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The Productive Teacher
I help teachers and parents build knowledgeable, skilled readers based on research findings within the Science of Reading.
Explore the Parts of Literacy
Decoding Words
phonological awareness, phonics, syllables, orthographic mapping,
Vocabulary
morphology (Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, suffixes), word meanings and relationships, connotation, academic vocabulary
Grammar
parts of speech, sentence structure, syntax, punctuation, usage
Writing
sentence construction, paragraphs, organization, composition, written expression
Background Knowledge
science, history, geography, culture
Reading Comprehension
main ideas, inference, summarizing, text structure, figurative language
Explore Topics
Elementary Science
Middle School Science
Elementary Social Studies
U.S. History
World History
Elementary Culture
About Me
Hi, I’m Cate, a teacher, literacy researcher, writer, and mom of four. I have taught elementary and middle school since 2012 and am currently a Ph.D. student in Literacy, Language, and Culture at Texas Woman’s University.
As the mother of two children with dyslexia, I am passionate about making learning to read accessible to as many children as possible by empowering teachers and parents with knowledge and practical resources grounded in literacy research.
You can reach me anytime at Cate@TheProductiveTeacher.org!
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The Productive Teacher
Explore my Teachers Pay Teachers store, where more than 8,600 teacher reviews have earned The Productive Teacher a 4.9 out of 5 rating. With 700+ resources and more than 3,000 followers, you'll find practical, engaging materials designed to help students build knowledge and strengthen their reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and more.
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Igneous Rocks for Middle School Science
Igneous rocks form when hot, melted rock (magma or lava) cools and hardens. If the rock cools underground, it forms intrusive igneous rocks like granite, which have large crystals. If it cools above ground after a volcano erupts, it forms extrusive igneous rocks like basalt or pumice, which have small or no crystals. These rocks are very strong and make up most of Earth’s crust. They are used in buildings, roads, and even cleaning products like pumice stones. If you would lik
2 min read
The Rock Cycle for Middle School Science
The rock cycle describes how rocks change on Earth. Rock can transition between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock as it moves through the Earth's crust. This blog post will help students understand and remember all the different parts of the rock cycle. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. The Rock Cycle The Rock Cycle The rock cycle describes h
3 min read
Metamorphic Rocks for Middle School Science
Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are changed by heat, pressure, or both deep inside the Earth. This process does not melt the rock but changes its structure and minerals over a long time. For example, limestone can turn into marble, and shale can become slate. These rocks are often stronger than the original rocks and can have shiny layers or wavy patterns. Metamorphic rocks are used in buildings, sculptures, and countertops because they are tough and beautifu
2 min read
Sedimentary Rocks for Middle School Science
Sedimentary rocks are made when small pieces of rock, sand, and other materials build up in layers over time. Water, wind, or ice carry these pieces to new places, where they settle and get pressed together. Over millions of years, they harden into rock. There are different types of sedimentary rocks, like sandstone, which comes from sand, and limestone, which forms from shells and sea creatures. These rocks are important because they can hold fossils, telling us about Earth'
3 min read
The Nitrogen Cycle for Middle School Science
The Nitrogen Cycle describes how nitrogen moves through the environment. Like carbon, nitrogen exists both in the atmosphere and on the surface of the Earth. In fact, nitrogen is the most common gas in our atmosphere. Nitrogen is also an important element for plant growth, but plants can't access it without help from bacteria. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay
3 min read
The Phosphorus Cycle for Middle School Science
The Phosphorus Cycle describes how phosphorus moves through the environment. Unlike carbon and nitrogen, phosphorus doesn't exist as a gas in the atmosphere. Instead, it is found in rocks and water. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. The Phosphorus Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle The phosphorus cycle describes how phosphorus moves through the environment. U
2 min read
The Carbon Cycle for Middle School Science
The Carbon Cycle describes how carbon moves through the environment. Carbon exists as a gas in the atmosphere and as a solid as a part of rocks. Carbon is also a part of plants and animals. It is incredibly important to life as we know it. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. The Carbon Cycle The Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle describes how carbon moves t
4 min read
Tornadoes for Middle School Science
Tornadoes are one type of extreme weather. They happen when cold air gets on top of warm air. The falling cold air and the rising warm air can lead to violently rotating columns of air. Tornadoes happen on every continent except Antarctica, but they are most common in the United States. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. Tornadoes Tornadoes Tornadoes a
4 min read
Hurricanes for Middle School Science
