Change. It can be tough. If you have spent a few years in a classroom, you know that change is inevitable. Year after year things change. We adopt new ways. We learn new things about teaching practices, new research like the science of reading, the way students learn, and we reexamine the way we have […]
One of my favorite memories is when my first grade teacher introduced me to poetry. She read one of Shel Silverstein’s books aloud to our class, and it captivated me. I loved that poems could be funny, serious, and written in so many different formats. I went to the library after school and checked out […]
When it comes to teacher hacks, I’m always on the hunt for new ones. Helper cards to remind students of directions? Yes! Treasure trash to motivate students to clean up? You bet. When I learned how to print on sticky notes, my life was changed. (I realize that’s a little dramatic, but I was so […]
When March rolls around in the classroom, most teachers feel one of two ways. Either very excited to be in the middle of the last semester of school or panicking that time is running out to teach all of the things. I always felt like there was never enough time to squeeze in everything to […]
When you teach kindergarten, first, and second grade, you have such a variety of readers in your classroom. Some can read on an advanced fourth grade level. Some students are nonreaders. Many students fall in between and need help with phonological awareness and phonics skills. When it comes to creating reading small groups, where do […]
Friends, we’ve learned a lot this past year about how to best teach reading with our students. It is so important to give our students a strong phonics foundation so that they are strong, confident decoders. But how do we make sure we are prompting them and teaching them with the science of reading in […]
Decodable readers have become pretty popular in the literacy community. Where are you at with using decodable readers? Do you know where to start? Maybe you’ve been hearing all about them, but you haven’t had a chance to sit down and dive in. Maybe you’re still not even sure why using decodable readers in your […]
This year, the Winter Olympics begin on February 4th and run through February 20th. If your students are like mine have been in the past, I’m sure you’ll have lots of them watching some of the games on TV. By the end of January this year, with all the craziness going on, I’m sure a […]
Have you started something with really good intentions, only to realize that you had to make some changes to your plan? Or maybe you were moving and grooving with something that seemed to be working really well until someone pointed out a flaw in your system? We’ve all been there, friend! With all of the […]
We know things are changing in literacy instruction. I’ve learned so much about the importance of phonics instruction and see the value in it. I’ve been digging into the Science of Reading and how it fits with small group instruction. One popular topic right now is using decodable passages and books in your reading small […]
Every December, my students and I would create an amazing staycation in our classroom by learning about Christmas around the world. We would do traditional crafts, learn songs, and even try different foods. One of my favorite ways to introduce this topic is through books about Christmas around the world traditions. The holiday season not […]
Reader’s workshop is always a favorite time of the day. If you have been around here for long, you have heard me say before I LOVED the concept of it, but could never find my groove with it in the classroom. I loved the mini-lessons. There’s something special about being together as a class and […]
I am all about a great read aloud, but a read aloud about a subject that’s close to my heart? Even better! Using books about adoption can be mirrors and windows for our little learners: mirrors that show relatable stories and windows to give students a peek into something new. This is a powerful time […]
My first year teaching I was clueless about word work activities and how to manage them. There was a spot for it on my daily schedule, but I didn’t exactly know what it was or what to do with that time. As I went through my first year, I learned what that time should look […]
Have you ever sat down to plan for your reading small groups and just felt stuck? You might stare at your lesson plan and draw a blank. Or you realize your lessons are starting to look the exact same each day, but you can’t come up with something new to try. We’ve all been there! […]
You may feel like there are a million things to do right now and a million more things to learn how to do. You’re not alone! Teachers like you are busier than ever trying to serve their students and families. Instead of giving you a long list of things to do to move your readers […]
In my early teaching years, I thought guided writing was just helping a student write. Whether that be helping them stretch out a word, generate an idea for their story, or help with the organization of their story, I thought I was doing guided writing. In reality, I wasn’t. I typically coached them through what […]
You’ve set up your classroom and small group area. You’ve found a solid set of decodable and leveled readers. You’ve assessed your students and formed reading small groups. But do you know what the first day of guided reading looks like? When you call students’ names to your table, do you know what you’re going […]
