Skip to content

Grab your FREE Guide to Teaching Oral Reading Fluency!

Grab five free days of lessons here!

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Facebook Group
  • Free Resource Library
  • TrendingExpand
    • Amazon Favorites
    • Halloween Resources
    • Fall and Thanksgiving Resources
    • Character Education
    • Enrichment Resources
    • New Teachers
    • Professional Development
    • Homeschool
    • Free TWAMV Resource Guide
Search
Shop Now
Teaching with a Mountain View

Literacy

Grammar & Morphology

Novels & Picture Books

Novels & Picture Books

Math

Anchor Charts

Anchor Charts

Classroom

CLassroom Community

Character Education

Teaching with a Mountain View

The Blog

Slide1 1 34
Free | Holidays | Seasonal

Mother’s Day Freebie

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!  I hope that all of your students treat you well this week, and I also hope that your PTA has something special planned for you.  Our celebrations look to be rather caloric, but I’m still very…
READ POST Mother’s Day Freebie
3 word activity
End of the Year | Seasonal

3 Words End of the Year Activity

I wanted to share a little activity our school does at the end of each year. As a class, we all watch one of Good Morning America’s 3 Words Videos (I always screen them and make sure I find an…
READ POST 3 Words End of the Year Activity
102BTips2Bfor2BTeachers2BReading2BFluency 6
Fluency | Anchor Charts | Classroom | Intervention | Literacy | Literacy Anchor Charts | Task Cards

Top 10 Tips for Building Reading Fluency

We have all heard about the shift that happens, usually between second and third grade, when students (should) go from learning to read to reading to learn.  Unfortunately, for some students, their ability to read to learn is stifled by…
READ POST Top 10 Tips for Building Reading Fluency
dividingfractionswithmodels
Anchor Charts | Fractions | Math | Math Anchor Charts | Task Cards

Dividing Fractions Anchor Chart, Game Freebie, and Math Journal

We tackled dividing fractions this week!  I was a little bit apprehensive about it since these are wee little fourth graders working on this tough stuff, but they did GREAT!  Although I follow the CCSS, I thought it was a…
READ POST Dividing Fractions Anchor Chart, Game Freebie, and Math Journal
Perimeter2Band2BArea2BPlans
Math | Anchor Charts | Geometry & Measurement | Math Anchor Charts | Task Cards

Perimeter and Area

We finished our perimeter and area unit several weeks ago (right before fractions!), but I never got around to posting some of the engaging activities we did.  This was really a review for my kids, so it was fun to…
READ POST Perimeter and Area
SidebySide
Anchor Charts | Literacy | Literacy Anchor Charts | Novel Study | Novel Study | Novels & Picture Books | Reading Skills

Independent Reading Response Anchor Charts

I’m excited to share these anchor charts with you!  We have been using these for quite some time now, and my students are becoming pros.  A lot of the time, I do have students answering specific questions, but depending on…
READ POST Independent Reading Response Anchor Charts
photo 194
Anchor Charts | Fractions | Math | Math Anchor Charts | Task Cards

Engaging Lessons for Multiplying Fractions

Teaching Multiplying Fractions in 5th Grade We finished adding and subtracting fractions right before the break, and now we are moving on to multiplying and dividing fractions.  We began with multiplying fractions, and we created a mega-anchor chart.  I teach…
READ POST Engaging Lessons for Multiplying Fractions
Learning Never takes Break
Building Community | Free | Holidays | Morning Meeting | Seasonal

After Break Activity: Learning Never Takes a Break!

Looking for an engaging after break activity to get brains going again? When I ask kids what they did over spring break, I so often hear “nothing.” Horse Hockey!  Even if you didn’t go on an extravagant vacation, you most…
READ POST After Break Activity: Learning Never Takes a Break!
Slide1 4 5
Free | Literacy | Novel Study | Novel Study | Novels & Picture Books

Novel Preview Quick Write

We began our new (and maybe last of the year) Novel today.  I am so thrilled to share My Side of the Mountain with my students.  My students were also very excited to read it…we have been keeping a theme…
READ POST Novel Preview Quick Write
388436 10104203560323304 1946997611 n
General

SALE and TpT GIFT CERTIFICATE Giveaway!

First of all–thank you all SO much for your support of Task Card Corner!  I am so excited about my new endeavor there, and I am already positively giddy over the positive responses I have had. To celebrate the beginning…
READ POST SALE and TpT GIFT CERTIFICATE Giveaway!
task card corner button zps61a78ea1
Task Cards

Task Card Test Prep & Announcement!

