Celebrate Summer with The Night Before Summer Vacation Reader’s Theater!

 As the school year winds down and summer break approaches, keeping students engaged becomes more challenging—and more important! That’s why I love using seasonal, high-interest stories to wrap up the year with both fun and purpose.

One of my favorite ways to end the school year is with a Reader’s Theater Companion for The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing. It’s low prep, fun for students, and packed with learning value!

What’s Included in This End-of-Year Reader’s Theater Resource?

This engaging packet is a companion to the much-loved book The Night Before Summer Vacation, a rhyming tale that captures the excitement (and chaos!) of preparing for a big summer trip.

Here’s what’s included:

• Reader’s Theater Scripts for 2 and 3 students – Perfect for partners or small groups.

• A Summer-Themed Word Search to reinforce vocabulary in a fun, independent activity.

• Answer Key for easy grading or self-checking.

• 5 Summer-Themed Coloring Pages – Great for early finishers or quiet time.

Why Teachers Love It

This resource is a great way to:
 - Keep students practicing reading fluency during the last days of school
 - Promote cooperation and collaboration through partner or group performance
 - Add some seasonal fun without sacrificing learning goals
 - Keep your classroom calm and structured during a time that’s often chaotic

Plus, the included coloring pages and word search are excellent for transition times, early finishers, or even sub plans when things get extra busy!

How I Use This in My Classroom

I typically introduce the book as a read-aloud, then assign scripts based on group size. My students get excited to act out the scenes, use expression in their voices, and even add little props or movements. It's a fun, low-stakes way to build fluency and comprehension while celebrating the season.

After the performance, students can work independently on the word search or color one of the summer-themed pages as a relaxing wrap-up.

Ready to Bring This to Your Classroom?

You can grab this end-of-year reader’s theater resource right now and start using it tomorrow!

🎉 Click here to grab The Night Before Summer Vacation – Reader’s Theater Script on TpT!

Your students will love it—and so will you!

Scaffolding Reading Comprehension Through Guided Questioning

Reading comprehension is at the heart of literacy instruction, yet it’s often one of the most challenging skills for young learners to master. As a math interventionist who also supports reading instruction, I’ve found that guided questioning is one of the most powerful tools for helping students move beyond surface-level reading and begin thinking deeply about texts.

In this post, I’ll share practical strategies for using guided questioning to scaffold comprehension and spark meaningful reading discussions—even with struggling readers.

What Is Guided Questioning?

Guided questioning is a teaching strategy where the teacher poses specific, intentional questions before, during, and after reading to help students engage with the text. These questions guide students toward a deeper understanding by encouraging them to:

• Make predictions
• Visualize events
• Infer meaning
• Analyze character motives
• Summarize key ideas
• Reflect on themes or personal connections

Why It Works

Many students—especially those who are below grade level—don’t automatically ask themselves questions while they read. By modeling this internal dialogue through guided questioning, we help build their metacognitive skills. Over time, students internalize the questioning process and begin to monitor their own comprehension independently.

"The process of scaffolding comprehension through guided questioning can be broken into three phases—before, during, and after reading. Here’s a quick visual to show how it all connects:"

Three Simple Steps to Get Started

1. Use a Questioning Framework

"Here’s a sample anchor chart I use with students to  

introduce and reinforce these question types:"

I like to use a mix of literal, inferential, and evaluative questions to support different levels of thinking:

• Literal: “What did the character do after school?”
• Inferential: “Why do you think the character made that choice?”
• Evaluative: “Do you agree with how the story ended? Why or why not?”

2. Model and Think Aloud

When introducing a new text, model your thinking out loud:

“Hmm... I wonder why the author repeated that word. Could it be important?”
“I’m confused by this part. Let me go back and reread.”

By verbalizing your thought process, you normalize the act of questioning and show students that even strong readers reread, predict, and question as they go.

3. Encourage Partner or Small Group Discussion

After modeling, give students time to try it out. Whether in a small group or with a reading partner, provide a few guiding questions on a whiteboard or task cards. You’ll be amazed at how much more confident and focused their discussions become when they’re given structure and purpose.

Bonus Tip: Pair Questions with Graphic Organizers

If your learners need extra support, consider pairing guided questions with graphic organizers such as:

• Character maps
• Cause and effect charts
• Story sequence charts
• Question/answer flipbooks

These visual supports can help students organize their thinking and make abstract ideas more concrete.

Final Thoughts

Guided questioning is a simple yet powerful strategy that builds comprehension from the ground up. With intentional modeling and consistent practice, your students will begin to approach reading with curiosity and confidence.

Have a favorite question stem or strategy you love using in your classroom? I’d love to hear it in the comments!

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Want more posts like this or resources that support reading? Be sure to follow along and check out my TeachersPayTeachers store for tools that align with the strategies I share here.

From Timed Tests to Strategy-Based Fluency: A Positive Shift in Math Instruction

For many of us, the words “timed test” still bring a rush of anxiety. Rows of facts, ticking clocks, and pressure to perform fast—this was the traditional approach to mastering math facts. As a teacher, I’ve seen how this method can cause unnecessary stress, especially for students who are still developing number sense. That’s why I’ve embraced a shift in my classroom: moving away from timed tests and toward strategy-based fluency.

What Is Strategy-Based Fluency?

Rather than memorizing isolated facts, students learn and apply strategies that help them understand how numbers work together. These strategies include:

• Counting on (e.g., for 3 + 2, start at 3 and count up two)
• Making ten (e.g., turning 8 + 5 into 10 + 3)
• Using doubles (e.g., knowing 6 + 6 helps with 6 + 7)
• Decomposing numbers (e.g., breaking apart 9 + 6 into 9 + 1 + 5)

These are not just tricks—they're foundational ways to build number sense. When students understand these patterns and relationships, math facts become easier to recall and apply.

Why Move Away from Timed Tests?

Timed tests often favor speed over understanding. While some students thrive under pressure, many don’t. I’ve seen capable, thoughtful learners freeze up when the timer starts. Worse, students can start to believe they’re “bad at math” simply because they don’t process quickly.

Fluency should mean more than speed—it should reflect accuracy, flexibility, and efficiency. By focusing on strategy, we’re giving students the tools to think through problems instead of rushing to remember.

What This Looks Like in the Classroom

In my small group math intervention setting, we focus on:

• Math talks where students share different ways to solve the same problem
• Games that encourage repeated practice in a fun, low-pressure setting
• Visual models (like ten frames and number bonds) to represent strategies
• Celebrating strategy use instead of just correct answers

It’s a beautiful thing to hear a student say, “I used doubles plus one!” instead of “I just knew it.” That shift shows deeper thinking and sets the foundation for more complex math later on.

The Outcome: Confident, Capable Mathematicians

Since making this change, I’ve seen less math anxiety and more enthusiasm. Students who once dreaded fluency practice now approach it with curiosity and confidence. They know they don’t have to be the fastest—they just need to be thoughtful.

As educators, we want our students to be fluent, but we also want them to love math, feel safe taking risks, and see themselves as capable problem-solvers. Moving from timed tests to strategy-based fluency is a key step in that direction.

Let’s continue to build classrooms where math makes sense—and where every learner feels they belong.