Literacy Speaks Volumes

Halloween Party BY  KENN NESBITT We’re having a Halloween party at school. I’m dressed up like Dracula. Man, I look cool! I dyed my hair black, and I cut off my bangs. I’m wearing a cape and some fake plastic fangs. I put on some makeup to paint my face white, like creatures that only come out in the night. My fingernails, too, are all pointed and red. I look like I’m recently back from the dead. My mom drops me off, and I run into school and suddenly feel like the world’s biggest fool. The other kids stare like I’m some kind of freak— the Halloween party is not till next week. Check out this SPOOOOOOKY FREEBIE !

Whenever it's time for parent-Teacher conferences,I'm always interested because it's a great time to really see where the kids come from--good or bad. I think of my own family and what the teachers must have thought of my own family. Is it as insightful as one might think?  Take all of the data that teachers are required to keep. I keep all of mine in a three-ring binder with dividers for the different sections. How much information can one truly glean from that? I do believe that all of the information is important, but no one piece should be used exclusively.  Much like a teacher's evaluation. All of the parts need to be looked at.

I have begun work on the writing prompts for November. Today's post is a preview of some of them. I should have them ready for sale in about a week.

 Check out the new me! Thanks to  +Profe Oxana  for designing my new logo for my stores and social media sites. My oldest teen prodigy just came in, took one look at it, and said, "Aww, you are so cute!" Official Seal of Approval! Are you ready for Halloween? Well, I was, but the family ate all of the candy. But seriously, what do you do in your classroom to get ready for this spooky event? Does your school even allow it to be a part of your curriculum? Let me know in the comments below. Melissa Reese Etheridge

For the past couple of days, I've been working on an informational text on Buffalo Soldiers, the African American military units that were formed immediately after the American Civil War to help fight in the Indian Wars.  One of the wonderful things about research is the learning that takes place. I've learned so much about this exciting part of our history and the bravery of these men who helped make America the nation that it is today.  Hopefully, I'll have the unit completed in the next few days and ready to go.  Check out some of my other resources on my Resources4Teaching store . Melissa Reese Etheridge

Middle Schoolers love books that frighten them; my students are always asking me to recommend something to read and of course I ask, "What kinds of books do you like?" Invariably, the answer is "scary books." So, here is a not-by-any-means comprehensive list of scary books that you can use as a go-to list the next time your students ask for "something scary" to read. Of course it's Coraline  by Neil Gaiman! Every child's nightmare is to wake up and be in his reality that is slightly "off." Neil Gaiman knows how to write a scary book. It's been out long enough where most middle schoolers nowadays aren't that familiar with it. Definitely worth mentioning! The Graveyard Book is another fantastic, magical, scary book by Neil Gaiman. "Bod" survives the murder of his family when only a toddler and is raised by spirits in the local graveyard. Spooky and macabre~for slightly more mature readers than Coraline.

Are you looking for some cute scarecrow poems for kids? Then check out this site . I think that I'm going to share these poems with my 6th graders, then have them write some. Perhaps we'll even incorporate some art into the lesson. Happy Fall Y'all!