The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents

Over the last few episodes, I’ve been covering several test-taking strategies in order to help prepare your students for the end-of-year standardized test. Unfortunately, most standardized tests are timed, so having efficient time management is so important for the success of their performance. Knowing how to pace themselves during a timed test is difficult for many students, which is why I’m sharing practical time management strategies that will help them feel confident and successful when taking a timed writing test.If we think about it, students struggle to manage their own time while working independently or with a peer on a group project, so why would we think their time management skills would be present during a standardized test? However, we can help improve this skill by implementing time management strategies consistently and early in order for them to take effect during any timed test. I share four easy strategies that you can easily incorporate during any content area or activity. Then, I take it one step further and give examples and different ways for your students to practice these strategies so they’re confident in using them during a big test.Using your time efficiently, whether it’s in the classroom or during your time spent at home, can be challenging for most students. But when you have the added pressure of performing at a high level on a standardized test, it can become even more challenging. However, by equipping your students with time management strategies, they will learn to efficiently manage their time during timed tests and feel confident while doing it. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode165Resources Mentioned:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Monthly Writing PromptsVocabulary Writing PromptsEpisode 164, Helping Students Manage and Overcome Test AnxietyEpisode 163, Response Ready: Tips for Helping Your Students Understand Writing PromptsEpisode 162, Mastering the Basics: Reinforcing Core Writing Skills Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

When it comes to preparing for a state standardized test, we tend to focus our energy and time on the content our students need to master in order to get a high-achieving score. We implement daily practice and review for weeks leading up to the test. However, one aspect that we don’t focus on but plays a big role in our students’ performances is test anxiety. In today’s episode, I’m providing you with a variety of information that will help students manage and overcome test anxiety.Test anxiety is the emotional component around testing, which can often be difficult to identify in students. Therefore, I’m sharing the signs of test anxiety, some of the major causes or factors that contribute to it, and strategies to help reduce this overwhelming feeling they have. Knowing these signs and factors can help you identify students early on, which will then provide them with the necessary strategies and tools to help them process and manage it to the best of their ability. Making sure your students are prepared academically to take the state standardized test is so important, but don’t forget to prepare them for the emotional role it can have on them as well. By addressing test anxiety directly, you will be supporting them by giving them the tools and strategies they need to feel confident and perform as their greatest selves. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode164Resources Mentioned:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Monthly Writing PromptsVocabulary Writing PromptsEpisode 163, Response Ready: Tips for Helping Your Students Understand Writing PromptsEpisode 162, Mastering the Basics: Reinforcing Core Writing Skills Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

