Category: Language Arts

Categories
Electronic Resources English French Language Arts Planning for Teaching and Learning Spanish

Open Access Electronic Resources

Below is a list of resources that are available online and are free to access for everyone.

Global Storybooks

Grades: K-4. This global project provides free access to illustrated and interactive stories from around the world. Includes access to Storybooks Canada and Indigenous Storybooks. 

Classic Books: Read.gov (Library of Congress)

Grades: K-5. Over 50 classic children’s books available for free online. Books in the collection include Peter Rabbit, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and more.

Unite for Literacy

Grades: K-5. A large selection of digital picture books which include narration. Narration is available in numerous languages including English, French, Tagalog, Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, and more.

Scholastic Learn at Home

Grades: K-9. Scholastic has prepared five learning journeys a week for students. Each learning journey is based on a specific theme and includes a video of a story to watch, a book to read, and relevant activities. New learning journeys will be released weekly. See also, Scholastic’s Things to Do portal which has a variety of games, quizzes, activities, videos, discussion guides, and more.

UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach

Grades: K-12. UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach is a non-profit organization organized and operated by UBC students that aims to promote science, engineering, and technology to youth across British Columbia. Their new online learning site has resources for families and teachers, including live-stream daily activities, online events on Saturdays, weekly homework club, virtual workshops, one on one online teaching support, and more.

Keep Learning 

Grades: K-12. This website was created by the BC Ministry of Education to offer parents and caregivers resources to support students’ learning at home. The site includes tips and tricks, activity ideas with curriculum connections, daily activity ideas, additional resources, and more.

Lit2Go

Grades: 8-12+. A large collection of free audiobooks which includes short stories, poetry, and full length novels.

Categories
Accessibility Diversity and Diverse Learners French Inclusive Classroom Indigenous Literature and Education Language Arts

Livres d’images autochtones en français – French Indigenous Picture Books

Below are a number of picture books by Indigenous writers and illustrators that are primarily in French.

Vous trouverez ci-dessous un certain nombre de livres d’images d’auteurs et d’illustrateurs autochtones, principalement en français.

La pirogue de Shin-chi,

texte de Nicola I. Campbell, illustrations de Kim La Faye, traduction de Diane Lavoie

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 2 – 10

Shi-shi-etko s’apprête à retourner au pensionnat indien pour une deuxième année, cette fois-ci accompagnée de son petit frère de six ans, Shin-chi. Elle lui remet une pirogue de cèdre miniature, cadeau symbolique de leur père qui représente tout ce dont Shin-chi doit se souvenir et garder secret.

Le caillou de guérison de Trudy,

texte de Trudy Spiller; illustrations de Jessika von Innerebner.

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): Préscolaire – 1 (PreK-1)

Trudy Spiller est membre de la Nation Gitxsan de la Colombie-Britannique et appartient à la maison de Gwininitxw du clan du loup. Lugaganowals, le nom traditionnel de Trudy, signifie « une grenouille qui prend toujours appui ou qui donne toujours ». Trudy aide les familles à grandir et à se nourrir en partageant ses connaissances de la médecine, de la nourriture, de l’habillement et des pratiques autochtones.

Les families du Nunavik,

texte de(titiraqtuq/writer) France Paquin; illustrations de(titiqtugaqtuq/illustrator) Julie Rémillard-Bélanger; traduction en inuttitut de Sarah Beaulne.

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 1 – 3

Présentation élémentaire des principaux spécimens de la faune arctique, du lemming à l’homme, excluant la faune aquatique. — De gentilles aquarelles. Peu d’informations. Un point marquant, le texte dans les deux langues.

 Minnow: la fille qui est devenue mi-poisson

texte de (writer) Willie Poll; illustrations de (illustrator) Bailey Macabre.

