{FREE} Digital Books Online

I don't know about you, but as a reading teacher, when I hear the words free and books in the same sentence, you better watch out. I'm there. Front row.

It's always fun to have a few different ways to introduce literature to your students. There's nothing like a good 'ole picture book reading from the carpet during a mini-lesson. 

Sometimes, however, it's fun to have other options. 

I've used these sites many times and in many ways in my classroom. Fluency rotations (students used the computers, read/listened to the books and then completed a graphic organizer to practice comprehension skills), during a mini-lesson on a projector,  as rewards (students go to sit at *my teacher desk* and read/listen to these books on my computer) and at the end of the day, sometimes I'd turn on my projector and we'd choose a fun book and a student would read the book to my class.

There are tons of ways you could utilize these sites in your classrooms for your students.  I'm excited for you to check them out!

So, without further ado, here are...

The Library of Congress: Read.gov

www.read.gov/kids

This site is *full* of classics for children to read. I love this site because it has *tons* of books that children from many generations have loved and shared.

Read.gov has many chapter books, that would be great to use as a read-aloud in the afternoons. You can bookmark where you leave off, and pick up the next day.

Here is the classic Jack and the Beanstalk. It's a chapter book, with lovely illustrations, and perfect for 3rd-5th graders.

This would also be a great way to implement buddy reading on iPads.

Check out: www.read.gov/kids

We Give Books

www.wegivebooks.org

I absolutely *adore* We Give Books! There are so many reasons to love this free book site! Let me just list a few:

1) Their selection of books is large! The variety of topics and age ranges is wonderful.

2) This site would work for K-5 grades.

3) The site switches books ever so often. Students can visit this site multiple times in a school year and never have to read the same book twice.

4) The books list age ranges underneath each title. PERFECT for choosing books if you need one for a mini-lesson.

5) They feature both fiction and nonfiction books that are high-interest for students!

Here is what you see when you enter the site. A cute little digital book shelf! Totes-adorbs!

I loved to put these up on the board in the afternoons for my students to read aloud to my class. Of course, they loved that!

Once you click on a book to read it, I love that in the top right hand corner, it tells the number of students around the world that have read this same book! How cool!

Check out: http://www.wegivebooks.org/

Storyline Online

www.storylineonline.net

Ok. I am like *obsessed* with this site.

I found this site years ago when I was student teaching and have used each every year in my classroom in one way or another. It's just precious. 

I always had this a fluency option. Students would listen to the reader at a computer (I'd decide which books they could choose from). Then, they'd practice reading the *same book* with a pvc pipe phone at their desk.

This site features top children's literature, read aloud by celebrities and children's authors. It's sponsored by The Screenactor's Guild and since 1993, they have been sharing these lovely books with children to love.

For example, one of my favorites is A Bad Case of the Stripes read by Sean Astin.

The site doesn't have all of it's videos posted, so they have all their current and past read alouds on their YouTube site here: https://www.youtube.com/user/StorylineOnline

OH! And I can't forget this one...I love listening to Pamela Reed read aloud Stellaluna. So sweet! I always showed this before our Halloween parties at school! :)

I hope you can use these sites this school year with your students! I know they will love them!

Have you used any of these sites in the past at school? If so, how? I'd love to hear! 

Pockets? People? What?!

I am really excited to share this blog post with you! First of all, I've had Parent/Teacher Conferences - Round 1 until 6:30 tonight. *Sigh* I am P-O-O-P-E-D out. Round 2 is tomorrow (FRIDAY...boo! hiss!) until 4:30. Thankfully, we have super kids and great parents but the hours are draining, ya know what I mean jelly bean?!

So, what do I do to chill out and relax?

Yes. Blog. NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!

Whatev. You're the one reading it, right?! LOVES!

Ok. wow. Shiny object. Back to the post.

So, I blogged the other day about how we have started our new inference unit. Monday-Wednesday of this week, we read an excerpt of Charlotte's Web from our textbook. Eww. Just saying that word makes my stomach hurt. I am not a textbook fan at all. This was literally the second time this year we have used it. However, this excerpt worked well with making inferences and the kids love the story so, eh, why not?!

Well, today and tomorrow because of PTC, we have half days. I only meet with each of my groups 50 minutes {we normally have 90 minutes for reading. I know...don't hate me...we are super lucky!}, and we know in teacher realm that basically is about 5 minutes (or so it feels). Even still, I wanted today's learning to be meaningful and most importantly, engaging. Therefore, I pulled out one of the inference activities I created before Christmas in anticipation of these few days when I knew we'd be focusing on making inferences. I must say, it was a {HUGE} success. The kids LOVED it! I mean...seriously...Loved. It. I had two parents tonight at conferences say that their kids had so much fun in reading today matching pockets with people.

Wait. WHAT?!

Yes. I did just say, "Matching pockets with people..."












:

Keep reading. It make sense.

This was my intro to today's lesson once the kids planted their hineys on the rug:

"So, this morning when I got to school, I had 8 people standing outside of my door. {The kids were so confused, but soaking in every word. LOVE when this happens.}  They said, 'Hey, Mrs. Flood, have you seen any pockets laying around lately?!' and I said, 'Yes, actually I have. I found 8 pockets in my library with things in them. Whose pocket is whose? Do they belong to ya'll?' and you know what they said to me?" {At this point, the kids eyes are as big as saucers by now...for real. Hysterical.} "They said, 'Mrs. Flood, you figure it out!' BOY! Was that going to be hard, BUT I realized all I had to do was use my schema, plus the clues in each pocket to match the pockets with the people so I figured you would like to do this too since I had so much fun doing it!"

With that, we jumped straight into matching pockets...using our schema...solving mysteries...charting our schema and text clues on graphic organizers...collaborating...questioning...answering....yada, yada, FUN, FUN! :)

Take a look at what they did today in our lesson! They are super cute and had lots of fun! :)

Tomorrow, after our mini inference quiz, we are going to make the inference pocket craftivity that comes in this pack called "Stitching Together the Clues"! It will be so cute and I know they will have a blast!

I feel better now that I have shared our super fun day of learning. Check this pack out! Your kids are sure to love it! :)

AND...if you're still reading and you're the first person to:
1) have survived made it through another day of school
2) follow my TpT store
3) Comment below... and you, my dear, will be receiving an e-mail that has an attachment to it that is much like the activity described in this post. {Did you infer I'd be sending this pack to you?! Did you!?! Or is it too late, and you're like, "Shut up, Lindsay. Send me the pack!?" haha}

Have a happy Friday, friends! I'm stopping by Mickey D's and picking up a Mocha in HONOR of Friday on the way to school tomorrow. It's a special Friday treat. You gotta have those every Friday like I do sometimes.

Until then,