Time-saving Educational resources for K-2 Teachers
Hey, teachers! It’s almost the end of the year for most of you and I know you can almost taste the saltiness of the beach air and the sweetness of a piña colada! The summer is a time when you hopefully get to relax, let loose, and have fun! But, it’s also a time when you can recharge your teaching… Read More
You finished your writing unit and kids worked hard to plan, write, revise, and edit their stories. You worked hard conducting mini-lessons, conferencing, and guiding kids to become better writers. The writing unit is over and you’re about to start a new genre. But, wait! Celebrate all of that hard work with a writing celebration! A writing celebration is not… Read More
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 writing and are motivating! Like… Read More
Recently on my blog, I discussed the importance of teaching sequencing with teaching tips and activity ideas. One of my tips for teaching sequencing was to practice with simple texts. Texts that have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Today, I wanted to share 16 of my favorite books for teaching sequencing. When making this list, I tried to have… Read More
If you teach pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade, you know how important retelling a story is. Language, comprehension, story vocabulary….there are so many skills covered when students practice retelling! One of our favorite ways to retell stories was acting it out, whether using pieces on a pocket or with popsicle stick puppets. Both of these are always a lot of… Read More
Some kids LOVE when they get called for guided reading. They may cheer, get their book baggie, and skip over to you with a smile. But, some kids dread it and drag their feet across the room to your table. If lack of confidence is the culprit for their lack of motivation, then you’ll want to read this post. I’ll… Read More
Do you have students who don’t love to read? Most students in kindergarten and first grade love being read to and looking through pictures in books, but it may be a different story when they’re asked to read. Reading is an important part of school and life, but not all kids love it. Luckily, there are some simple ways to… Read More
I had so many questions after reading one of my student’s stories: “I asked my mom if I could have cake and my sister got mad at me. Mom said it was ok so we had the cake. My dad got the cake for my mom.” After questioning, I learned that Dad had bought a birthday cake for Mom and… Read More
Teachers know assessment is key in planning instruction. BUT, it’s not easy finding time to assess in your already-busy schedule. I used to sit with each of my students for such a long time, then have to manually input data, look at charts across screens or notes…all times the number of students I had. And if I wanted to group… Read More
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 share some fiction and nonfiction… Read More