Tool Kits

If you haven't tried them already, create some tool kits for your students here at the beginning of the year.  They're good at all grade levels for keeping kids hands-on engaged in text.  You'll just need a seal-top plastic baggie for each student.  Gradually, give them tools that you'll direct them to use for different purposes such as: glitter sticks (craft sticks dipped in glue and then in glitter, used to track print or to locate clues, etc.), word frames (dye cut shapes with rectangular windows cut out and then laminated so that words can be located through the window), highlighters, Wikki-Stix, PC highlighters (opaque plastic strips in various colors), VIP strips (a small pack of Post-Its cut towards the sticky end without cutting through----used by ripping off the small strips to use as flags by words/clues in the text), notecards,  and other items.  When students read, you'll tell them to get the VIP strips out of their toolboxes to flag all clues that let them know the traits of the main character or to find the characteristics of a certain type of rock or to flag key points that they can use to summarize the piece.  These keep students from day-dreaming and let you know in a glance who's with you and who's not.  There's a piece about tool kits on my web site in the Fun Stuff section.  Hope you'll give them a try!