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 1 – 5

“Minnow, une jeune autochtone, protectrice des eaux, entreprend un voyage sous l’eau où elle en apprend de notre famille qui vit dans l’océan. Quand elle retourne à la surface, elle rassemble sa communauté pour aider à apporter des changements. Cette histoire est racontée en rimes lyriques et aide les enfants à mieux respecter les gens qui protègent les eaux et les terres autochtones, l’environnement et le monde qui les entoure. Elle aide à faire découvrir l’activisme aux enfants tôt dans leur vie.”

Héros autochtones/Anishinaabewi-Ogichidaag,

Les langues(Languages):Anishinaabe and French

texte de (writer) Wab Kinew; illustrations de (illustrator) Joe Morse

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): Kindergarten – 5

Souhaitant faire connaitre aux jeunes de tous les horizons ses héros autochtones, Wab Kinew a composé des textes inspirants mettant en vedette des héros autochtones du Canada et des États-Unis. Malgré leur expérience unique, tous ont ceci en commun : la confiance en soi et un lien avec le territoire.

L’histoire du chandail orange,

texte de Phyllis Webstad, illustrations de Brock Nicol, traduction de Textualis

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 2 – 5

Lorsque Phyllis Webstad (née Jack) a eu six ans, elle est allée au pensionnat pour la première fois. Pour sa première journée d’école, elle portait un chandail orange tout neuf que sa grand-mère lui avait acheté. À son arrivée à l’école, on le lui a enlevé, pour ne jamais le lui redonner. Voici la vraie histoire de Phyllis et de son chandail orange.

Pimithaagansa/Les libellules cerfs-volant,

texte de Tomson Highway; illustrations de Julie Flett

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 1 – 3

Que ferais-tu n’avais aucun jouet, aucun jeu et aucun appareil electronique avec lesquels t’amuser? Est-ce que tu trouverais le temps long? Les freres Joe et Cody font tout sauf s’eenuyer. Ils inventent, creent et suivent leurs reves et ne s’ennuient jamais. Il suffit d’imaginer!

Les mots volés,

texte de Melanie Florence, illustrations de Gabrielle Grimard, texte français de Isabelle Allard

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): 1 – 4

Curieuse d’en savoir davantage sur ses origines, une petite fille demande à son grand-père de prononcer un mot en langue crie. Celui-ci est attristé lorsqu’il réalise qu’il l’a oublié, conséquence de nombreuses années passées en école résidentielle. Il lui dit qu’il a «perdu les mots»; lors de son passage là-bas, et elle décide donc de l’aider à les retrouver.

La roue médicinale : la danse des cerceaux racontée,

texte de Teddy Anderson, illustrations de Jessika von Innerebner

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): Kindergarten – 3

La danse des cerceaux et la roue médicinale sont de puissants symboles d’unité, de coopération et d’harmonie. Lors de ses représentations aux quatre coins de la planète, Teddy Anderson présente ces symboles comme des prismes au travers desquels jeunes et moins jeunes peuvent examiner le passé et prévoir l’avenir.

Une promesse, c’est une promesse,

texte de Robert Munsch et Michael Kusugak, illustrations de Vladyana Kryorka, texte français de Carole Freynet-Gagné

Niveau scolaire (Grade level): Kindergarten – 3

La petite Allashua ne croit pas en l’existence des Qallupilluits, ces créatures similaires aux trolls qui, aux dires de sa maman, capturent les enfants qui s’approchent seuls des crevasses de glace. La voilà donc qui décide d’outrepasser la promesse qu’elle a faite à ses parents en allant pêcher seule au bord de l’océan. Quelques instants plus tard, elle est capturée par les Qallupilluits, qui l’entraînent dans leur royaume, sous les glaces océanes.

