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12 Best Fall Books for Kids to Plan October Reading
October is the perfect time for fun fall picture books in your classroom. From pumpkins and falling leaves to fire safety and spooky (but not too scary!) tales, there are so many wonderful fall picture books to help build comprehension skills all month long. In this post, I’ve rounded up 12 of my favorite fall…
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First Day of School Activities for Kindergarten & 1st Grade
The first day of school is exciting—and a little nerve-wracking, too! These first day of school activities for kindergarten and 1st grade will help you have a clear, simple plan to start the year off right. In this post, I’ll walk you through my exact first-day schedule, with activities that build community, introduce routines, and…
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End-of-year Classroom Clean-up Checklist: 10 Must-Dos
Looking forward to the last day of school? Teachers and students alike can’t wait for summer break! But before you head for the beach (or couch), don’t skip this end-of-year classroom clean-up checklist! A little work now can save you tons of time and stress in the fall! The last thing we want in June…
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10 End Of The Year Student Gift Ideas for Kindergarten and First Grade
Looking for creative and affordable end of the year gift ideas? As the school year wraps up, it’s an exciting time for students, but it can be a LOT of work for teachers. Between organizing, packing, writing report cards, and classroom management, we still make time to celebrate our students and give them a sweet…
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Teaching Main Idea and Details
Teaching main idea and details in kindergarten and first grade might sound like something to save for later—after students are fluent readers. But here’s the truth: even our youngest learners can start to understand the “big picture” of a text- a skill that will support their comprehension across all subjects. In this post, I’m sharing…
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Discover New Mentor Texts for Your How-to Writing Unit
Procedural writing or “How-to” is one of my favorite units to teach during Writers’ Workshop! There are so many fun ways to introduce the unit that will engage students. One of the best ways to help students during any writing unit, however, is the use of mentor texts. Mentor texts provide concrete examples of great…
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Writing How-to Books in Kindergarten
Kids love to be the expert on things—whether it’s tying their shoes, making a sandwich, or building the perfect block tower. That’s why how-to writing in kindergarten is such a fun and meaningful way to get them excited about writing! In this post, I’ll share simple strategies for teaching how-to books, along with engaging activities…
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Quick Phonics Assessments for Small Groups: Decoding & Spelling Check
Let’s be honest—small group reading is only effective if the groups target the students’ current needs. But kids grow fast, and if you haven’t adjusted your groups in a while, chances are you need a quick phonics assessment to regroup your students and meet them where they are right now. Before you plan another small…
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12 Christmas Picture Books to Read Aloud in December
December is the perfect month to wrap up some picture books to read aloud throughout the month! Every day, students get excited to see the surprise book of the day and look forward to the unwrapping. It’s the classroom version of unboxing! There are SO many books to read in December, from the many holidays…
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How List Writing Builds Confidence in Spelling for Beginning Writers
Writing sentences can be hard for our emergent writers. They have to remember a string of words, have a small bank of sight words to work with, and they need to stretch out words they don’t know how to spell. It’s A LOT. To add to the trouble, many students are hesitant to stretch out…
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Top 5 Phonics Activities That Boost Reading Skills
I think it’s unanimous now- explicit phonics instruction is a MUST for learning to read. But not all phonics activities are created equal! With all of the options out there, which ones are most effective and efficient? Let’s cut through the noise and take a close look at five phonics activities that make a real…
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Top Election Day Books for Kids to Learn About Voting
Election Day is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect chance to introduce our students to the importance of voting! I love a great picture book to help me teach important concepts, so I’ve put together a list of my favorite Election Day books to help you do the same! And I’ve made you…