November Close Reading Unit & Text Coding Sample for Teacher Freebie Friday

Hello Everybody! Can you believe this is the last Friday of October? I don't know about you but the last three months of the year always fly by. First there's Halloween, then there's Thanksgiving, and in a flash we celebrate Christmas. Please forgive me for such a long post. To see the Pin to Win scroll to the bottom.   

Today I'm linking up with the Teaching Blog Addict for Freebie Friday. 

I am so excited to share this freebie with you because it highlights my newest unit. Thursday I finished our November Close Reading Passage Unit. It's full of fun informational texts to celebrate the month of November. 

Mastering the "Close Reading" of informational texts is critical! Truly engaging for specific purposes is essential and we can't forget to revisit. Repetition of the same passage is a must!!! 

Why do you revisit? 

We revisit to change our focus. From author's purpose, to making inferences (what's the real message or a hidden message the author is trying to get across), to asking thick questions, or to learn a new subject and internalize or take ownership of a text. 

I don't know about you--- but last year I used the Veteran's Day holiday to prepare the reading packets I sent home with my students for the Thanksgiving Break. I have always sent my students home with a reading packet for each and every break. I wish I started making these units 10 years ago when I first started teaching. Everything would have been so much easier. The time I would've saved to spend with my own little ones. So, I also included a cover that you can use in class or for a take-home packet. 

I tried but I just couldn't show everything in the preview. There's soooooo much! 165 pages and "No Fluff". Just print and go! Every question is aligned! A full alignment page is included. 

I forgot to mention that I'm trying to include technology in my products. I'm also going back into my older units CONSTANTLY--- to modify, tweak, and make improvements. 

So with this unit all you have to do is click the title in the table of contents and there you are--- you are "magically" at the passage desired. No scrolling or searching. Saving you TIME! Oh how precious time is!!!

Click here to see the full unit. 

Want it? 

Pin any image above. 

Then leave me a comment telling me you want it and your "Pin" url along with your email in case you win. 

I will choose two winners soon and revisit this post to announce the winners. 

I forgot to mention--- if you pick it up now at 50% off and you win--- I will give you $15 in store credit as the full product price is $15. 

Above is a pic of what I am using immediately! 

It's the Mayflower portion of the unit. 

Update 10-26: Yashika and Lisa are the winners of the giveaway! 

Check your email girls! 

A big thank you to everyone who entered. I will remember your kindness forever! 

Common Core Foundational Skills: Phonics and Spelling Packet

Hello Everybody! Today I'm linking up with TBA for Freebie Friday and Doodle Bug's Five for Friday. Click the image to see the FREEBIE! It's a sample of the full units. 

We have two teenagers that go to two different high schools--- in two different cities. The afternoon/evening events can get pretty exhausting. We made the commitment this year to attend EVERYTHING. In the past we neglected many events to grade papers or prep for the upcoming day. No more! We are loving the hustle and bustle life is bringing us. It's just a tad bit overwhelming at times. Luckily we have a great computer--- thanks to TpT--- that I bring EVERYWHERE. Can you tell? 

   

 

This is a pic of our son's Homecoming Parade Finale. This was by far the best homecoming parade and party EVER! They gave out TONS of candy, had several floats, concerts, and even FIREWORKS! By the end of the homecoming celebration our daughter was quite set on attending our son's school next year or even later this year. She was in L-O-V-E! Not sure yet if we like the idea of her going to school in another city but we are certainly entertaining it. 

  

My daughter's cheer team and their pink pom-poms for October. This was at a home game on Thursday. 

I am beyond excited about our new Common Core Foundational Skills Spelling and Phonics Packet. There are two versions! Each has the same 25 custom made packet pages filled with prefix and suffix fun. Click the images to see more! Every page is aligned to Common Core Standards. A full alignment is in the product. Each page is tested for accuracy. A full answer key is also included. Here's our little guy testing it out! 

This best part about this unit is that there is absolutely NO PREP required!  

Version 1 

I decided to make this version because I know we all have different words we are using. I thought it would be nice for others to have an original template to use to create your own. This one is a zipped file containing the original power point and the above pdf. 

As with ALL new products both are 50% off for the first 48 hours of listing! 

Pin to Win Close Reading Winners

Congratulations to Toni N., Andrea L. and Mrs. Yazzie for winning the October Close Reading Unit. 

Thank you to everyone who entered! 

Here's what they will receive. 

Take a look at it by clicking here. 

Freebie Friday & Five for Friday Featuring: October Close Reading Unit

What a week! I've been beyond busy. How about you? Today I'm linking up with Charity Preston @ TBA for Freebie Friday and Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

Want the October Close Reading? All you need to do is Pin It to Win It! Pin any image below and just comment with your Pin Url and email address so I can get it to you. I will announce and send out the unit to 3 people on Saturday. Click here to go to the Freebie Sample of the product. Click here to see the full unit on TpT. 

