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How to Use Guided Reading Warm-ups
If you teach kindergarten through 2nd grade, you know that guided reading is an essential component of literacy instruction. The way I’ve conducted guided reading has changed over the years and some people aren’t fond of the term guided reading, but small-group reading instruction is essential in order to differentiate and meet your students’ needs…
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Stretching Words Out: Emergent Writing Strategy
It can be daunting for emergent writers to stretch out words, especially long words. Many kindergarten students are very artistic and can add details to their pictures, but when asked to add words, they sometimes hesitate or say they don’t know how to, even if they do have some letter-sound knowledge. Writing Warm-Ups To get…
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Top 8 Picture Books for Teaching Beginning Writers
Every teacher I know loves a good picture book, especially if it helps us to teach an important concept. When it comes to teaching beginning writers, I always use picture books! Picture books are perfect for supporting students in the drawing and storytelling stage. The Drawing Stage Oftentimes in kindergarten, students are rushed to write…
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7 Key Components to Elevate Your Small Group Reading Lessons
Are you comfortable teaching small-group reading? Do you always know what you’re going to do and have no problem planning your lessons? Or, do you struggle to plan your lessons and visualize how they will work in your small groups? With the shift happening in guided reading to follow the research behind the science of…
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Setting Up Your Small Group Reading Corner: 5 Must Haves!
If you’re wondering how to set up your small group reading corner and what tools you’ll need to get started, I’ve got you covered! This is the first post in our Small-Group Reading series. Read part two here, and part three here. Kindergarten and first-grade teachers know the importance of minimizing waiting time for our…
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7 Steps For a Successful First Small Group Reading Session
Your first small group reading session is going to set the tone for the whole school year. So, it’s important to keep a few things in mind as you plan it! If you’re wondering exactly what I do the first time I meet with my small groups for reading, get ready for a peek inside…
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Fun Ways to End the School Year with a Bang
Between organizing, packing, cleaning, summer vacation excitement, and class management, the end of the year can be a little overwhelming. But despite everything you have to do, you still want to enjoy your students and make it memorable! I’m sharing some fun ways to end the school year and make great memories with your students!…
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End of Year Writing Activities for Kindergarten and First Grade
As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to review important skills. During the last month of school, I use these end-of-year writing activities to review the writing genres we covered throughout the year. Now, these have to be fun, because kids’ attention spans and effort are often at an all-time low!…
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10 April Read Alouds for Kindergarten and First grade (Perfect for Spring!)
April can feel like a bit of a juggling act. Between spring fever, unpredictable weather, indoor recess, Easter, Earth Day, and everything in between, there’s a lot going on. That’s why I love having a spring read-alouds that are fun, purposeful, and easy to plan around. In this post, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite…
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15 Easy Activities to Increase and Practice Fluency
Did you see the movie Zootopia? Well, there’s a famous scene at the DMV where a sloth takes fooooooreeeeever to help the main character, who is in a huge rush! Even the sloth’s laugh is super slow and the whole scene is really very funny. While it’s hilarious in a cartoon movie, when it happens…
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10 Picture Books for Goal-setting with Students
This time of the school year is perfect to work on goal-setting. The students are returning back from break and it’s a great time to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. Students will of course need some guidance with setting their goals. Using picture books is always a great way to help…
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Best Fiction & Non-fiction Books For Teaching About Winter Animals
In January, when the temperature drops and snow starts to fall, I begin teaching one of my favorite units: Animals in Winter. I designed my own non-fiction unit that covers hibernation, adaptation, migration, camouflage, and more! You can read all about it here. Many teachers also begin this unit in January so I wanted to…
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Animals in Winter- Hibernation, Migration, Camouflage, Adaptation
If science takes the back burner in your school, a unit on winter animals is an exciting way to incorporate more science into your January plans! Since there is often such little scheduled time for science, I want to make sure my lessons are meaningful and engaging. I make sure they are well-planned and concise,…
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Gingerbread House Craft for the Primary Classroom
December just doesn’t feel complete without a gingerbread house-building activity! You can make an edible one, but I prefer a crafty one! In this post, I’ll share some tips for making a gingerbread house craft with your students- everything from making the house to extending the activity, and even how to manage the time! Be…
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