Thinking stems are a powerful tool for elementary teachers. They completely transform the way students respond to prompts and class discussions. Learn about what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in your classroom below! What is a Thinking Stem? A thinking stem is a visual
In my classroom, we have book buddies. These partnerships come in two forms: Classroom Book Clubs and Reading Partners. A book club consists of a group of students (typically 4-6 is manageable) while reading partners are just two classmates. Both groupings operate in the same manner: The students read the
Today my family and I are planning to pop in to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I made a new resource that fits the theme of the day. I think it’s also perfect for this time of year as things start winding down and the familiar glow of screen in a
If you are looking for fun ways to teach inferencing at the elementary level, then you found the right place! This post shares 5 fun ways to teach inferencing. As you know, inferencing is such an important skill to develop in order to be effective readers and critical thinkers. That’s
I am so excited to share my READer’s Workshop Rotation Board with you. My Math Workshop Rotation Board is one of my most popular resources. I found it to be so successful in my classroom, that I created a similar format for structuring my reading block. Read all about my system
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
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
