Do your students have trouble thinking of writing topics? Do they not really see themselves as writers? Writing notebooks are a great way for elementary students to live like writers by jotting down writing topics whenever they come to mind in their everyday life. Learn all about writing notebooks for
Teaching biographies can feel intimidating at first, but once you have a solid understanding of the genre, a roadmap of how to teach it, and teaching resources and activities, it’s easy! This post will equip you with all of that and more! You’ll feel prepared (and maybe even excited) about
Before I get into sharing some simple word study ideas, let me tell you something: sometimes things are just ironic. I’ve been working with my first grade son on word study patterns that complement his weekly focus in class. For example, last week they did long i using “magic e”
Do you know Todd Parr? Oh, how I love him. At home, we have his book, Underwear Dos and Don’ts. My twins can’t get enough of that book. My son is 6 and he loves it, but he’s a 6 year old boy and underwear is funny. The girls are
Printable math manipulatives used to just be a good tool for homework support, when classroom manipulatives went missing, or when we didn’t have access due to financial constraints. 2020 changed everything. Now printable math manipulatives are an essential resource for all elementary teachers. Whether you use remote learning, distance learning,
When I taught kindergarten I welcomed guest readers into my classroom, which I referred to as mystery readers. My little ones were so excited to see who the secret guest would be. We had moms, dads, siblings, grandparents and other special friends. I remember getting a note from one of
Are you looking for a word study center that is highly engaging, reusable, easily prepped, student-driven, and open-ended for differentiation purposes? This classroom BOGGLE center is exactly what you need! It’s an interactive word study display called BOGGLE that is very popular among elementary teachers. Learn more about it and
Some teachers think that listening centers are just for kindergarten, first, and second graders; however, the older kids love listening centers too! Students of all ages benefit tremendously from listening to texts being read aloud. This post shares information about listening centers, as well as tons of ideas for setting
The library is one of the most important parts of an elementary classroom. There are so many different ways to organize and set up this space in your classroom. Your decision on how to organize comes down to your personal preference, grade level, and space. You want to make it
Elementary teachers often look for classroom reading nook ideas or search for pictures of classroom reading corners for inspiration the weeks leading up to back to school. The great thing is that you don’t actually need to go out of your way to design or create a reading nook in
Oh, the classroom library! It is one of those things that I’ve changed and tweaked many times throughout my career. And I am VERY sure I will continue to change and tweak as the years go on. I’ve sorted them by guided reading level, by genre, by author, by topic
