Teaching ELA and math in upper elementary can feel like juggling plates… while tap dancing and trying to feed an elephant. You have the curriculum (or lack thereof, in some cases), the standards, the pacing guides, and then you look out at 25 unique learners who all need something just a little different. You want to spark engagement, build deep understanding, and meet every student where they are, all at the same time. Phew. Even writing that feels overwhelming.
I know… It is a lot.
The good news is that you do not have to do it alone. I have compiled a collection of teacher-approved ELA and math resources that align with your curriculum, not against it. These are not busy work fillers. They are meaningful activities designed to enrich your lessons, differentiate for diverse needs, and bring more joy to your classroom. They are rigorous (I know, I know, it’s a buzzword, but it is an accurate descriptor) and principal-approved!
I know curricular expectations vary across the board. Think of this post as your toolkit. You will find ideas for when you have full freedom and autonomy to teach what you want, suggestions for when you are working with flexible curriculum guidelines, and strategies for when your admin expects strict fidelity. No matter your situation, you will walk away with practical ways to make your ELA and math blocks more effective and engaging.
No matter what your school’s curriculum requirements are, these supplemental ELA and math resources are designed to help. Just find the scenario that best fits your classroom.
Upper Elementary ELA Curriculum Supplements
I know how much work goes into creating a dynamic and supportive ELA classroom. I hope these resources give you a little extra boost!
Classroom 1: No District Curriculum Requirements
Do you have full autonomy over what you’re teaching during your ELA block? Is there nothing standing in your way (other than the promise to teach with best practice, research-based strategies, and follow your state’s standards)? This is how I would structure a day in your classroom.
Morning Work
Start your day with Reading Skill of the Day and Language Skill of the Day. If you’re short on time, you can alternate subjects weekly!
Mini Lesson
- Reading Skill Slides make it low-prep to simply open the slideshow and teach!
- Create an Anchor Chart together using these easy templates.
- Use Vocabulary of the Day Journals to introduce a new word every day.
- Bring your grammar concept to life with Giggles and Grammar.
Whole Group Skills Practice
Using Pictures to Teach will take your skill-based reading comprehension instruction to the next level! It’s a teacher-approved method that has become a staple in classrooms worldwide.
Rotations
Choose from a variety of options each week. I recommend 2-3 of these rotations per day.
- Small Group: Skill-based Novel Studies with skill focus or Rapid Read and Review
- Partners: Advanced Reading Skill Task Cards or Vocabulary
- Independent Comprehension: Flipbooks are an engaging and rigorous way to review key reading and literacy skills with your upper elementary students
- Fluency: Reader’s Theatre and Seasonal Fluency Task Cards
- Word Study: Choose from a variety of SOR-aligned morphology resources
- Grammar: Giggles and Grammar or Grammar Task Cards
Classroom 2: Flexible District Curriculum
Are you following a district-prescribed curriculum but still have some flexibility around differentiation and using your knowledge of best practice? Here is what I would recommend.
Spiral Review
Weekly Reading Skill Review is the perfect way to level up your reading instruction with quick checks that assess your students and extend learning.
Authentic Texts
Integrate authentic texts with these Novel Study Journals that work with almost ANY book!
Fluency
Use these Skill-based Fluency Task Cards that focus on different reading skills. They’re perfect for small group, whole group, or independent fluency centers.
Gameify Learning
Use colored Topple Blocks to review specific skills in small group rotations. Each colored block has six questions. When a student pulls a certain color, they must answer a question that corresponds to the color.
Morphology
Morphology in a Minute for prefixes or suffixes will help you practice morphology in just minutes a day!
Classroom 3: Strict District Curriculum Requirements
Does your administration require you to teach your curriculum with “fidelity?” I get it, and I’ve been right there with you, but I always try to sneak in some extra enrichment to truly meet the needs of my students… after all, we know that there is no such thing as one size fits all.
If you have students who have shown mastery of the content, here’s what I recommend.
Reading Projects
Use this ULTIMATE Skill-Based Reading Projects Bundle to take reading comprehension to the next level! Your students will receive extra enrichment in text structures, context clues, and more!
Reading Skills
- Share Skill-Based Reading Skills Choice Boards to use with ANY books!
- These Reading Response Task Cards can be used with any books or texts from your given curriculum to give it a boost
Creative Thinking
This Think It Through Journal is excellent for morning work or your morning meeting to help students think critically and write.
