Common Sense Media
ABC Searching
Learners explore English by completing an interactive computer activity. In this alphabet lesson, students research the Internet to create a picture dictionary which they share with classmates. Learners locate digital images of words...
Curated OER
Stepping Stones
Students listen to stories read aloud. They examine a work of art by a known artist. Students take a picture using the digital camera. They listen as the teacher reads "Where the Wild Things Are." Students compare and contrast the...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Fluency Letter Wheel
Young scholars spin their way to letter sound fluency. While tomes, pairs spin a spinner and make the sound of the letter on which it lands. They add a counter to their cup for each sound they make correctly. At the end of the game,...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter Recognition, Speedy Alphabet Arc
On your mark, get set, match! Learners use a complete set of letters, matching each to its outlined letter on an arc. As they choose letters, they name them aloud. For added difficulty, another arc is missing most of its letters to...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Letter Recognition: Tap Stack
Practice letter recognition using this fun alphabet game! Focusing on a suggested six target letters, this partner activity has learners saying and recognizing letter names as quickly as possible. Using a randomly chosen letter as the...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Make a Match
A memory activity engages young learners in letter-sound correspondence. Pairs take turns examining two sets of cards lying face down. They flip one image card and one letter card, then name the initial sound. If the sounds match, pupils...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Letter Flash
Scholars work in pairs to drill and practice alphabet sounds, keeping track of their progress on a chart. Working one at a time, each partner flips letter cards, saying the sound and letter. If they get it correct, it goes in the YES...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Letter-Sound Mix-Up
Scholars time each other as they work through a sheet of all 26 letters. They test each other to see how many letters sounds they can identify in one minute.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Speedy Rime Words
Learners time each other as they read as many rime words as possible.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Word Relay
Peers take turns timing each other for one minute and reading as many high-frequency cards as possible.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Fast Match
Here is an interesting take on the old timed-fluency activity. In pairs, learners work together to see how fast they can read two sets of high-frequency words. Peer one reads a word from his list; peer two works fast to find that word in...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Fast Words
Taking turns, pre-readers time each other as they read high-frequency words.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, I Read, You Point
Learners read as many high-frequency words as possible in a given amount of time. Peer one reads a word from a list, and peer two points to the corresponding word as they are seen on the table. This activity is timed and peer evaluated.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Word Climb
Just like climbing a mountain, little learners read to reach the top. They take turns picking high-frequency word cards, reading them, then matching them to the words on their mountain worksheet. They race to reach the top of the...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Speedy Phrases
Pairs help each other with reading fluency using phrase flashcards! Learners take turns reading short phrases aloud. They have one minute to read as many correctly as possible while their partner sorts the cards into a yes or no pile. At...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Repeated Timed Reading
There are many different ways to build accuracy and fluency when reading. This exercise employs repetition and timed drills to get the job done. Learners time each other as they read a passage, recording each other's time and accuracy.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Pass the Word
Learners time each other as they read as many high-frequency words as possible in one minute. Peers record progress.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Word Sprint
Using a set of high-frequency word flashcards, partners time each other to see how many words they can read in one minute. They place correctly read words in a yes pile and incorrectly in a no pile. Once a minute is up, partners count...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Word Speed Practice
Taking turns, learners time each other as they read a list of high-frequency words and track progress.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Phrases, Fleeting Phrases
An activity boosts readers' fluency in reading common phrases and idioms. Peers time one another and track their progress using phrase cards and record sheets.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Words, Quick Sort
Peers work together to boost fluency by timing each other as they read and sort multisyllabic words. Record sheets keep track of participants' progress.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Word Parts, Speedy Syllables
Prefixes, affixes, roots, and word parts are the focus of a lesson designed to boost scholars' speed and accuracy. Peers work collaboratively to time one another while reading word cards. Answers, scores, and times are recorded to track...
Curated OER
Creating a How To Book
Third graders investigate "How To" books by watching a "How To" video and looking at books in the media center. They make a class "How To" book with a title page, table of contents, individual student pages, and graphics which they make...
Curated OER
Ready, Set, Action!
Fifth graders explore sequential dramatization through children's literature. In this drama lesson, 5th graders act out and record scenes using digital and video cameras. Students create a digital poster using pictures from their scenes.