Trouver d’autres ressources

Voici quelques conseils pour trouver d’autres ressources dans ce domaine :

  • Sur la page principale du site de la bibliothèque de l’UBC, utilisez la boîte de recherche générale pour rechercher des matériaux à travers toutes les succursales de la bibliothèque de l’UBC.
  • Pour limiter vos résultats aux matériels disponibles à la Bibliothèque de l’éducation, visitez le site web de la Bibliothèque de l’éducation et effectuez une recherche à l’aide de la case “Search Education Resources” située dans la bande à gauche de l’écran.
  • Remarque : les ressources étant principalement cataloguées en anglais, les termes ci-dessous donnent généralement plus de résultats que les recherches effectuées en français. Vous pouvez filtrer votre liste de résultats par langue dans la barre latérale de gauche.
  • Utilisez des termes de recherche spécifiques, tels que
    • “pensionnat indien”, “First Nations”, “Indigenous”, “Aboriginal”, “Indians of North America”, “Musqueam” (or any nation).
  • Pour trouver des plans de cours, incluez “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” dans vos termes de recherche.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as
    • “pensionnat indien”, “First Nations”, “Indigenous”, “Aboriginal”, “Indians of North America”, “Musqueam” (or any nation).
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

PDF Booklist

Categories
Language Arts

Wordless Picture Books

Below are selected wordless picture books which can be used in the ELA classroom.

Flotsam

by David Wiesner

On a trip to the beach, a science-minded boy makes a discovery that sparks his imagination like never before.

The Journey Trilogy

by Aaron Becker

These three books – Journey, Quest, and Return – follow the adventures of a young girl who draws a door in her wall with a marker. She meets a strange boy, has to rescue a king and a kingdom, and eventually finds her way back home.

Wave

by Suzy Lee

A little girl is nervous during her first visit to the beach, but she gradually loses her fear of the roaring waves.

Unspoken: A story from the Underground Railroad

by Henry Cole

When a farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding in the barn, she is at once startled and frightened. But the stranger’s fearful eyes weigh upon her conscience, and she must make a difficult choice. Will she have the courage to help him?

Sidewalk flowers

story by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith

A little girl collects wildflowers while on a walk with her distracted father. Each flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter.

Sidewalk circus

story by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

A young girl watches as the everyday activities across the street from her bus stop – like putting up posters, washing windows, or climbing a ladder – become a circus.

Wolf in the snow

by Matthew Cordell

When a wolf cub and little girl are both lost in a snowstorm, they must help each other to find their way home.

The lion and the mouse

by Jerry Pinkney

After a ferocious lion in the Serengeti plains spares a cowering mouse that he’d planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher’s trap.

Window

by Jeannie Baker

The events and changes in a young boy’s life and in his environment, from babyhood to grownup, are shown through wordless scenes observed from the window of his room.

The red book

by Barbara Lehman

This book is about a book: a magical red book without any words. It crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she’s never met is waiting.

Bluebird

by Bob Staake

Follow the journey of a bluebird who becomes friends with a lonely and bullied young boy, and ultimately saves the boy’s life.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “stories without words” or “stories without words – juvenile fiction”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
English Language Arts Planning for Teaching and Learning

Literature Circles

Listed below are selected teacher resources related to literature circles. Note that “literature circles,” “book clubs,” and “reading groups” are sometimes used synonymously; if you are searching for additional materials, you may wish to use those terms as well.

Teacher Resources

Grand conversations, thoughtful responses: A unique approach to literature circles

by Faye Brownlie (eBook)

Grades: 6-9

In Brownlie’s approach to Literature Circles, no roles are used and no limits are set on the amount students read. Students choose their books from an appropriate pre-arranged set, engage in meaningful conversations about their books with their peers, keep response journals, and work biweekly on a whole-class comprehension strategy.

Literature circles: The way to go and how to get there,

by Brooke Morris and Deborah Perlenfein

Includes detailed strategies for implementing, managing, organizing, and assessing literature circles.

Classroom literature circles: A practical, easy guide, grades 3-5

by Elizabeth Suarez Aguerre

Grades: 3-5

This book features tips for setting up groups, choosing literature, finding enough books, and teaching students how to be active participants in the literature circle process. It also includes reproducible role sheets which are adjusted for different learning levels, as well as advice about literature circles and classroom management.

