New on the Blog

Thankful Writing Craftivity Freebie

November is right around the corner, and what better time to write about all the things we are thankful for? This writing topic might seem may seem trite and overdone, but we can never overdo the message of showing  

Making Connections with Pumpkin Seed Multiplication

When kids first learn about multiplication, it’s an alien concept. The best way to help them understand what multiplication means is to use manipulatives, and to introduce multiplication as a shortcut for repeated addition.

Pumpkin Seed Multiplication is a fun,  

6 Reasons to Teach Poetry in the Fall

When do you start teaching poetry in your classroom? If you wait until April because it’s National Poetry Month, consider introducing poetry during the first few months of the school year instead. In fact, I can think of at  

Free Earth Day Resources: Just a Dream to Save Our Planet

A few years ago I posted a question on Facebook asking teachers to tell me their favorite book to read aloud for Earth Day, and Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg was the top recommendation.  

Leprechaun Luck Math Game Digital Challenge

If you’re looking for a fun and educational math game for your students to play on St. Patrick’s Day, Leprechaun Luck might be exactly what you need! But then again, it might not, and that’s  

How to Get Started with Boom Cards

Whether you’ll be starting the school year online, in the classroom, or both, one of your biggest challenges will be finding digital resources that can be adapted for the new reality of teaching during a pandemic. Fortunately, Boom Cards  

How to Teach Social Skills, Step by Step

Seating students together is not enough to ensure teamwork. Many kids have very little idea how to interact appropriately with their classmates. They simply lack the social skills needed to perform the most basic cooperative learning tasks. Lack of  

December Activities Your Kids Will Love!

Seasonal lessons are perfect for the weeks leading up to the winter holidays. Those days can be chaotic, so it’s important to plan lessons that are both meaningful and fun. Kids are more likely to stay on task when  

Teach Kindness on Pay It Forward Day

Have you ever heard of Pay It Forward Day? Each year, on April 28^th, we’re encouraged to perform random acts of kindness for friends, family members, and even total strangers. The Pay it Forward Day website  

Team Stop Signs Help Kids Stop and Refocus

Cooperative learning lessons are awesome for engaging students in the learning process, but sometimes a team will become overly enthusiastic and noisy. Even if everyone is still on task, their energetic behavior can be distracting to others. In most  

Protected: Sharing our Blessings with YOU!

Teaching Informational Text with Magazines

With the Common Core emphasis on teaching informational text, you might be wondering where to find appropriate texts for reading instruction. Most classrooms are overflowing with great children’s literature and novels, but many schools lack a good selection of