I’m so passionate about writing and helping students develop their skills and become better writers. One aspect of writing that is often complex and difficult for students to master is learning how to understand and respond to writing prompts. This is a vital skill because it not only helps students with standardized tests, but it’s a task that can be used with any subject area. So in today’s episode, I’m exploring strategies for tackling and understanding writing prompts so students can effectively respond. In order for students to fully understand how to respond to writing prompts, there are several steps they need to work through and practice. I help give you the various tools students need to understand writing prompts, know the different types, a few brainstorming techniques, and finally, ways to plan out their responses. These tips might ask you to provide various resources and tools or models and practices for students to fully gain an understanding of how to respond to writing prompts. And since finding ways to seamlessly implement in your own classroom is a big focus for teachers, I also share three ways you can integrate these skills into your daily lessons.Making sure you intentionally prioritize the learning time and consistently is key to your students mastering and understanding writing prompts. This skill is utilized in more than just the subject of literacy, which is why I encourage you to make developing these skills a priority in your classroom. By doing so, your students will approach writing tasks during standardized tests and in other subject areas with a clear and strategic plan while improving their overall performance and confidence. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode163Resources Mentioned:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Monthly Writing PromptsVocabulary Writing PromptsEpisode 162, Mastering the Basics: Reinforcing Core Writing Skills Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Even though testing season isn’t here tomorrow, it is just around the corner and will be here before you know it. And instead of stressing and trying to prepare your students in a short amount of time, why not get started now? But whether you’re preparing students for a standardized test or wanting to work on different writing skills throughout the year, this episode is for you! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on different components of writing and sharing quick tips that will ultimately help your students. In this episode, I’m going back to the basics and sharing how to reinforce core writing skills.I have found that most students struggle with grammar skills, sentence structure, and paragraph organization, so each of the tips I share focuses on one of those three areas. With each new idea shared, I explain what it is, ways to integrate them into your classroom routines, and examples to show you what they look like. With minimal preparation and materials, you already have access to, and by consistently implementing these core writing skills into your daily routine, you will prepare your students for the test and improve their writing skills.These strategies support the core aspects of writing without additional resources or feeling like they’re too difficult to implement in your classroom. Stay tuned to next week’s episode, where I share more writing tips that help your students prepare for the standardized test without feeling the stress. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode162Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SampleQuick Write ActivitiesWould You Rather Writing ActivitiesDescriptive Writing Anchor ChartsPunctuation ChartsReading Response Sentence StemsConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been diving into the topic of student writing stamina. We’ve explored strategies to keep students engaged in writing, challenges students face while they’re writing, and how to build stamina through practices implemented in the classroom. By having all this background information and fresh new ideas on ways to keep them engaged, it’s time to create natural ways to increase the writing time of your students. So, in the last episode of our series, I’m sharing eight strategies that will gradually increase student writing time and the complexity of their work. As we talk about how to increase student writing time, it’s important to keep in mind that we’re striving for more than just length of time. This can also mean increasing the number of sentences a student writes, a specific amount of words in their writing, or the types of sentences a student incorporates into their written work. I share that the goals and level of your students determine what you increase during your students’ writing time. Each of the eight strategies is designed to increase the time, words, or sentences naturally and slowly over time. With each strategy, I also include specific examples and activities to use with each one to seamlessly implement in your literacy block. Knowing various ways to increase student writing time is going to ensure it’s a natural process as students work towards their own writing goals as it pertains to stamina. By incorporating these eight strategies that are simple and practical, with consistency in a structured, supportive and engaging manner, your students will begin to build their writing stamina and endurance. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode161Resources Mentioned:Daily Writing DisguiseCreative Writing ActivitiesMonthly Writing PromptsVocabulary Writing PromptsWriting Process Anchor Charts & ChecklistsEpisode 160, 4 Ways to Increase Writing EnduranceEpisode 159, Writing Stamina: 6 Challenges Students Face and How to Help ThemConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts

In last week’s episode, we learned that writing stamina is built over time and includes more than just an amount of time, but when students are actively engaged in a particular writing task. Since having writing stamina can be difficult for students, I wanted to create a series that provided teachers with strategies that improved a student’s writing stamina and developed their writing skills at the same time. So in the second episode in the series, I’m sharing four ways you can increase writing endurance within your students.In order to increase writing endurance within your students, several things are required from not only your students but yourself as the teacher. Knowing the role you play in increasing their endurance and developing their skills is going to help your students succeed and become independent writers. I share four ways what this can look like in your classroom or literacy block without taking up an extended amount of time or changing your entire curriculum. Getting your students to write in general can be challenging, but especially for an extended period of time while fully engaged. By implementing these strategies to increase writing endurance, you ensure that students will get the practice they need to positively grow their stamina and skills. Stay tuned to next week’s episode, the last in the series, on how to gradually increase the writing time and complexity of which your students are writing. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode160Resources Mentioned:Daily Writing DisguiseCreative Writing ActivitiesWriting Office FoldersWriting Reference HelpersWriting Process ChecklistsDescriptive Writing Anchor ChartsEpisode 159, Writing Stamina: 6 Challenges Students Face and How to Help ThemConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