Literature circles that engage middle and high school students

by Victor J. Moeller and Marc V. Moeller

Grades: 7-12

This book demonstrates how to prepare your students to lead their own active, focused discussion in small groups, including reading actively for comprehension; interpreting and evaluating texts; asking good questions; and leading discussion groups.

Literature circles: voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups

by Harvey Daniels

Grades: K-12

This book provides strategies, structures, tools, and stories for teachers to launch and manage literature circles effectively. Includes four different models for preparing students for literature circles;dozens of variations on the basic version of student-led bookclubs; models and procedures for primary, intermediate, and high school grades; and ideas for using literature circles with nonfiction texts across the curriculum.

Mini-lessons for literature circles

by Harvey Daniels and Nancy Steineke

Grades: 6-12

Each of these forty-five short, focused, and practical mini-lessons includes actual classroom language, and is formatted to help teachers with managing time and materials, giving answers to students, and avoiding predictable problems.

Moving forward with literature circles: how to plan, manage, and evaluate literature circles that deepen understanding and foster a love of reading

by Jeni Pollack Day et al.

Grades: K-6

This guide to managing literature circles includes guidelines, mini-lessons, booklists, checklists, and discussion suggestions.

Literature circles: Tools and techniques to inspire reading groups

by Warren Rogers and Dave Leochko

Grades: 5-8

This book guides teachers in developing and maintaining literature circles in their intermediate classrooms. Features in the book are: six original, reproducible short stories; theory and practice of literature circles; easy-to-use handouts for role definitions; mini-lessons to help teach communication skills and to help groups work effectively; and more.

Literary conversations in the classroom: Deepening understanding of nonfiction and narrative

by Diane Barone and Rebecca Barone

Grades: 3-8

This book demonstrates how high-level conversations centered on fiction and nonfiction can promote students’ understanding. The authors explore how to use literary conversations in small, heterogeneous groups to address multiple expectations within classrooms, such as close reading, vocabulary, background knowledge, literal and inferential comprehension, and responses to multimodal interpretation, nonfiction text features, and graphic organizers.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “literature circle” or “literature–study and teaching”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
English Language Arts Planning for Teaching and Learning

Read-Alouds

Listed below are selected teacher resources for selecting and presenting read-aloud books, as well as several picture books which are good for read-aloud time.

Teacher Resources

Effective read-alouds for early literacy: A teacher’s guide for preK-1

by Katherine Beauchat et al.

Grades: K-1

This guide provides effective strategies for selecting books and using read-alouds to develop children’s oral language, vocabulary, concepts of print, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and comprehension. The authors take teachers step by step through planning and setting goals for read-alouds, as well as reflecting on each lesson to inform future instruction.

Unwrapping the read aloud: Making every read aloud intentional and instructional

by Lester L. Laminack

Grades: K-5

The author suggests that the read aloud for students can be one of the most potent instructional moments of the school day, but thoughtful planning is required. Intentional read alouds require purposely selecting texts and times with the intent to inspire students to read and write, invest in students’ language and understandings, and instruct across the curriculum.

The ramped-up read aloud: What to notice as you turn the page

by Maria Walther

Grades: K-3

The author shares two-page read aloud plans for 101 picture books to help teachers consider what to notice, say, and wonder in order to bolster students’ literacy. The intention is to spark instructional conversations around each book’s cover illustration, enriching vocabulary words, literary language, and the ideas and themes vital to young learners.

The read-aloud scaffold: Best books to enhance content area curriculum, grades preK-3

by Judy Bradbury

Grades: K-3

One easy way to provide content area instruction to very young readers is by scaffolding beneficial learning subjects within memorable read-aloud activities. This book offers teachers and librarians over 700 content area connections through carefully selected children’s trade books, including both fiction and non-fiction titles.

The read-aloud handbook

by Jim Trelease

Grades: K-12

The sixth edition of this work imparts the benefits, rewards, and importance of reading aloud to children of a new generation. Supported by both anecdotes and the latest research, the author offers techniques and strategies—and the reasoning behind them—for helping children discover the pleasures of reading and setting them on the road to becoming lifelong readers.

