No matter what grade you teach in elementary, helping students develop strong social-emotional skills is always a part of your unspoken curriculum. Helping our young students grow into confident, kind adults can be done in so many different ways. One of my favorite ways to do this is to use books to teach social skills. […]
When it comes to teaching students to learn how to read, there are so many different resources and tools for teachers. One of my favorite tools is a reading passage. You can pack so much teaching and practice into such a short amount of text with reading passages. But which kind should you use – […]
Use these making predictions activities and lesson plan ideas to help your students develop stronger reading comprehension. When you’re sitting and reading a book aloud to your students, how do you know they’re engaged and listening? How can you tell students are listening to learn and comprehend? One easy way is to find out if […]
**Amazon affiliate links are used in the post below at no cost to you. This is a small way to support the blog. 🙂 I first heard of the book Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates as more and […]
When you think of the back-to-school season, you probably think of decorating your classroom, labeling everything with students’ names, participating in professional development, contacting parents, and prepping for Meet the Teacher Night. There is so much to do! To help make this school year a bit easier, I put together a list of my favorite […]
Learn all about why a phonics scope and sequence is critical to teaching and grab a free one to use in your reading small groups. My district gave us blueprints at the beginning of each school year for each subject area. It showed us the units we would teach and what the objectives and outcomes […]
When it comes to using manipulatives in the classroom, we often think of math manipulatives. What about using literacy manipulatives in the classroom? Yes, friends! Literacy manipulatives are a great way to help readers develop stronger phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills. Chances are that you are already using some literacy manipulatives in your own classroom. […]
When it comes to reading small groups, one common question I get from teachers is “Now what?” You have assessed your students, now what? You have grouped your students based on skill need or reading level, now what? Knowing what to do with your students once you know where they are in their reading journey […]
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 it comes to April Fools’ Day, teachers either love it or hate it! I liked to do some April Fools’ Day activities and jokes to help keep students engaged because I knew it was on their minds. I’ve turned all the tables backward and put broccoli on wrapped lollipop sticks as little pranks on […]
I can still remember learning about teeth and dentists through our dental health activities back when I was in elementary school. Can you? I remember seeing a huge model of a mouth and taking turns brushing its teeth. I can also picture the dentist who came to talk to us in first grade. And I’m […]
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 […]
When January rolls around, students are often in a post-holiday wild phase. Or they may even be in a post-holiday blues mood. Either way, we need to regroup as a class community and kick off the new year with some exciting and engaging activities. One unit kindergarten and first grade teachers often start with in […]
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 […]
We all know that teaching is such an intensive job, no matter what grade or subject you teach. From writing meaningful plans and delivering amazing lessons to organizing holiday parties and meeting all of the needs of your students, you do a ton each and every single day. I wanted to put together a list […]
When it comes to holiday classroom parties, do you prefer a free for all style of party or a calmer, more organized party? I am all about keeping classroom parties simple, making them easy to manage, and letting parents help as much as possible. One way to bring some (organized) fun in the classroom no […]
The month of October is filled with so many fun themes from spiders to bats to pumpkins to Red Ribbon Week to Halloween! I feel like it kicks off the holiday season that just naturally ramps up the classroom excitement. Anytime you can bring these fun-filled events into the classroom while still giving students ways […]
