the left side of the fold and a sad face on the provided for this center Glue all edges right side Then list the fruits that they like under the of the label to the front of the file folder happy face and those they don’t like under the sad face ] Make a list of additional fruits Choose one of the fruits and write a few sentences to describe it Template Template Label Template Answer Key (back of folder) Directions Pocket (front of folder) 53 Answers will vary Fruity Fun With Sensory Words Tab Label Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Fruity Fun With Sensory Words Answers Answers Fruity Fun With Sensory Words • Front Label Fruity Fun With y Words r o s n e S 54 55 pear orange peach banana Template Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources strawberries grapes Template Fruity Fun With Sensory Words cherries pineapple Template Directions Directions Name each kind of fruit Choose the fruit you like best Draw a picture of that fruit on a sheet of paper Describe the fruit Write sentences to answer these questions: blueberries Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources How does it look? apple How does it taste? How does it smell? How does it feel? watermelon Fruity Fun With Sensory Words lemon 56 Skill: XXXXXXXX Skill: Summarizing Fact Fill-In How to Assemble Cut out the mini file-folder tab label, front label, and answer key on page 107 Glue the tab label onto the file-folder tab Then glue the front label to the front of the folder Glue the answer key to the Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources back of the folder 2 Cut out the three templates and directions on pages 109 and 111 Open the file folder and glue each template and the directions to the inside sections, as shown Extending the Activity To extend learning, instruct children to the following: Materials * pages 107–111 * foldout mini file folder * scissors * glue * wipe-off pen * paper towels ] Choose another insect to compare to those on the insect chart Write about what they learned Repeat for the farm animal and ocean animal charts ] Choose two zoo animals and compare them Write what they learned about the animals Tips • A front label (instead of a pocket) is provided for this center Glue all edges of the label to the front of the file folder • After they complete the center, have children use a paper towel to erase their writing on the file folder Template Label Template Answer Key (back of folder) Template Directions Pocket (front of folder) 57 Right: Middle: Left: Answers Fact Fill-In • yes yes no no yes no no yes yes no yes yes Fact Fill-In Answers yes no no yes yes yes yes no no Tab Label Fact Fill-In Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Front Label i F l l t In c a F 58 59 Fact Fill-In • Insect Template How many legs? Does it have wings? Does it sting? Farm Animal Template How many legs? Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Does it have hair? Does it have a tail? Template Ocean Animal Directions Does it have a shell? Does it have fins? Does it have legs? Directions Choose a chart Fill in the answers with a wipe-off pen Check your answers Compare the animals on the chart Mini File-Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Summarize what you learned about the animals Write your summary on a sheet of paper Fact Fill-In • Repeat for the other two charts 60 ... students’ interest and motivate them to engage in independent reading and writing activities Mini File- Folder Centers in Color: Reading & Writing, Grades 2 3 was created for just this purpose Mini File- Folder. .. Mini File- Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources Meeting the Language Arts Standards Mini File- Folder Centers Owl’s... Suffixes • 3rd Template HO ME 2nd (more) -er 1st 3rd Template Mini File- Folder Centers in COLOR: Reading & Writing © Evers, Scholastic Teaching Resources HO M E 2nd (in the process of) -ing 1st Template