Can I get a Whoop Whoop for my technology integration?!? 

I learned to embed page links so you won't need to scroll through. Just click and go straight to the page you want. 

Now to reflect on my week. 

I am blessed beyond words! I have the best mate anyone could ever ask for. My kids rock! My friends are the best! I am truly blessed!!! 

Gave our new puppy a name. It's nothing like the first names we came up with. In my house we are big fans of 80's movies. Okay, so have you ever watched the movie "The Never Ending Story"? In the movie Atreyu has a giant flying dog named Falkor. Well, our little puppy can run so fast that he looks just Falkor--- just a mini-version.

Swim meet for my son! He was first in two events and second in a relay. I am so proud of him! 

Home game for my daughter. Pink poms and socks! So cute but a long night! 

I plan to totally enjoy the weekend! Between the events we didn't get home until 8pm almost everyday this week. I'm pooped! 

In honor of our new puppy we plan to watch The Never Ending Story for Family Movie Night tonight! I can't wait!!! 

Manic Monday Teacher Freebie

Hello Everybody! Linking up with Charity Preston at Classroom Freebies for 

Manic Monday! 

Here's a Freebie from my 

2nd Grade Informational Text Unit. 

The full unit has 40 passages. 

Over 300 pages! 

In it you will find that each passage comes with and without border. The passage without the border is to be used for Close Reading procedures such as annotating in the margins and text coding. All of the passages are 2nd grade level (DRA 18-28) however can be used for any grade. High firsties or thirds needing remediation. The passages with the border makes super CUTE homework, center work, morning work, or any time work. 

What will you get?

40 Passages each with:

2 pages of text dependent questions

2 text evidence graphic organizers

Full answer key

The unit also comes with 20 pages of Close Reading tools.

Click here to go straight to the full product. 

Click the images below to go straight to the SAMPLE freebie! 

You can use these passages as assessments. 

How? Why? 

Because each question is aligned to the Common Core Standards. This unit focuses on RI.1, RI.2, RI.4. Other standards are addressed but those are the majority of them.

The two pages of text dependent questions have "Form A" and "Form B" written on the bottom right. This makes it easy for you to use for Standards Based Grading.

The standards are printed either right next to the question or at the top. The standard is printed at the top is when all the questions on that page align to that one standard. 

The full unit is full of engaging Informational Texts! 

Fun Friday

It's been a wonderful week in the Harrod household! 

Today I'm linking up with Doodlebugs because I love sharing, venting, and reflecting about my week.

I created a whole bunch of Freebies. 

Today I'm going to highlight one for the link up on Freebie Friday! 

Words can't express how much time goes into the things I share. The majority of the time spent is on researching. With that said, I decided to make this FREEBIE to demo a "sample" of what can be found in my Interactive Notebooks. 

With this FREEBIE I made an anchor chart to supplement any lesson on Text Features. 

 Here are some pictures of the inside of the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grade Notebooks.

Aligned to 2nd Grade Common Core Standards: Informational Text Only is this unit. I made it on Sunday. Well, I didn't make it Sunday but I finished it on Sunday. 

There are 40 passages aligned to 2nd grade.

Each passage has 2 pages of Text Dependent Questions and 2 graphic organizers. 

Full answer key is also included! 

20 Pages of Close Reading Tools from my Best Selling Close Reading Toolkit are also included. 

We graciously took over ownership of my newest best friend! I call him "Puppy". My son calls him "Mac" from the Predator movie. My daughter calls him "Winter". My oldest calls him "Beast". Really?!?

He's so good! I don't know where or how my boys thought up such crazy names. 

Here we are tubing! 

My brother who recently returned from Japan bought a tube. One of his buddies that also returned from Japan bought a boat. They took us out to a private lake in Jacksonville for a fun day! I was brave enough to get on boat but just couldn't muster the guts to get on the tube. This was our 2nd trip to Jax in the last month. The kids had a great time! 

Here they are just getting started! Fun, fun, fun!!! 

I would love to have a boat one day! 

It's homecoming week and having kids at different high schools is more work than I ever expected it to be. 

We had dress shopping! 

Decorations! 

A swim meet! 

Two football games! 

All the while, I was determined to make sure that we start spending what I call a "Quiet Hour" together. 

TV is off--- phones are put away--- No Xbox--- 

Bibles are on the dinner table and we all read! 

My youngest has to read aloud. 

I constantly make him stop, think, and reflect. 

He needs to improve his reading comprehension skills so, in addition to working on things I create--- I thought that this would be the best way to instill the Word yet get the much needed reading practice. We've tried this before and somehow it fizzled out. Perhaps things get so busy with school that we are simply forgetting the important things. My oldest boy can read the bible all day long. My girl--- well… Let me just say that I hope we are able to keep this going. We all need it!