Podcasts
Peak Podcast Episodes are high-interest, rigorous, and aligned to best practices. We have designed these listening comprehension podcasts to be incredibly engaging while practicing critical reading comprehension skills!
Gameify Learning
Use these Reading Skill Task Cards to play group Jeopardy or board games.
Upper Elementary Math Curriculum Supplements
Just like ELA, these aren’t just math worksheets; they’re engaging activities that help you truly teach the standards and skills in a way that resonates with your students.
Classroom 1: Curriculum Autonomy
Do you have complete freedom over how you teach during your math block? Each of these resources is an engaging way to teach with best practice, research-based strategies.
Mental Math Warm Up
Incorporating mental math problems into your daily routines can make a massive impact on your students’ automaticity with math facts and problem-solving. You can increase number sense, math fact recall, computation skills, and problem solving with this FULL-YEAR bundle of mental math task cards!
Daily Word Problems
Solving word problems is a critical component of math instruction and increasing problem-solving skills. These sets provide you with 25 unique single and multi-step word problems for every month of the year. That’s 300 word problems in all!
Lesson Staples
- Use these rigorous Math Flipbooks to take your math lessons to the NEXT LEVEL! Your students will love these high-interest flipbooks, and you will love the skill reinforcement and practice that each book provides.
- Make memorable reference guides with these Anchor Chart Templates.
Extra Practice
Task cards are a great tool for differentiation! Simply choose the best cards for each student/group and use them for independent practice or rotations.
Enrichment
These options are the perfect way to challenge students who have already demonstrated competency in the current skill.
- Math Projects: These real-world math projects have changed my math instruction and increased my students’ critical thinking skills!
- Error Analysis: My students LOVE error analysis, and I have even seen kids take error analyses out to recess because they are determined the figure out what error took place or the perfect wording to describe what happened. Some of these are tricky, but the kids get a sense of satisfaction out of figuring out what went wrong!
- Logic Puzzles: The puzzles are skills-based, so they integrate well with almost ANY math lesson!
Classroom 2: Flexible Curriculum
Are you following a district-supplied curriculum but still have some flexibility for differentiation, extra practice, and enrichment? Here are the perfect supplements to add to your curriculum!
Math Skill of the Day
This 40-week resource provides students with the perfect amount (and type!) of review and practice to keep their skills sharp.
Engaging Practice
- Gameify learning by adding Topple Block games to your math rotations! They’re the most fun way to learn and practice key math skills in upper elementary!
- Use seasonal math scavenger hunts for fall or Halloween as a fun (and quick) way for students to get more practice with multi-step word problems.
Math Projects
These real-world math projects have changed my math instruction and increased my students’ critical thinking skills! They’re great to sprinkle in for seasonal fun or extra skill practice!
Word Problems
You can never have enough word problem practice! Use Numberless Word Problems Task Cards to improve your students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills which require students to think critically about math word problems.
Classroom 3: Strict Curriculum
Even with the most structured curriculum, we know that there is no such thing as “one size fits all.” It’s still our job to meet the needs of all our students, including those who have already shown mastery of the content as well as those who need extra practice. These resources can help you sneak in some extra enrichment to truly meet the needs of every student.
Weekly Quick Checks
Use these math quick checks as weekly quizzes, homework, morning work, or review! They’re the perfect way to easily assess progress!
Math Mysteries
This Math Mysteries bundle will engage your students in critical thinking and logical reasoning as they use their math skills to work through cases, gather clues, eliminate suspects, and ultimately identify the true culprit. It’s the perfect enrichment choice!
Math by the Numbers
Do you need to build various math skills in a way that also uses critical thinking skills and applies them to real-world situations at the same time? These Math By the Numbers activities are the resource you need in your classroom!
Multi-Step Word Problem Brochures
Do your students struggle to tackle tricky multi-step word problems? These word problem brochures provide the extra support you need to help your students master multi-step word problems in a fun and impactful brochure format.
Navigating the demands of the ELA and math blocks is a challenge, but it’s one you can meet with the right tools. I hope these resources give you the support you need to empower your students and make every lesson count.
Mary Montero
I’m so glad you are here. I’m a current gifted and talented teacher in a small town in Colorado, and I’ve been in education since 2009. My passion (other than my family and cookies) is for making teachers’ lives easier and classrooms more engaging.
