News

NEW TO THE BOOKSHELF

Check out book reviews of the newest titles in the middle grade and young adult genres.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia – Book Review

News

NEW TO THE BOOKSHELF

Check out book reviews of the newest titles in the middle grade and young adult genres.

Restart Book & Novel Study Giveaway
October 9
Restart Book & Novel Study Giveaway

It’s time for the annual LIT Lessons Novel Study Giveaway! Year-over-year students grow and change, and those changes are often most pronounced when a new school year begins. It’s a fresh start and a restart. The message of Restart by Gordon Korman captures the spirit of new beginnings, evolving identity, and the universal experience of growing older.

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5 Ways to Use Question Stems in Reading
September 19
5 Ways to Use Question Stems in Reading

Many ELA question stem resources provide vague sentence starters or surface level prompts to encourage students to engage with a text. Oftentimes, these resources lack true depth and rigor, which means students are not being adequately challenged to critically think about a text.

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September 5
Best Middle School Historical Fiction Novel Studies

Middle grades historical fiction novels have come a long way from the books available ‘decades’ ago. In fact, this growing genre is now bursting with fantastic, inspiring, and insightful novels. It comes as no surprise that these books are finding their way into middle school ELA curricula…

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10 Teaching Ideas for 10 Literary Elements
August 23
10 Teaching Ideas for 10 Literary Elements

Reading comprehension is a foundational skill students need to be successful in any class, especially English Language Arts. Yet, as students approach upper elementary grades and middle school, they must develop a new skill set when engaging with fiction texts.

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5 Steps to Create ELA Assessments for Literature
August 16
5 Steps to Create ELA Assessments for Literature

Summative assessment creation is an integral part of curriculum development, backwards planning, and measuring student learning. Crafting effective tests is a helpful feedback tool for your instructional practice and will help you become a better instructional leader in the classroom.

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Best Middle School Novel Studies Blog
August 9
Best Middle School Novel Studies

Novel studies are one of the best teaching tools middle school ELA educators can utilize. Comprehensive novel studies engage students in shared reading, build class community, provide unique perspectives, and create opportunities for challenging, rigorous work.

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