SECOND AND THIRD GRADE
Many teachers working with gifted and advanced students are required to focus on specific disciplines. The following resources have a major literacy component: literature, research, writing, poetry, or vocabulary development. If you have any questions about any of these resources or have suggestions for additions, please send a MESSAGE. If you are new to this site, you may want to view the 4-minute video tour found HERE.
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RECOMMENDED MATERIALS / CURRICULUM
Junior Great Books Series 2 and 3
Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Series – Grade 3 (free webinar)
Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Series – Grades 1 and 2 (free webinar)
Philosophy and Children’s Literature – (Center for Philosophy for Children) ~ books to help generate classroom philosophical conversations that encourage questioning and thinking
Mindware Deducibles (Level B) – a paper-and-pencil Wordle-like game. Also Level A.
Building Language – vocabulary curriculum / Latin stems (gr. 3-4 book)
Daily Word Ladders – vocabulary building in a fun way (designed for gr.4-6)
Crypt-O-Words, Jr. – advanced vocabulary in hidden words, poetry, and codes (see blog post)
Socratic Dialogue Guidelines – (see blog post ~ ideas for introducing student-led discussions)
LESSON and UNIT IDEAS
Q is for Duck Research Project
The Search for Delicious ~ TPT – $10 / Advanced Novel Study / see blog post)
The Secret Garden ~ (TPT $5.50 / Advanced Book Study / see blog post)
The Art of Storytelling (Mensa for Kids)
Charlotte’s Web ~ (TPT- $6.50 / Advanced Book Study / see blog post))
“Connect-the-Dot” Research: Zooming from One Topic to the Next (blog post)
Gnome for the Holidays- A Creative Writing Project for Any Season
Research a Country (TPT – $3.00)
Kid-Created Word Puzzles: FUNdamental Brainwork! – (blog post)
Pun and Games (3rd – 5th suggested – see blog post)
Inflationary Language (lesson – see blog post with featured video clip)
Learning Logs and Writing to Learn: Kids’ Brains Benefit! ~ blog post / free resources
Off Limits Game ~ (TPT – $4.00 / like the game of Taboo™ ~ see blog post)
Conversations with Class: Introducing Socratic Dialogue to Younger Scholars ~ (blog post)
Gifted Teachers’ Suggestions for Literature
- The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt (read more here)
- Punished by David Lubar
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (3rd)
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
- The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
- Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
- Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- Frindle by Andrew Clements
- Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett (3rd)
- The Dot and Ish by Peter Reynolds
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