Hurricanes are one type of extreme weather. They are an example of what happens when the water cycle goes into overdrive because of excess heat. The topic of hurricanes can be confusing because there are many different names for these tropical storms. Other names include tropical cyclones and typhoons. All of these names describe the same type of powerful storms. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comp
4 min read
The Atmosphere for Middle School Science
The atmosphere is a big topic. The atmosphere is the layers of gases that surround the Earth. It is where all of our weather happens. It is also where the International Space Station orbits the Earth. If you would like to get the bundle of atmosphere-related reading passages, picture books, flashcards, and comprehension activities, you can find it at Teachers Pay Teachers. An Introduction to the Atmosphere The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth. It is essen
2 min read
All About Weather for Middle School Science
Clouds are an important part of the water cycle. Clouds are how liquid water moves through the atmosphere. This blog post will teach you all about how clouds form, the different types of clouds, and how clouds affect the Earth. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. Weather What is Weather? Weather is the temporary condition of the atmosphere in a specific
4 min read
All About Clouds for Middle School Science
Clouds are an important part of the water cycle. Clouds are how liquid water moves through the atmosphere. This blog post will teach you all about how clouds form, the different types of clouds, and how clouds affect the Earth. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. Clouds Clouds Clouds are collections of water droplets and ice crystals floating in the sky
3 min read
Global Atmospheric Circulation for Middle School Science
Global atmospheric circulation is the way that the air molecules of the atmosphere move around the Earth due to the uneven heating of the planet by the sun. This topic connects weather, climate, and space. It is also a way to talk about environments and the plants, animals, and people who have adapted to them. If you would like a copy of the picture book, you can get it along with the reading passage, flashcards, and comprehension activities at Teachers Pay Teachers. Global
4 min read
The Water Cycle for Middle School Science
The water cycle is a topic that kids learn about throughout elementary and middle school. The basic ideas stay the same, but the vocabulary gets more complex as students get older. The picture book below is helpful for both elementary and middle school students learning about the water cycle. The Water Cycle You may also want to share information on the water cycle in a reading passage. You can purchase this printable reading passage and the accompanying comprehension activit
3 min read
A History of Chemistry: Bonding
Chemical bonding was first described by a German physicist, Walther Kossel, in his paper published in April 1916. Just one month later, American chemist Gilbert Lewis published his paper on the same topic. Kossel focused his paper on what we now call ionic bonding. He had worked with Sommerfeld on electron orbits and argued that only electrons in the outermost shell of atoms could escape the atom. Once the electron left the atom, the atom had a net positive charge. This posit
1 min read
A History of Chemistry: Avogadro's Law
While working with compounds, Amedeo Avogadro developed his theory that all gases with the same volume, at the same temperature and pressure, have the same number of particles. In his experiment decomposing water, Avogadro found that the hydrogen gas and the water vapor had the same volume. How was this possible? Adding the hydrogen and oxygen together to make water vapor should result in a larger volume, but it didn’t. Avogadro believed that when gaseous atoms combined into
1 min read
All About Atoms for Middle School Science
Atoms make up everything around us. Over the last 200 years, we have gone from discovering that atoms exist to identifying the quarks that make up the protons of the atom's nucleus. Each step along this path of discovery was made possible by brilliant scientists and the use of new technologies. You can learn more about atoms by checking out the Google Slides below. If you would like a copy of the presentation, you can get it at Teachers Pay Teachers. Atoms Everything around u
4 min read
Work, Power, and Simple Machines for Middle School Science
Work, power, and simple machines are all related to force. If you haven't checked out our force page yet, you may want to read it before focusing on work, power, and simple machines. You can learn more about work, power, and simple machines by checking out the Google Slides below. If you would like a copy of the presentation, you can get it at Teachers Pay Teachers. Work, Power, and Simple Machines A force is a push or a pull. There are many types of force, including friction
5 min read
A History of Chemistry: Atomic Numbers
In 1911, a Dutch physicist, Antonius van den Broek, published his hypothesis that the atomic number of each element should represent the number of protons in the nucleus. At the time, atomic numbers were assigned by each element’s placement on the periodic table designed by Mendeleev. Therefore, atomic numbers were assigned by weight. Van den Broek’s theory was revolutionary, but he had no proof to support his hypothesis. Two years later, Henry Moseley, a British physicist wh
1 min read
A History of Chemistry: Ancient Times
Matter is all around us. Everything we can see, and even things we can’t see, is made up of matter. Ancient people learned to work with matter, but they didn’t call it chemistry. Around 2000 BCE, the Bronze Age began. Before the Bronze Age, tools and weapons were made out of stone. Copper had been used for small items such as beads and small ornaments, and some tools were made from copper, but the metal isn’t very strong. At the beginning of the Bronze Age, people began combi
2 min read
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