Hi there!  First thing is first: IT’S SPRING BREAK over at Casa de Mountain View!  I had big plans for pumping out some TpT goodies, and I have two massive blog posts in the works, but my sweet girls have…
READ POST Task Card Test Prep & Announcement!
FigurativelySpeaking 2
Anchor Charts | Literacy | Literacy Anchor Charts | Using Pictures to Teach

Tell Me a Story Tuesday: Figurative Language

We’re back!  This week’s Tell Me a Story Tuesday was a quick one, and went along with our current focus: Figurative Language!  We have been focusing on finding figurative language in our reading and also generating some new figurative language….
READ POST Tell Me a Story Tuesday: Figurative Language

Posts pagination

Previous Page 1 … 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Next Page

hey there!

I’m Mary

Welcome to my blog! I started blogging in 2011 and have amassed hundreds of posts full of engaging, research-based, and classroom-tested teaching ideas. Enjoy exploring!

Learn More

SEARCH

GET SOCIAL

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

TOPICS

  • Anchor Charts
    • Literacy Anchor Charts
    • Math Anchor ChartsMath anchor charts
  • Classroom
    • Building Community
    • Morning Meeting
    • The Parent Connection
    • Classroom Management
    • Classroom Organization
    • Flexible Seating
    • Conferences
    • Critical Thinking
    • Distance Learning
    • Homework
    • Intervention
    • Teacher Ideas
    • Test Prep
    • Classroom Pictures
  • Free
  • Literacy
    • Comprehension
    • Fluency
    • Grammar
    • Informational Texts
    • Reading Skills
    • Using Pictures to Teach
  • Writing
  • Math
    • Decimals
    • Elapsed Time
    • Fractions
    • Geometry & Measurement
    • Multiplication
    • Place Value
  • Novels & Picture Books
    • Novel Study
    • Picture Books
  • Projects
  • Seasonal
    • Back to School
    • End of the Year
    • Holidays
    • Titanic
  • Task Cards

FREE Prefix, Suffix, and Root Activities!

Are you implementing word study into your classroom? Grab our FREE Word Study Starter Kit, and you’ll be on your way!

FEATURED RESOURCES

  • Giggles and Grammar | Upper Elementary Grammar Program
    Giggles and Grammar | Upper Elementary Grammar Program
    $76.99
    Add to cartLoading Done
  • 3rd Grade Spiral Math Review | Math Skill of the Day
    3rd Grade Spiral Math Review | Math Skill of the Day
    $19.99
    Add to cartLoading Done

🍂👻 The leaves are changing, so it’s the perfect ti 🍂👻 The leaves are changing, so it’s the perfect time to share THREE of my FAVORITE fall picture book lessons, and they are PACKED with meaningful reading comprehension skills and can be adapted for a huge range of grade levels. These are tried and true lessons that I’ve used in my classroom and absolutely LOVE! 🧡

🍂 Comment below, and I’ll send you the links to more info about all three lessons, including the FREE printable for the Leaf Peeps.

I LOVE pairing picture books that share similar themes, and I’ve come up with MANY different paired sets. It’s research-based and gives students opportunities to compare characters, analyze how different authors develop similar ideas, and make connections across texts—all while keeping fun, seasonal themes with authentic texts!

Here are the three lessons I’ve been LOVING over the past few years:

🍁 The Leaf Peeps: We read four adorable leaf-themed books and compare their topics, themes, and important life lessons. These books pair together extraordinarily well and work well anytime between now and Thanksgiving. BONUS: I have a FREE lesson guide and reflection for this one!

👻 Gustavo’s World: You can use any combo of these books, and the kids just love them. We explore character traits, character change, and theme with these sweet spooky stories. Then students create their own characters (with Play-Doh!) and imagine a new book for the collection!

🎃 Stand Out: We pair Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden, Beatrice Likes the Dark, and The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt to explore what it means to stand out and embrace our differences. The discussions are SO good, and the lessons behind the books are so impactful!

These are the kinds of lessons I always LOVE most. Simple to prep, rich in discussion, and full of opportunities for students to think deeply about what they’re reading AND grow as little human beings. 💗
Picture books are one of my FAVORITE ways to teach Picture books are one of my FAVORITE ways to teach character development skills in upper elementary, and these are some of the very, very BEST! 📚❤️

Every week (and sometimes more often), I use a carefully selected picture book to help my students explore some big personal growth concepts! I incorporate books about everything from managing big emotions and navigating friendships to embracing differences, building confidence, and working through challenges. 🫶 

I love how a single picture book can lead to some of the most meaningful conversations we have all week!