Guided listening: A framework for using read-aloud and other oral language experiences to build comprehension skills and help students record, share, value, and interpret ideas

by Lisa Donohue

Grades: K-6

This book illustrates how teachers can champion purposeful listening and help students better understand their language strengths and needs. It offers a practical framework that shows the value of recording and sharing the ideas of others; provides opportunities to identify the norms and conventions associated with oral language; and frees students to listen more attentively, organize their responses, and watch for the subtle cues that are an important part of listening.

Picture Books

The book with no pictures

by B. J. Novak

It’s true – this is a picture book with no pictures. But the reader has to say every silly word that’s on the page, no matter what…even if it’s “BLUURF”.

You don’t want a unicorn!

written by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Liz Climo

When a little boy throws a coin into a wishing well and asks for a pet unicorn, he has no idea what kind of trouble he’s in for. Unicorns make the absolutely worst pets: they shed, they make a big mess, and they poke holes in your ceiling!

It’s okay to be different

by Todd Parr

It’s okay to need some help. It’s okay to be a different colour. It’s okay to talk about your feelings. Todd Parr shows lots of ways in which it’s okay to be different – you can probably think of even more. (For more books by Todd Parr, click here.)

School’s first day of school

written by Adam Rex, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Everyone gets a little nervous on the first day of school – including the school! What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him?

Last stop on Market Street

written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby, and why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus. Each question is met with an encouraging answer from his grandma.

Chicken, pig, cow

by Ruth Ohi

Pig, Chicken and Cow think their barn home is perfect. The only thing that isn’t perfect is Dog, whose drool makes it feel as if it’s raining in the barn. One day, Pig and Chicken decide to go exploring, leaving Cow behind. When Dog tips the barn over, Pig and Chick must make a daring rescue.

Mr. Zinger’s hat

written by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Dušan Petričić

When Leo is playing ball in the courtyard, he runs into Mr. Zinger, a man with a hat who makes up stories. Together, they build a new story, with Mr. Zinger providing most of the plot while Leo fills in the details.

Spork

written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

His mum is a spoon. His dad is a fork. And Spork is a bit of both of them. He never gets chosen to be at the table at mealtimes until one day a very messy … thing arrives in the kitchen who has never heard of cutlery customs.

The raven and the loon

written by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, illustrated by Kim Smith

In the time before animals were as they are today, Raven and Loon were both white. Raven spent his days swooping through the sky trying to fight off boredom, while Loon spent her days in her iglu sewing. One day, too bored to even fly, Raven visited Loon and suggested a sewing game that would give their feathers some much-needed colour.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “oral reading”, “reading (elementary)”, or “children — books and reading”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Language Arts

Picture Books in Rhyme

Listed below are selected picture books in rhyme.

Picture Books

The alphabet thief

written by Bill Richardson, illustrated by Roxanna Bikadoroff

These zany rhymes tell the story of peculiar thief who steals one letter of the alphabet each night, creating a topsy-turvy world as she goes. It seems that no one can stop her, until the Zs finally send her to sleep so that all the other letters can scamper back to where they belong.

Tree song

written by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Holly Hatam

Follow the life cycle of a tree as it grows from seedling to mature tree, and finally gives way to a new sapling. The tree provides a canopy for a summer picnic, a home for animals, and a perfect place to hang a swing. When old age fells the tree, it leaves an acorn from which a new tree will grow.

The garden crew

by Carolyn Harris

A group of characters come together to save their most prized possession: their garden. They come in all shapes, sizes, colours, and abilities. In the beginning, they are full of doubt about themselves, but by working together as a team, they accomplish something amazing.

All are welcome

written by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yarmulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other’s traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The honeybee

written by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

This rhyming celebration of the honeybee follows the endangered insects through the year as they forage for pollen and nectar, communicate with others at their hive, and make honey.

