Teaching kids to how to solve math problems is a huge challenge, but often the biggest challenge is knowing where to begin instruction. Without administering
Teaching kids to how to solve math problems is a huge challenge, but often the biggest challenge is knowing where to begin instruction. Without administering
Active engagement activities are an important part of classroom instruction, but if getting kids up and moving causes disruption, these activities become ineffective and chaotic.
Do your students groan when it’s time for spelling? Spelling might be an important subject, but it doesn’t usually inspire a passion for learning! But
No doubt about it … comparing fractions is tough for kids, especially when those fractions have different denominators! In fact, some might argue that this
How do you encourage your students to write longer, more interesting sentences? You know what will happen if you simply ask them to write longer
Guest blog post by Molly Phillips of Classroom Confections This post was inspired by a t-shirt. That’s right! While wearing a ‘smile’ t-shirt at the
There’s a reason math teachers start the year by introducing or reviewing place value concepts. Understanding place value is essential to developing a solid foundation
You’re probably familiar with Dr. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, but have you thought about teaching your students about these concepts and the many ways
Two Freebies and a Fun Game! Vocabulary development is essential at every grade level, and that importance is reflected in the Common Core State Standards.
September 17th is Constitution Day, and it’s a great time to integrate social studies into your literacy lessons. I discovered two outstanding informational text books
When it comes to classroom management, learning to deal with small disruptions is probably more important than figuring out what to about the big stuff.
Did you know that Pay It Forward Day is celebrated in April each year? This year it’s on April 28th, and I decided to put
Teaching kids to how to solve math problems is a huge challenge, but often the biggest challenge is knowing where to begin instruction. Without administering some type of pretest, you risk boring your students with problems that are too easy or frustrating them with problems that may seem impossible. Before
Active engagement activities are an important part of classroom instruction, but if getting kids up and moving causes disruption, these activities become ineffective and chaotic. The Erase-a-Letter Strategy is an easy way to keep students on task during cooperative learning lessons. This strategy is for “whole class” management when students are moving
Do your students groan when it’s time for spelling? Spelling might be an important subject, but it doesn’t usually inspire a passion for learning! But that might change if you introduce your kids to Seek & Spell Challenge. In fact, they might BEG for this activity! After you read how
No doubt about it … comparing fractions is tough for kids, especially when those fractions have different denominators! In fact, some might argue that this skill is too challenging for 3rd and 4th graders, which might be true if they have to find least common denominators. But if kids develop
How do you encourage your students to write longer, more interesting sentences? You know what will happen if you simply ask them to write longer sentences… Â they’ll just add more words to the end, resulting in long, rambling run-ons! After struggling with this problem myself, I developed a method that
Guest blog post by Molly Phillips of Classroom Confections This post was inspired by a t-shirt. That’s right! While wearing a ‘smile’ t-shirt at the Vegas airport, a security guard came up to me and said, “Thank you for making me smile. I saw your t-shirt. It brought a smile
There’s a reason math teachers start the year by introducing or reviewing place value concepts. Understanding place value is essential to developing a solid foundation of mathematical understanding. Introducing Place Value Whether you’re introducing whole number concepts or decimal place value, it’s important to start at the concrete level, and
You’re probably familiar with Dr. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, but have you thought about teaching your students about these concepts and the many ways they are smart? You might wonder why anyone would attempt to fit this into an already packed curriculum, but after you read this blog post,
Two Freebies and a Fun Game! Vocabulary development is essential at every grade level, and that importance is reflected in the Common Core State Standards. As students build stronger vocabularies, they are better able to comprehend what they read and express themselves in writing. Unfortunately, it can be a challenge
September 17th is Constitution Day, and it’s a great time to integrate social studies into your literacy lessons. I discovered two outstanding informational text books to read and discuss with your students, and I couldn’t resist creating some freebies to go with them! Both books are perfect for upper elementary
When it comes to classroom management, learning to deal with small disruptions is probably more important than figuring out what to about the big stuff. One reason is that those little things you might be tempted to ignore can quickly escalate into BIG problems and hours of lost instructional time.
Did you know that Pay It Forward Day is celebrated in April each year? This year it’s on April 28th, and I decided to put together a little freebie in honor of this special day! To begin the activity, discuss the meaning of “pay it forward” as described at the