I am passionate about literacy, especially finding creative and engaging ways to get students writing. However, none of that matters if their writing stamina is low. I know from my experience being in the classroom, that so many of my students didn’t have the writing endurance for longer pieces of writing, which meant I had to come up with ways to increase their stamina over time. In the first episode in a series about writing stamina, I’m sharing six writing stamina challenges and strategies that support them to increase their stamina.When I use the phrase "writing stamina", I’m referring to more than just duration, but having students maintain their writing quality and engagement throughout their writing session. I break down this into three components and discuss why they need to work together to increase a student’s writing stamina. But when it comes to writing, students always face difficulties. Therefore, I highlight six main writing stamina challenges, why or how it’s a challenge, and strategies to implement that support each challenge.Although making sure a student has good writing stamina might not seem like a big deal, it has an impact on their academic success. This includes standardized tests and their development of writing skills, which is why identifying students’ writing stamina challenges and understanding why it’s necessary to focus on is so important. Stay tuned to next week’s episode where I explore ways to build writing endurance with practical tips. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode159Resources Mentioned:Daily Writing Disguise Creative Writing Activities on TPTMonthly Writing PromptsVocabulary Writing PromptsDescriptive Writing Anchor ChartsConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Podcasts are one of the fastest growing platforms to gain information in a short amount of time. I obviously love the idea of podcasts and how it can reach so many people with a variety of topics. With the availability that it brings, there are so many opportunities to make listening to podcasts part of your daily life. I want to help you discover new podcasts, so in today’s episode, I’m sharing five teacher podcasts that you should be listening to in 2024. I personally love each of the teacher podcasts I’m sharing with you today. I’ve either been a guest on their podcast or they’ve been a guest on mine. Each of these podcasts uplift teachers while providing applicable strategies and tips you can use in your classrooms. After introducing each host behind the podcast, I give a target audience, and a brief summary of a must listen-to episode of theirs. There are so many teacher podcasts out there, which is why I wanted to give you a list of five top-notch ones to add to your list. Listening to podcasts directed toward teacher topics is an easy way to gain fresh ideas and ways to streamline your classroom management. So be sure to add these teacher podcasts to make your classroom in 2024 fresh and engaging! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode158Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerThe Literacy Lounge PodcastTeacher Approved PodcastWife Teacher Mommy PodcastThe Resilient Teacher PodcastConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Over the last month I’ve been sharing different ways you can engage your students in that helps develop their simple sentences into more detailed and complex sentences. With this being the final episode in the series, I’m finally covering my favorite way to bring writing to life, which is by using sensory details to create sensory storytelling. Using sensory details in your writing engages the reader and paints a clear and vivid picture in your reader’s mind. The way it creates an image is by using descriptive elements that speak to our senses, which are hear, smell, taste, sight, and touch. With this being the target goal for every writer, I dive into the precise steps you need to take in your classroom to best teach this form of descriptive writing. I also share sample sentences you can use directly with your students to show how to add sensory details that bring their writing to life.It’s no question why this form of descriptive writing is my absolute favorite. By adding sensory details to create sensory storytelling, you are creating an immersive experience for the reader that paints a picture as if they were living it. After listening to this sentence expansion series, I hope it encourages and shows you simple yet effective ways to add details to simple sentences. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode157Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerDescriptive Writing Charts Bundle Writing Reference HelperEpisode 156, Enhancing Sentences with Prepositions [Sentence Expansion Series]Episode 155, Joining Forces: Combining Sentences with Conjunctions (Sentence Expansion Series)Episode 154, Make Writing Come to Life with the 5Ws and H Strategy [Sentence Expansion Series]Episode 153, Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series]Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

We are now well into our series on how to enhance simple sentences using a variety of descriptive strategies. What I love about each new idea is that these are grammar concepts you teach your students, but now you’re able to dive deeper and use them in a whole new way. In today’s episode, I’m sharing another strategy which is using prepositions to enrich simple sentences.Simply put, prepositions are words that show the relationship between elements in a sentence. While there are over 150 prepositions that we use, there are only a handful that are most commonly used in our language. Not only do I share the most common, but I also provide the different types of prepositions. Knowing the different types is important because it shows how to properly use prepositions in writing that add context and depth to otherwise simple sentences. In order to implement successfully, I provide the exact steps and sample examples for using prepositions with your students in your own classroom.Prepositional phrases offer a way to add layers of meaning, context, and depth to basic sentences, which is another strategy you can add to your toolbox from this series. At first you may not have connected using prepositions to enhance sentences, but after this episode, you can definitely see the connection!Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode156Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerDescriptive Writing Charts Bundle Writing Reference HelperEpisode 155, Joining Forces: Combining Sentences with Conjunctions (Sentence Expansion Series)Episode 154, Make Writing Come to Life with the 5Ws and H Strategy [Sentence Expansion Series]Episode 153, Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series]Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been discussing different strategies that help with sentence expansion. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the third strategy in this series. Just like the previous two strategies, you might have already talked about and taught this particular skill, but I challenge you to intentionally have your students use it in their writing. Using conjunctions to combine sentences is the topic I’m discussing today, along with the different types and ways to use them in student writing. So we’re on the same page, conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, and clauses together. For students to have success using conjunctions to expand their sentences, they need to have an understanding of what they are and what each conjunction means. Therefore, I highlight three different types of conjunctions and further explain their purpose and examples on how to use them when combining sentences. Just like with the other two strategies, I provide action steps on how to implement in your classroom, along with sample sentences you can directly use with your students. In wanting students to develop and grow in sentence writing, using conjunctions is the perfect way to achieve that. Conjunctions combine ideas and allow for more complex expression and communication when speaking or in written form. After today’s episode, using conjunctions is another strategy you can use with your students to help expand their sentences. Stay tuned to next week’s episode for another strategy to add to your toolbox! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode155Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerDescriptive Writing Charts Bundle Writing Reference HelperEpisode 154, Make Writing Come to Life with the 5Ws and H Strategy [Sentence Expansion Series]Episode 153, Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series]Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

