Quick Win for Reading

Hey there! Got a minute? I've been meaning to tell you something that totally changed my reading instruction, especially for upper elementary. So, after all that LETRS training, you know how everyone thinks picture books and read-alouds are just for K-2? NOPE. I'm telling you, they are pure magic for upper elementary too, especially for building comprehension. And guess what? Yup, you know me so well… I made something for it.

Seriously, if you want to supercharge reading comprehension and save yourself a ton of prep time, you should check out my QAR Question Answer Relationships strategy guide bundle.

You know QAR, right? It's that high-yield strategy based on Science of Reading research – a total game-changer for getting kids to really think about what they're reading. But making the guides? Ugh. Time.

That's where this bundle comes in. I pulled together ready-to-use QAR guides specifically for four captivating biographical picture books:

• Brothers at Bat

• So Far From the Sea

• Dancing Hands

• Finding Winnie

(You'll just grab the books from your library, obviously!)

Each guide is just a single page, ready to print (black & white or color!), or you can totally throw it into Google Classroom or Canvas for digital annotation. I tried to make this super easy to integrate.

These guides break down comprehension into those four QAR types: Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, and On Your Own. It's awesome for pushing kids beyond surface-level reading, developing that critical thinking they need for all texts.

I use them for whole class, small groups, literacy centers, even independent practice. So versatile. It really helps meet those diverse learning needs.

You know how crucial it is to get them reading strategically, not just "decoding." This bundle helps them do exactly that, with stories they'll actually love.

I'm actually heading to the library soon to find some more great picture books for this school year. I'm already thinking about what new QAR guides I can create to help you out even more in the near future.

So, make sure you grab this set of QAR guides to get started. One more thing, if you follow me on TPT and subscribe to my Substack you'll know exactly when those next sets become available!

Before I go, I'm curious: what types of picture books—genre, topic, specific themes, etc.—would you love to see more QAR guides for? Let me know in the comments; that could really help me decide on a few new books to add to the collection!