Resource Round-Up: Back to School ELA Freebies

Back to school in your ELA classroom just got easier. Starting a brand new school year requires a ton of planning and organization. These freebies are a great way to ease the stress and start the year strong.

Growth Mindset Freebie

This free download is a great way to begin a discussion about how growth mindset can be applied in your classroom. The text describes a basketball player’s mission to improve his free throws. It can work as a quick check of reading comprehension and short answer skills as well!

Student Bookshelf Freebie

This free printable from English Elixir is a fun visual tool for students to track their reading during the school year. Students can add it to their binders to begin a reading log.

Attendance Questions

One of my favorite finds from Instagram, The Townie Teacher provides a free list of questions to ask during attendance. This daily process is quick and can be a great way to build classroom culture. Also, it ensures that you hear from each of your students every day. The Townie Teacher shares all of her resources for free–she’s an excellent resource for ELA teachers. Follow her on IG: @thetownieteacher.

Bookstagram Bulletin Board Kit

Create culture that encourages students to love reading with this free Bookstagram Bulletin Board Kit from Reading and Writing Haven. If your students are like mine, they will love taking and sharing pics with their classmates.

Free Sub Plans Binder Cover

Help keep your sub plans organized and ready to use with this free, editable download. Your administrators and team members will be glad you did when you need to call out unexpectedly.

“La Luna” Pixar Short Film Questions

Pixar films are a great way to engage students in standards-based tasks. This 7 minute film pairs perfectly with these questions from ReadWriteMiddle.

Writing with the RACE Strategy Freebie

Start the year strong by teaching your students a helpful strategy for writing constructed responses with textual evidence. The RACE Strategy stands for “Re-state, Answer, Cite, and Explain.” Get this free practice passage and question here!