Sometimes you fly

written by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt

This rhyming book celebrates the achievements of childhood, from first birthdays to graduation, and reminds readers that learning from mistakes makes success sweeter.

What if…

written by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Mike Curato

What if there were no pencils or paper to draw with? What would you do then? One little girl imagines all the ways she can express herself, from sculpting and building to singing and dreaming.

The wonderful things you will be

by Emily Winfield Martin

Simple, rhyming text reveals a parent’s musings about what a child will become, knowing that the child’s kindness, cleverness, and boldness will shine through no matter what, as will the love they share.

Tiny perfect things

written by M. H. Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “stories in rhyme” or “stories in rhyme–juvenile fiction”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
English Language Arts Planning for Teaching and Learning

Figurative Language

Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, and non-fiction related to figurative language.

Teacher Resources

The writing strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled writers with 300 strategies

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

From the author of The reading strategies book, this book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every writer, give students step-by-step instructions for writing with skill and craft, coach writers using prompts aligned with a strategy, present mentor texts that support a genre and strategy, and more. Goal 7 includes discussion of figurative language.

The reading strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled readers

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

This book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every reader, give students step-by-step instructions for reading with skill, guide readers using prompts aligned with a strategy, adjust instruction to meet individual needs, and more. Goal 11 includes discussion of figurative language.

Poetry – From reading to writing: A classroom guide for ages 7-11

by Robert Hull

Grades: 2-6

The author uses poems from a range of authors to show how creative readings of poems can spark a child’s imagination and lead to original writing. Students are encouraged to write different forms of poetry, including rhyming and non-rhyming poems, haiku, free verse, narrative poems, and more. Chapter 7 includes discussion of figurative language. (E-book only)

Let’s poem: The essential guide to teaching poetry in a high-stakes, multimodal world

by Mark Dressman

Grades: 7-12

This guide presents multiple approaches to teaching poetry at the middle and high school levels. The author explores how to preserve the fun of poetry while also developing critical writing and analysis skills, how to introduce students to the basic formal elements of classic and contemporary poetry, and how to expand their repertoires through the use of digital technology and the Internet. The chapter on “Skin Poetry” discusses figurative language.

Understanding texts and readers: Responsive comprehension instruction with leveled texts

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

The author examines a number of areas of text comprehension, including how plot and setting, character, vocabulary and figurative language, and themes and ideas change as fiction become more complex; as well as how the complexity of main idea, key details, vocabulary, and text features increases in nonfiction texts.

Narrative writing: Learning a new model for teaching

by George Hillocks Jr.

Grades: 9-12

This book demonstrates how focusing classroom activities on producing content, rather than form, boosts students’ engagement and makes them active learners. The author shows how “at-risk” kids’ competencies increase significantly as they are taught how to complete important writing tasks such as incorporating detail and figurative language, creating dialogue, expressing inner thoughts, portraying people and action, and more.

Picture Books

The cat’s pajamas

by Wallace Edwards

This book depicts 26 idioms, bringing new meaning to familiar sayings and tickling your funny bone with a surreal illustration on each page. To ensure you get the hang of it, each expression is used in a sentence and explained at the back of the book.

Monkey business

by Wallace Edwards

From a fish opening a “can of worms” to a tap-dancing octopus putting his “best foot forward,” these familiar idioms are re-imagined in hilarious and unexpected ways. The idioms are used in a sentence that accompanies each illustration, and the meaning of each one is explained at the end of the book.

My grandma likes to say

written by Denise Brennan-Nelson, illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan

Thousands of proverbs and idioms can be found in the English language – like “a horse of a different colour” and “a bull in a tea shop”. Derived from many different sources, these expressions are a link to history and culture, and can be an instructive tool in language education.

My teacher likes to say

written by Denise Brennan-Nelson, illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan

Students often hear maxims and sayings on a regular basis in the classroom. From “Do you have ants in your pants?” to “Stick together!” and “Great minds think alike,” readers will be intrigued by the history of these adages, told in poetry form as well as expository text, and amused by the illustrations, depicting these sayings as a child might imagine them.

