A collection of ready-to-use Literacy Center Ideas For Grades 3-5 Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso Maupin House Publishing, Inc. Presented by: Deanna Moinester Albert, Ph.D. Supervisor of Language Arts Jersey City Public Schools

Hope Koturo, Reading Specialist Eileen Hayes, Literacy Coach Anna Maria Calabrese, Literacy Coach

Table of Contents (E) Expository

(N) Narrative (B) Both (B) Direct Reading Activity Page 1 (B) DRTA Chart Page 2 (B) Discovery Page 3 (E) Expository Text Questions Page 4 (E) KWL Variations Page 5 (B) Recording Mental Images Page 6 (E) Retelling Important Informational Facts Page 7 ((B0 Sequencing Page 8 (N) Setting Page 9 (B) Stop and Reflect Page 10 (N) Story Map Page 11 (N) Story Map: Narrative Text Page 12 (B) Story Summarization Page 13 (B) Text-to Self Connections Page 14 (B) Text-to-Text Connections Page 15 (B) Text-to-World Connections Page 16 (B) The Best Part Page 17 (B) The Five W’s … Plus H Page 18 (B) Timeline Page 19 (B) Vocabulary Inferences Page 20 (B) Vocabulary Square Page 21 (B) What Do You Want to Know? Page 22 (B) Author’s Purpose Page 23 (N) Beginning, Middle, End Page 24 (B) Cause and Effect Page 25 (N) Character Chart Page 26

(N) Character Fact and Opinion Page 27 (N) Character Talk Page 28 (N) Character Web Page 29 (B) Charting the Chapters Page 30 (B) Compare and Contrast Page 31 (B) Cycle of Events Page 32 (B) Fact vs. Opinion Page 33 (E) Fact vs. Opinion with Expository Text Page 34 (N) Historical Fiction Page 35 (B) How-To Page 36 (N) Illustrating the Story Page 37 (E) KWL Chart Page 38 (N) Letter Writing Page 39 (N) Main Character Cause and Effect Page 40 (B) Main Idea Page 41 (N) Narrative Story Structure Page 42 (B) Picture Vocabulary Page 43 (N) Point of View Page 44 (N) Prediction Page 45 (B) Problem and Solution Page 46 (N) Questions to Main Idea Page 47 (B) Reader’s Response Page 48 (E) Realistic vs. Fantasy Page 49

Direct Reading Thinking Activity

Make a chart like the one on display. For every page written on the chart, make a prediction

about what you think will happen in the next text. Write it down.

Use what you know about the text so far and your own

understanding of the context of the story to make your prediction.

After you read on, check to see if your prediction was right.

Write down what actually happened in the story.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 1

DRTA Chart What I think will happen What really happened

Page ________

Page ________

Page ________

Page ________

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 2

Discovery

Write down three things that you discovered from the text that you didn’t know before.

Why were they new discoveries for you?

Discovery 1 `````````` Discovery 2 `````````` Discovery 3 ``````````

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 3

Expository Text Questions

Answer these questions about your expository text: What new words did you learn? Explain in your own words

what they mean. What was the text mainly about?

What new things did you learn about the topic?

What else do you want to know about the subject?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 4

KWL Variations

(KWLA) What I KNOW, what I WANT to know, what I LEARNED, how what I learned AFFECTED me

(KWLP) What I KNOW, what I WANT

to know, what I LEARNED, where is the PAGE/PROOF of what I learned

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 5

Recording Mental Images Read to page _______ of your text. What image is in your head after reading? Capture the image in words and pictures in your reader’s response journal or on a sheet of paper. Share your image with others. How do they compare?

NOTE: This can be done after a read aloud, shared reading, or small group instruction.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 6

Retelling Important Informational Facts

Take a sheet of paper and make a retelling map like the one below.

Write all the important facts the author wanted you to

know about the topic of the text. Draw a picture to go with each fact.

Fact 1 Fact 2

Fact 3 Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 7

Sequencing

Write down four events that happened in the text on four index cards.

