Time-saving Educational resources for K-2 Teachers
The end of each calendar year always brings lots of round-ups, listicles, and best ofs… (Spotify unwrapped anyone?) I thought I’d jump into the mix but with a literacy twist! How about some favorite picture books? I love really good picture books! Today I want to share with you some of my favorite new picture books that were released this… Read More
Even if children cannot yet write, they can still learn to tell stories. This is why oral storytelling practice is such a valuable tool for our emergent writers! Learning to tell stories with detail will help your students write with detail later on. Yet, with all the rich benefits, oral storytelling is often a skill that’s skipped or not done… Read More
The end of the school year is a time of mixed emotions. Students have worked hard all year and are almost at the finish line. Some may be excited for their summer vacation, while others may feel anxious to say goodbye. All these emotions can make classroom management a bit of a struggle! However students may be feeling, one way… 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
Gingerbread men are a staple during the holiday season! So many people are a fan of the little elusive cookie that everyone wishes to devour. Maybe that’s why there are SO many different versions of the classic story. But you don’t have to go digging through all of them to find the best picture books for your gingerbread man unit…. Read More
Using read-alouds to practice phonological awareness activities is a great way to motivate your little learners while exposing them to lots of important skills. Here are some great picture books for teaching phonological awareness and phonics. I also added ideas for activities to do with most books! *You can click on any title to purchase the books via Amazon. These… Read More
Do you remember your teachers reading to you? I don’t remember much about being a student in first grade, but something I do remember is the feeling I’d get when it was storytime. Mrs. Mayerhofer had a way of engaging us with stories and it seemed magical! Read-alouds are a cornerstone of instruction. We all know the importance and many… Read More
Do you love Gingerbread Man activities as much as I do? I just love using these fun stories and incorporating all content areas in my gingerbread man unit. Here are some of the fun things we do! All of the activities shown are included in my Gingerbread Man Mega-Pack. I start by reading The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. I… Read More