This series is all about how to easily get students to expand their sentences by adding details to their basic sentences. Last week’s strategy was all about adding the 2 A’s, adjectives and adverbs, to create a story and description. But today’s strategy also serves a greater purpose than just sentence expansion. In today’s episode, I’m discussing how to add the 5Ws and H strategy to your students’ sentence writing.When students write their initial simple sentence, adding in the 5Ws and H strategy helps add information, depth, context, and interest to their sentence. It requires students to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how about the subject. To assist in implementing in your classroom, I provide four main steps and one additional step that you can easily use with your students to model and practice the 5Ws and H strategy. Additionally, I share three examples that you can put into action when implementing during your writing block.Not only will students expand their sentences with this strategy, but it also serves the purpose of thinking, questioning, and understanding on how to add details and information. If your students are struggling on how to add details to their sentences, this 5Ws and H strategy can be easily used by your students today! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode154Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerDescriptive Writing Charts Bundle Writing Reference HelperEpisode 153, Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series]Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Happy New Year, my friends! Let's jump-start 2024 with some practical and easy strategies to expand student sentences. At the beginning of the year, our goal is for students to write a complete sentence, but our goal at the end of the year is for them to add meaningful details to those sentences. And while that might seem challenging, I’ve come up with easy ways to make this achievable for your students.Since I really want you to listen, understand, and actively try the strategies I’m sharing, in this series on sentence expansion, I’m going to be sharing one strategy per episode. This will give you an opportunity to process and implement during your school week before trying another. So in the first episode of this series, I’m sharing how using adjectives and adverbs helps with expanding sentences in student writing.This simple strategy has a great impact that provides students with concrete ways to add details to their otherwise plain sentences. In order for you to effectively implement this in your classroom, I share an easy five-step process that involves using student sentences as examples and discussions to evaluate the difference. Additionally, I share examples of how to put expanding sentences into practice.As literacy teachers, we truly want our students to enjoy writing and have their writing come to life and the only way to do that is by adding details to paint a picture. By adding more adjectives and adverbs, students will be expanding sentences independently which ultimately improves their writing. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode153Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerDescriptive Writing Charts Bundle Writing Reference HelperConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

With this being the last week of 2023, I wanted to take an opportunity to share some reflections I’ve had from this past year. I’ve been open on this podcast about certain things I went through, even resulting in me taking a break from this podcast. With that experience, along with other personal and work related things, I wanted to share some end of year inspiration with you. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 25 takeaways from 2023 that hopefully you can use going forward in the new year.When I reflected on the year, I didn’t realize all that I accomplished, learned or adapted to in just one year. Each of my 25 takeaways involve personal and professional growth, ways to take breaks, how to find you authentic community and support, and focusing on the positivity and joy in your life. By sharing my list, I hope to encourage you to make your own list that gives you some end of year inspiration as you embark on another year in 2024! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode152Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerEpisode 140, The Return: Where Have I Been?Connect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

We discuss all the time the difficulty that students have when it comes to writing and getting their ideas out on paper. But now imagine English isn’t your first language. The challenge now becomes greater, but there’s a way to meet their needs. This is through using scaffolds with your writing. In a special episode from Beth Vaucher of the Equipping ELLs podcast, she’s sharing how to use different scaffolding strategies with all language levels.Beth is an expert in strategies, resources, and tips for meeting the diverse needs of your English language learners. She walks you through three effective scaffolding strategies and how to take one standard and modify the scaffold to support all five language levels. While you have probably heard of these scaffolding strategies before, it’s important to build up your toolbox in order to effectively support your students in the area of writing. When you become an expert in these scaffolding strategies, you can start applying them in any language group you’re working with so they can start interacting with the materials. Beth does a great job at sharing the practical application of each scaffolding strategy so you can effectively use with all five language levels if they exist in your classroom and modify them to meet the needs of your students. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode151Resources Mentioned:Vocabulary Writing Prompts SamplerFREEBIE: Using Scaffolds to Support Your ELLsEpisode 31, Writing Strategies to Support Your ELL Students with Beth VaucherConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here