Sean Morrisey
@smorrisey.bsky.social
5th Grade Teacher. I really enjoy teaching, especially vocabulary. Go Bills! 🦬
Words that have similar spellings and pronunciations can be taught together. Think of words with the ci spelling pattern that are pronounced /sh/ - efficient, inefficient, sufficient, deficient, proficient. These words also contain the same root fic meaning make or do. 5/
March 15, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Words that have similar spellings and pronunciations can be taught together. Think of words with the ci spelling pattern that are pronounced /sh/ - efficient, inefficient, sufficient, deficient, proficient. These words also contain the same root fic meaning make or do. 5/
not enough are important such as abundant, plentiful, adequate, sufficient, ample, insufficient, meager, sparse, and scarcity. Certain academic words have the same root like tain meaning to hold - obtain, maintain, sustain, contain, retain, attain, and variations of each of 4/
March 15, 2025 at 6:33 PM
not enough are important such as abundant, plentiful, adequate, sufficient, ample, insufficient, meager, sparse, and scarcity. Certain academic words have the same root like tain meaning to hold - obtain, maintain, sustain, contain, retain, attain, and variations of each of 4/
I have a 30-minute skills block which includes daily spelling, vocabulary, morphology, and reading fluency work. I try to keep initial instruction of vocabulary and spelling quick and simple. Ss use mwb for answering. I teach 3 words at a time using consistent routines.
January 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I have a 30-minute skills block which includes daily spelling, vocabulary, morphology, and reading fluency work. I try to keep initial instruction of vocabulary and spelling quick and simple. Ss use mwb for answering. I teach 3 words at a time using consistent routines.
@dtwuva.bsky.social has talked so much about the power of stories. Here are 3 stories I use for a WWII/Holocaust ELA unit. @georgetakei.bsky.social memoir in graphic novel form is outstanding. Hana's Suitcase is a wonderful book and has created a documentary based on the book as well.
December 4, 2024 at 12:12 AM
@dtwuva.bsky.social has talked so much about the power of stories. Here are 3 stories I use for a WWII/Holocaust ELA unit. @georgetakei.bsky.social memoir in graphic novel form is outstanding. Hana's Suitcase is a wonderful book and has created a documentary based on the book as well.
We can have Ss practice fluency by just changing mixed number into improper fraction and multiplying. Can review distributive property and practice mental math using this property. #2 - (1x4) + (1/4x4), which can easily be calculated mentally IF Ss are fluent with facts. 2/
December 4, 2024 at 12:10 AM
We can have Ss practice fluency by just changing mixed number into improper fraction and multiplying. Can review distributive property and practice mental math using this property. #2 - (1x4) + (1/4x4), which can easily be calculated mentally IF Ss are fluent with facts. 2/
These math sequences, based on Craig Barton's work allow students to think about the math and practice fluency. Why aren't we talking more about practice activities like this. 100% participation. Communitive Property between #1 and #2. Using mental math strategies for #7-10 1/
December 4, 2024 at 12:10 AM
These math sequences, based on Craig Barton's work allow students to think about the math and practice fluency. Why aren't we talking more about practice activities like this. 100% participation. Communitive Property between #1 and #2. Using mental math strategies for #7-10 1/
Friday, I cut the lawn. Today, I shoveled 3 feet of snow. It's just a typical weekend in the southtowns of Buffalo. It's GameDay. Go Bills!
December 1, 2024 at 4:28 PM
Friday, I cut the lawn. Today, I shoveled 3 feet of snow. It's just a typical weekend in the southtowns of Buffalo. It's GameDay. Go Bills!
This script is 8-scenes long. After 4-scenes audience members will partner up to begin figuring out who is playing which character. Then characters will read the rest. Here is the last scene.
November 28, 2024 at 4:23 PM
This script is 8-scenes long. After 4-scenes audience members will partner up to begin figuring out who is playing which character. Then characters will read the rest. Here is the last scene.
Do you want to review feeling words? Try Shades of Meaning in a Reader's Theater format. Ss need to really take on the role and get the shade of meaning correct in their intonation and expression. Audience members have to figure out who is playing which part.
November 28, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Do you want to review feeling words? Try Shades of Meaning in a Reader's Theater format. Ss need to really take on the role and get the shade of meaning correct in their intonation and expression. Audience members have to figure out who is playing which part.