I’ve rounded up several of my favorites, along with a specific learning objective for each one, so you can see exactly how I use them in my classroom.

And YES, picture books absolutely belong in upper elementary classrooms! 🥰

Which of these have you read with your students? Any favorites I need to add to my collection?
Can I tell you about one of my FAVORITE types of n Can I tell you about one of my FAVORITE types of novels to teach (I mean, if you know me, you know they are ALL my favorite, but this type is a ✨ students ✨ favorite — and not just while you’re teaching poetry)!📚🩷

🥁 Novels in verse! If you haven’t tried teaching one with your upper elementary kiddos yet, this is your sign.

I’ve found they’re the perfect way to get my readers to actually SLOW DOWN and pay close attention to the text — what’s said and what’s left unsaid. When there are only a handful of words on a page, every single word has a job to do. A line break changes everything. A word sitting all by itself on the page? Figurative phrases that tell more than an entire paragraph alone could? There’s a reason the author made every single choice. 

🌟 And for teaching inference? Oh my goodness. So much is left unsaid in these books. Truly, so much. My students have to piece together what a character is feeling from tiny details, and the conversations we have are AMAZING.

I just put together a whole blog post with everything I love about teaching them, my favorite titles for grades 4, 5, and 6+, and a giant list of annotation ideas you can use right away. 🎉 Comment below, and I’ll send the info your way!
Book beads ➡️ Book Lanyards ⭐️ No matter which one Book beads ➡️ Book Lanyards ⭐️ No matter which one you choose, your kids are going to love this reading celebration!! 🥰 

Comment below, and I’ll send you all the info or both options!
❇️ I have a few must-have anchor charts in my clas ❇️ I have a few must-have anchor charts in my classroom each year, and these are two of them! 🚨 BUT, I don’t just hang them up and go. It’s so important to spend time teaching my students how to use the prompts in their reading responses, how to develop their questions using each prompt, and discussing how to answer each type of prompt. 

Once students are familiar with how to use the prompts, they are able to have so much ownership over their reading response while also thinking critically about the book or chapter being discussed!

🎉🎉Comment below, and I’ll send you a link to three free sets of reading response resources and my favorite reading response task cards!
You won’t ever catch me in an ELA teaching positio You won’t ever catch me in an ELA teaching position where I’m not teaching word parts. 🩷💚 I believe wholeheartedly in the value of teaching morphology, especially in the upper grades! 

Comment below, and I’ll send you info on ALL my resources, including an entire FREE starter kit for teaching your students the basics of prefixes and suffixes!
🎉We start every math class the same: I read just a 🎉We start every math class the same: I read just a few of these mental math cards orally, step by step, and when I’m done, I count down from three silently using my fingers. When my students see a closed fist, they share their answers in unison. It’s so quick, simple, and low stakes for kids. They increase in complexity throughout the year, and I’ve seen massive gains in my students’ mental math abilities.

Comment below, and I’ll send you the info! ❤️❤️
Podcasts in the classroom are SO fun while still b Podcasts in the classroom are SO fun while still being academically worthwhile! 👏 🎙️ I designed them to address listening and reading comprehension skills in an engaging, relevant format. Each one comes with show notes and assignments and covers topics ranging from sports and science and tales and more! 🥰 Comment below, and I’ll send you all the info.
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Links

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Facebook Group
  • Free Resource Library
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosures

Topics

  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Grammar
  • Anchor Charts
  • Classroom
  • Novels and Picture books

Shop

  • Shop Website
  • Shop Amazon
  • Wishlist
  • My Account
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Terms & Conditions

©2026 Teaching With a Mountain View . All Rights Reserved | Designed by Ashley Hughes

Join Our Teaching With a Mountain View Text Club!

Lost your password?

Review Cart

No products in the cart.

🍪 Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}
Scroll to top
Search
  • Home
  • Get Inspired
  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Free Resource Library
  • Trending
    • Amazon Favorites
    • Halloween Resources
    • Fall and Thanksgiving Resources
    • Character Education
    • Enrichment Resources
    • New Teachers
    • Professional Development
    • Homeschool
    • Free TWAMV Resource Guide
  • My Account
Shop Now

Literacy

Grammar & Morphology

Novels & Picture Books

Novels & Picture Books

Math

Anchor Charts

Anchor Charts

Classroom

CLassroom Community

Character Education

Facebook X Instagram
Search