Exchange the cards with your partner and see if he/she can

arrange the cards in the correct order. Check yourself with the text.

Take a sheet of paper and glue the cards to it in the correct

order. Draw a picture to match each event.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 8

Setting

Where does most of the story take place? Draw a picture of the setting and describe it in your own

words.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 9

Stop and Reflect

On a sheet of paper or in your reader’s response journal write down the page numbers your teacher has inserted here.

These pages will be your “Stop and Reflect” points as you read the text.

At every “Stop and Reflect” point, take a moment to jot down any thoughts you have about your reading and the text so far.

Stop and Reflect points for ______________________ Page ________ Page _______ Page _____ Page ________ Page _______ Page _____ Page _________ Page _______ Page _____

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 10

Story Map Make a story map like the one below on a piece of paper. Write what happened and draw pictures to match.

First Next Then Finally

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 11

Story Map: Narrative Text Make a narrative map like the one below and fill it in with the correct

information from your story.

Title and Author

Setting

Characters

Problem

Events

Solution

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 12

Story Summarization Write a three-sentence summarization of the text.

Write one sentence that tells about the beginning of the text, one that

tells about the middle, and one that tells about the end of the text. Summary

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 13

Text-to-Self Connections Think about the text you just read and your own life. Was there something in the text that reminded you of

your life? Write about it.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 14

Text –to-Text Connections

Think about the text you just read and other stories or books you have read.

Was there something in the text that reminded you of

another text? Write about it.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 15

Text-to-World Connections Think about the text you just read and the world

Was there something in the text that reminded you of

something happening in the world? Write about it.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 16

The Best Part Pick your favorite part of the text and describe it.

Next, explain in your own words why it is your favorite

part.

Draw a picture to go with it.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 17

The 5 Ws…Plus H On a piece of paper answer these questions about your text:

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 18

Timeline

Make a timeline of the events in the text.

Use time phrases or dates used in the text as a guide.

Morning Evening The next day O O O O Afternoon Two weeks later O Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 19

Vocabulary Inferences

Make a chart like the one below. Write down words from your text that are tricky or hard to

understand. In the middle section, write what you infer the word means.

In the last section, write what helped you to make that

inference.

Word What I think it means What helped me

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso 20

Vocabulary Square

Pick a word from the text that was new or hard for you to understand. Make a Vocabulary Square.

Sentence Root word Part of speech

Variations of the word

Picture

Definition

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension hy Emily Cayuso

21

What Do You Want to Know? Make a chart like the one below. Think about the text you are about to read. What is one important question you have that you hope

the text will answer? Write it in the first box. After reading the text, write and draw how the question

was answered. Include the page number where you discovered the answer.

Questions I Have Answer and Page #

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 22

Author’s Purpose What was the author’s purpose in writing this text?

In your reader’s response journal or on a sheet of paper explain

in your own words what you think the author’s purpose was and why.

Use any clues from your text to help support your answer.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 23

Beginning, Middle, and End Fold a sheet of paper into three sections. On the top of each section write the words “Beginning,”

“Middle,” and “End.” Write about and draw what happened in your story at the

beginning, middle and end.

Beginning

Middle End

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 24

Cause and Effect Take a piece of paper and divide it in half. Write “Cause” on one side and “effect” on the other. Find as many cause and effect relationships that happened in the

text and put them in the chart.

Cause Effect

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 25

Character Chart Make a character chart like the one below.

Draw and write about the main character/s.

Character Physical Appearance Personality Traits

Ad pted from a Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 26

Character Fact and Opinion Write three facts about the main character in your story.

Write three opinions about the main character in your story.

Draw a picture of the main character.

Facts Opinions Picture

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 27

Character Talk Draw a picture of the two main characters. Draw a speech bubble over each character. Fill in the speech bubble with words they might be saying

to each other based on the events of the story. Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 28

Character Web Make a character web about the main character in your

story.