Brian Selznick. They just finished this one. It is also a massive book, but with far fewer words than what it looks to have. Brian Selznick is a favorite illustrator of many so many pages are just filled with brilliant drawings. The joy of seeing struggling Ss finish a book 14/
November 27, 2024 at 2:52 PM
Brian Selznick. They just finished this one. It is also a massive book, but with far fewer words than what it looks to have. Brian Selznick is a favorite illustrator of many so many pages are just filled with brilliant drawings. The joy of seeing struggling Ss finish a book 14/
Ok, let's get back to these 3 Ss, who are all at quite different "reading levels." This year these 3 Ss all read this heartfelt story by @mrschureads.bsky.social. It is a must have on middle grade classroom shelves. 8/
November 27, 2024 at 2:52 PM
Ok, let's get back to these 3 Ss, who are all at quite different "reading levels." This year these 3 Ss all read this heartfelt story by @mrschureads.bsky.social. It is a must have on middle grade classroom shelves. 8/
I absolutely love books like these, one with amazing illustrations and one written in verse. Both are great stories and are both accessible to struggling 5th grade readers. Huge books, but with far fewer words than what appears. One of my Ss just finished Big Tree and was overjoyed!
November 27, 2024 at 12:52 PM
I absolutely love books like these, one with amazing illustrations and one written in verse. Both are great stories and are both accessible to struggling 5th grade readers. Huge books, but with far fewer words than what appears. One of my Ss just finished Big Tree and was overjoyed!
I like to take pictures of the books that my students read. We are competing to see if we can read more books this year than my class last year. It is also an easy way of seeing what kids read from year to year.
November 27, 2024 at 12:42 PM
I like to take pictures of the books that my students read. We are competing to see if we can read more books this year than my class last year. It is also an easy way of seeing what kids read from year to year.
What my 5th graders read in the last two weeks.
November 27, 2024 at 12:38 PM
What my 5th graders read in the last two weeks.
I try to embed vocabulary into almost all aspects of learning throughout the day. On this day, we were practicing sentences using prepositional phrases. I always tell Ss to embed previously learned vocabulary.
November 27, 2024 at 12:36 PM
I try to embed vocabulary into almost all aspects of learning throughout the day. On this day, we were practicing sentences using prepositional phrases. I always tell Ss to embed previously learned vocabulary.
I'm loving using reader's theater as a way to build prosody and retrieve previously learned vocabulary. A Ss perfectly captured the character "rapture" today. I'm using AI to generate scripts and it is doing it pretty well. This takes place during Great Depression in a railyard.
November 19, 2024 at 11:46 PM
I'm loving using reader's theater as a way to build prosody and retrieve previously learned vocabulary. A Ss perfectly captured the character "rapture" today. I'm using AI to generate scripts and it is doing it pretty well. This takes place during Great Depression in a railyard.
American Revolution
November 19, 2024 at 12:33 AM
American Revolution
Prefixes, roots, and suffixes to consider when teaching about the United States Constitution.
November 19, 2024 at 12:33 AM
Prefixes, roots, and suffixes to consider when teaching about the United States Constitution.
as a retrieval activity knowing that I exposed Ss to other similar/dissimilar words. It is another way to have Ss think about words they have most likely previously learned like decay and decompose.
November 17, 2024 at 3:52 PM
as a retrieval activity knowing that I exposed Ss to other similar/dissimilar words. It is another way to have Ss think about words they have most likely previously learned like decay and decompose.
Affixes/Roots to consider when teaching a unit on immigration.
November 17, 2024 at 2:39 PM
Affixes/Roots to consider when teaching a unit on immigration.
Affixes/Roots to consider when teaching a unit on ecosystems.
November 17, 2024 at 2:33 PM
Affixes/Roots to consider when teaching a unit on ecosystems.
When thinking about morphology, we should think about the most important affixes and roots for each topic area. Let's take civics for example. These are roots that should be an area of focus during a civics unit.
November 17, 2024 at 2:16 PM
When thinking about morphology, we should think about the most important affixes and roots for each topic area. Let's take civics for example. These are roots that should be an area of focus during a civics unit.
I enjoy teaching words. Ss were explicitly taught contemplate, corroborate, integrate, and disintegrate yesterday. Words revolve around the /ae/ spelling unit. I mentioned contemplate and ponder together. I also reviewed contradict when discussing corroborate. Words were 1/
November 16, 2024 at 6:46 PM
I enjoy teaching words. Ss were explicitly taught contemplate, corroborate, integrate, and disintegrate yesterday. Words revolve around the /ae/ spelling unit. I mentioned contemplate and ponder together. I also reviewed contradict when discussing corroborate. Words were 1/