Case Closed: Bringing Mystery-Themed Activities into Your ELA Classroom

I know it often feels like you just don’t have time to do all the things in your classroom. And it’s true, you don’t! But you do have plenty of time to choose a few things to do well. Today we’re going to talk about a few supplementary activities to include in your mystery unit and which skills are targeted through these purposeful additions. Hope you’re ready for some fresh ideas today, joyful readers, because I’m here to deliver.

continue reading

Solving the Reading Mystery: Integrating Anchor Texts with Student Choice

Like most other teachers, I was absolutely frightened when I was told I needed to run a choice reading unit. How will I keep track of everything? How do I manage a class full of students reading different books? These questions kept me up at night! I then realized that I was expected to do this alongside my regular curriculum and then my mind was REALLY blown. Thankfully, after years of trial and error, I got pretty good at it and it helped me realize why this is such a powerful practice. In today’s episode, I’m going to give you my best recommendations for anchor texts in the mystery genre and then I’m going to give you practical strategies I

continue reading

Unraveling the Mystery: Engaging Students with Sleuthing Stories

Mysteries continue to dominate best-selling book lists worldwide. Huge names like James Patterson, Stephen King, Riley Sager, Freida McFadden, and so many more are consistently seen leading the charts when it comes to book sales. Why do people love this genre so much and how can we leverage that enthusiasm in the classroom? Stay tuned for today’s episode! We’re going to dig into all things mystery and discover how you can use this genre to get your students excited about reading.

continue reading

Case Closed: Bringing Mystery-Themed Activities into Your ELA Classroom

I know it often feels like you just don’t have time to do all the things in your classroom. And it’s true, you don’t! But you do have plenty of time to choose a few things to do well. Today we’re going to talk about a few supplementary activities to include in your mystery unit and which skills are targeted through these purposeful additions. Hope you’re ready for some fresh ideas today, joyful readers, because I’m here to deliver.

continue reading

Solving the Reading Mystery: Integrating Anchor Texts with Student Choice

Like most other teachers, I was absolutely frightened when I was told I needed to run a choice reading unit. How will I keep track of everything? How do I manage a class full of students reading different books? These questions kept me up at night! I then realized that I was expected to do this alongside my regular curriculum and then my mind was REALLY blown. Thankfully, after years of trial and error, I got pretty good at it and it helped me realize why this is such a powerful practice. In today’s episode, I’m going to give you my best recommendations for anchor texts in the mystery genre and then I’m going to give you practical strategies I

continue reading

Unraveling the Mystery: Engaging Students with Sleuthing Stories

Mysteries continue to dominate best-selling book lists worldwide. Huge names like James Patterson, Stephen King, Riley Sager, Freida McFadden, and so many more are consistently seen leading the charts when it comes to book sales. Why do people love this genre so much and how can we leverage that enthusiasm in the classroom? Stay tuned for today’s episode! We’re going to dig into all things mystery and discover how you can use this genre to get your students excited about reading.

continue reading

Get the list.

Looking for the BEST books to add to your ELA curriculum, classroom library, or let’s be real, your bedside table? Get my teacher-curated, student-approved list of 100 YA novels to add to your classroom by subscribing to my email list below!