My momma likes to say

written by Denise Brennan-Nelson, illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan

Parents say strange things sometimes – what does it REALLY mean when your mom says “Hold your horses”, “I have eyes in the back of my head”, or “Money doesn’t grow on trees”?

There’s a frog in my throat: 440 animal sayings a little bird told me,

written by Loreen Leedy and Pat Street, illustrated by Loreen Leedy

This book goes hog-wild with this collection of animal sayings. From lucky ducks to odd ducks to sitting ducks to just plain quacks, this book presents a wealth of sayings alongside fun-filled art bursting with color and energy. Each expression is clearly explained so no reader feels like a silly goose.

Picture the sky

by Barbara Reid

Wherever we may be, we share the same sky. But every hour, every day, every season, whether in the city or the forest, it is different. The sky tells many stories: in the weather, in the clouds, in the stars, in the imagination. This book envisions the sky above and around us in all its moods.

My heart is like a zoo

by Michael Hall

A heart can be hopeful, or silly, or happy. A heart can be rugged, or snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and for each one, the author an animal out of heart shapes, from “eager as a beaver” to “angry as a bear” to “thoughtful as an owl.”

My best friend is sharp as a pencil: And other funny classroom portraits

by Hanoch Piven

Categories
English Language Arts

Teaching English Language Arts

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Listed below are selected teacher resources for teaching English language arts.

Engaging young readers: Practical tools and strategies to reach all learners,

by L. Robert Furman

Grades: K-4

Beginner-level guide focusing on developmental reading strategies for elementary students at all stages and exploring how technology can be used to improve the skills of a wide range of readers, including beginning readers, struggling readers, reluctant readers, enriched readers and English Language Learners.

Think big with think alouds, grades K-5: A three-step planning process that develops strategic readers

by Molly Ness

Grades: K-5

The author presents five strategies that can help student become better readers: asking questions, making inferences, synthesizing, understanding the author’s purpose, and monitoring and clarifying.

The reading strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled readers

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

This book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every reader, give students step-by-step instructions for reading with skill, guide readers using prompts aligned with a strategy, adjust instruction to meet individual needs, and more.

The writing strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled writers with 300 strategies

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

From the author of The reading strategies book, this book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every writer, give students step-by-step instructions for writing with skill and craft, coach writers using prompts aligned with a strategy, present mentor texts that support a genre and strategy, and more.

Reading power: Teaching students to think while they read

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-6

This book presents five thinking strategies that children can employ during their reading: connecting, questioning, visualizing, inferring, and transforming.

Writing power: Teaching writing strategies that engage thinking

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-6

The author examines how developing an awareness of readers’ thinking can influence and affect a student’s ability to write. A range of effective writing techniques are outlined and reinforced throughout the book, with suggested “anchor books” for each lesson.

Teaching writing: Balancing process and product

by Gail E. Tompkins and Pat Daniel Jones

Grades: K-8

The authors present an overview of the strategies that writers use, the writing genres, and the writer’s craft, along with techniques for improving the quality of students’ writing. Classroom artifacts, mini-lessons, and day-to-day teaching strategies are integrated throughout the text.

Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies and technology tools to help all students improve

by Jules Csillag

Grades: K-12

This book explores how reading instruction can be differentiated using a range of technological tools, including text-to-speech programs, videos, interactive annotation tools, dictation software, and more.

Powerful understanding: Helping students explore, question, and transform their thinking about themselves and the world around them

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-12

This book explores ways to build social emotional skills and help students make connections, question what they read, and reflect on their learning as they develop into stronger readers and learners. Strategic and critical thinking strategies revolve around core anchor books that help integrate thinking into all aspects of teaching and learning: from social responsibility, to immigration, to life cycles.

Pulling together: Integrating inquiry, assessment, and instruction in today’s English classroom

by Leyton Schnellert et al.

Grades: K-12

This book explores working together with students to develop and explore essential ideas and practices, including responsive teaching and assessment, reading as a personalized and meaningful experience, and critical literacy.

