Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Elementary School
Mother’s Day is coming up. It wasn’t until I was a mother to my two kiddos that I realized how much moms cherish the little Mother’s Day crafts kids make in school. Many crafts are geared towards preschool and lower-elementary, so I thought I would share some of my favorite Mother’s Day gift ideas for second grade and up. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Mother’s Day
3 Fun Teaching Ideas for Career Day
Thursday, April 28th is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. I’ll never forget the excitement of “skipping school” on this day to follow my dad into his office for a fun lunch at McDonalds. Then, later on, when he worked at home, convincing my mom I needed to “stay home” to watch him work, even though I basically saw what he did every day anyway. For me, the
10 Things Teachers Need to Know About Autism
As a teacher, I worked with many children on the autism spectrum. Although I learned a lot by working directly with these students, there are a lot of things about autism I can never understand. Izzy Lively is a lifestyle content creator for neurodivergent individuals who desperately want to live independently. She is sharing the ten things teachers need to know about autism. When she’s not creating content, you can
Six Earth Day Teaching Resources & Ideas
Are you searching for out-of-the-box Earth Day activities to help students read, write, and create while learning about the important responsibility of protecting our planet? Here are six activities that teachers and students love when celebrating Earth Day. These Earth Day teaching resources move beyond the basics and challenge students to think critically while practicing important skills. 1. Practice Speaking and Listening with an Earth Day PBL Resource! Challenge your
How to Use Close Reading to Unlock Deeper Thinking
Thinking critically about complex texts and answering text-dependent questions can be tricky for many students, especially for young readers, and yet thorough analysis of texts is an essential skill for all. Using Close Reading, students can unlock deeper thinking with any text. What is Close Reading? Close Reading refers to the process of actively reading a text multiple times in order to generate a deep understanding and create meaning. Close
Five Fun Tips to Celebrate National Poetry Month
Since its creation in 1996, National Poetry Month has reminded the public of the importance poetry plays in our culture and has become the biggest literacy celebration in America. Here are five fun ideas and resources to help you make celebrating National Poetry Month feel more like a party and less like a chore. 1. Read Alouds I love to bring poetry into the classroom for read alouds. Since they’re
Five Fun Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Tricksters
Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day! So you might as well wrap some meaningful learning into this fun theme. From reading to math to STEM, here are my top five fun ideas and resources for St. Patrick’s Day. These are guaranteed to get your students so engaged that they will forget they are practicing key skills. Fun Idea #1: Virtual Field Trip to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day Take
Five Ideas for Read Across America Week
Read Across America Week is coming up! Beginning in 2019, the NEA decided to end its licensing agreement with Seuss Enterprises and focus on diversity. Read Across America Week is a wonderful time to run with this theme and introduce your learners to a wide range of diverse authors and books. I love Read Across America Week because it presents the opportunity to incorporate a ton of cross-curricular activities that
How to Implement Strategy Groups Successfully
Small-group instruction is a highly effective way to close reading gaps with students once they get their arms around the foundations of reading. Strategy groups are small groups of students (4-6) who have gaps with a particular skill or strategy. Students in these groups are often reading at different levels, so it’s important to have a solid plan. In this post, I share ideas about how to successfully implement strategy
Four Amazing Valentine’s Day Teaching Ideas
Valentine’s Day is one of the most exciting holidays for elementary-aged students. Who doesn’t love all of the thoughtful cards and delicious sweets? Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to harness this excitement and do a variety of meaningful and exciting activities. Here are my top four Valentine’s Day teaching ideas and resources. Valentine’s Day Teaching Idea #1: Virtual Field Trip to Rome Take your students to Rome to learn