Main Character

The character’straits

How the character wasin the beginning

The character’sactions in the story

How the characterwas in theend

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso

29

Charting the Chapters Make a grid like the one below. In each box write the chapter number and one or two

sentences that summarize the important information in that chapter.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 30

Compare and Contrast Make a Venn diagram comparing two characters, events,

places, things, or other information from the text. In the center section, write what is the same about both.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 31

Cycle of Events Recreate this graphic and fill it in with the important

events from the text.

Event 3

Event 2

Event 1

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 32

Fact vs. Opinion Take a sheet of paper and divide it in half. Write “Fact” and “Opinion” on top of each half. Write all the facts and opinions from the text in each

column.

Fact Opinion

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 33

Fact vs. Opinion with Expository Text Make a chart like the one below. Find five facts from the text and write them down. Find five opinions from the text and write them down. On the back of your chart, explain in your own words what

makes them facts and opinions.

Facts Opinions

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso

34

Historical Fiction Create a chart like the one below on a sheet of paper. Find examples in your story of fiction and non-fiction

elements and fill in the chart.

Fictional Elements Non-Fictional Elements

A pted from da Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 35

How-To List all the steps in the correct order that were used to

make ______________________________________ that was discussed in the text.

1

2

3

4

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso

36

Illustrating the Story Draw a picture to illustrate both the problem and solution in the text. Problem Solution

!

?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 37

KWL Chart Fill out the first two sections of the KWL chart before

reading your texts. When you are finished reading, fill out the last section.

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 38

Letter Writing Write a letter to the main character.

What would you ask the main character?

What do you want to tell the main character?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 39

Main Character Cause and Effect Using the main character as your guide, make a cause

and effect story map like the one below Character’s Motives (Causes)

Character’s Actions Effects of Character’s Actions

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 40

Main Idea Who or what was the text about? What was the most important thing about the who or

what of the text?

Now take that information and write a main idea sentence about the text using as few words as you can.

Draw a picture to go with your sentence.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 41

Narrative Story Structure Answer these questions about your narrative story: Who were the characters? What was the setting?

What was the problem?

How was the problem solved?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 42

Picture Vocabulary Take a sheet of paper and fold it into eight squares. You

may make more if you like. Find all the words from your text that were new or hard

for you to understand and write them down (one word per square).

Draw a picture that helps you know what the word

means.

Write a definition in your own words that explains the meaning of the word.

Use your text or a dictionary to help you.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 43

Point of View Rewrite the story from the _____________________ point of

view. How would the events of the story be different?

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 44

Prediction Think about how the story ended.

What do you predict will happen next?

Write and illustrate your prediction.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 45

Problem and Solution Write down an important problem that was in the text.

It was an important problem because _____________________

List all the steps that were tried to solve the problem.

The problem was finally solved when

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 46

Questions to Main Idea Answer these questions about your story. Next, use the information to write a main idea statement about the story. Who? ________________________________________________ or

What?________________________________________________But? _________________________________________________So? __________________________________________________Then? ________________________________________________ Main idea: ____________________________________________ Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 47

Reader’s Response Use the sentence stem your teacher selected to write a story response.

I think… This reminds me of ___ that happened I wish… in my life. I wonder… A question I have about the book so far is … I was surprised… If I were this character, I would…. This reminds me of… I didn’t understand the part when…. I feel… The most exciting part of the book was… I’m confused… This book reminds me of ____ book because… I suppose… I agree/disagree with the author about…. I can connect to… I question the accuracy of… I remember… Some important details I noticed were… I like ___part of the book because… I think the author wrote this book because… This is like ____ story because… After the book ends, I predict… I noticed that… The author got me interested when… I like when the author said… I learned… This interests me because… My feelings about the book changed when… This reminds me of ____ because … The book helped me to … I like/dislike the book because… To summarize the text, I would say… The setting of the story is important because… The genre of this book is ____ because… important because…

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 48

Realistic vs. Fantasy Take a piece of paper and divide it in half. Write “Realistic” and “fantasy” on the top of each half.

Write events or themes from the story that fit under each side.

Realistic Fantasy

Adapted from Flip for Comprehension by Emily Cayuso 49