Cultivating genius: an equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy

by Gholdy Muhammad

Grades: K-12

This book examines culturally responsive practices, interventions, and supports for educators that can be utilized in school settings. “In CultivatingGenius, Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammad presents a four-layered equity framework–one that is grounded in history and restores excellence in literacy education.

Challenging stories: Canadian literature for social justice in the classroom

edited by Anne Burke, Ingrid Johnston, and Angela Ward

Grades: K-12

This edited collection highlights the value of contemporary Canadian literature for addressing issues of social justice in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. The collection describes how a group of teachers selected Canadian social justice literature and developed curriculum around this literature.

Teaching tough topics: how do I use children’s literature to build a deeper understanding of social justice, equity, and diversity?

by Larry Swartz

Grades: K-12

Teaching Tough Topics shows teachers how to lead students to become caring citizens as they read and respond to quality children’s literature. It focuses on topics that can be challenging or sensitive, yet are significant in order to build understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity.

Concept-based Literacy Lessons cover artConcept-based literacy lessons: Designing learning to ignite understanding and transfer

by Lois A. Lanning & Tiffanee Brown

Grades: 4-10

For literacy teachers looking for practical ways to implement a Curriculum and Instruction Model that’s more inquiry-driven and idea-centered, look no further than this book. This resource helps bridge the divide between conceptual curriculum and actionable practice, and provides practical support for teachers implementing Concept-Based literacy lessons.

The flexible ELA classroom: Practical tools for differentiated instruction in grades 4-8

by Amber Chandler

Grades: 4-8

This book describes a range of strategies for use in the ELA classroom, including using choice boards and menus to teach vocabulary, reading, and presentation skills; grouping students strategically to maximize learning outcomes and encourage collaboration; making vocabulary learning interesting and memorable with visual aids, tiered lists, and personalized word studies; designing Project Based Learning lessons to unleash students’ creativity; and assessing students’ progress without the use of one-size-fits-all testing.

Teaching literature to adolescents

by Richard Beach, Deborah Appleman, Bob Fecho, and Rob Simon

Grades: 6-12

How do I teach what my students are reading? How do I help students understand what they are reading? How do I create opportunities to talk and write about texts? This questions and more are addressed in this practical guide to teaching literature to middle school and high school students. Available in print and as an eBook.

Socialjusticeliteracies in the Englishclassroom: teaching practice in action

by Ashley S. Boyd; foreword by Deborah Appleman

Grades: 6-college

This timely book focuses on different social justice pedagogies and how they can work within standards and district mandates in a variety of English language arts classrooms. With detailed analysis and authentic classroom vignettes, the author explores how teachers cultivate relationships for equity, utilize transformative language practices, demonstrate critical caring, and develop students’ critical literacies with traditional and critical content.

Powerful readers: Thinking strategies to guide literacy instruction in secondary classrooms

by Kyla Hadden and Adrienne Gear

Grades: 9-12

This book demonstrates that instruction in the key strategies of connecting, visualizing, questioning, inferring, determining importance, and transforming can help students develop their reading skills and get more out of their work with fiction and nonfiction. Includes step-by-step lessons for introducing and using the strategies, connections to literary devices, and reading lists for each strategy.

Secondary starters and plenaries: English

by Johnnie Young

Grades: 9-12

This book provides English teachers with 50 suggestions for embedding and extending learning in the classroom: from individual to whole-class activities, and from the energetic to the sedate. Each starter and plenary contains an ‘ideas generator’, making it easily adaptable for the whole ability range of a class.

Letting go: How to give your students control over their learning in the English classroom

by Meg Donhauser, Cathy Stutzman, and Heather Hersey

Grades: 10-12

This book explores an inquiry-based approach which allows students to differentiate their learning, giving them the space to choose texts, develop questions, and practice skills based on their individual needs.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “English”, “English language arts”, “English language”, “equitable”, “diversity”, or “supportive”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

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