Category: Freebies

No doubt about it … comparing fractions is tough for kids, especially when those fractions have different denominators! In fact, some might argue that this

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Teaching Kids How to Write Super Sentences

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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Making the Social Studies and Literacy Connection

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

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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.

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Pay It Forward and Make Someone’s Day!

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

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Heartfelt Causes and Effects is a literacy lesson with free printables to use with the children’s book Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch. This Cause and

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Have you ever wondered if all boxes of Valentine hearts candies are the same? Do they have the same colors? Do they weigh the same

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Mittens keep our hands warm, but are mittens themselves warm? That’s the question Selina Smith of the Classroom Magic blog posed to students to kick

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Category: Freebies

Fraction Predict and Compare Partner Activity

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

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Teaching Kids How to Write Super Sentences

Teaching Kids How to Write Super Sentences

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…  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

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5 Ways to Make Your Students Smile

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

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How to Introduce Decimals with Base Ten Blocks

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

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Free Multiple Intelligence Survey for Kids

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,

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Taking the Mystery out of Vocabulary Study

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

Read More »
Making the Social Studies and Literacy Connection

Making the Social Studies and Literacy Connection

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

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Teaching Kids to Accept Responsibility for their Choices

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.

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Pay It Forward and Make Someone’s Day!

Pay It Forward and Make Someone’s Day!

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

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Heartfelt Causes & Effects

Heartfelt Causes and Effects is a literacy lesson with free printables to use with the children’s book Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch. This Cause and Effect graphic organizer is a great way to teach kids how their words and actions affect others. Perfect Valentine’s Day activity!

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Valentine Candy Hearts Math Investigation

Have you ever wondered if all boxes of Valentine hearts candies are the same? Do they have the same colors? Do they weigh the same amount? Does each box contain the same number of candies? Inquiring minds want to know! Questions like these provide a perfect opportunity for a bit

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Mitten Science: Questions to Explore

Mittens keep our hands warm, but are mittens themselves warm? That’s the question Selina Smith of the Classroom Magic blog posed to students to kick off their mitten investigation. Using inquiry science, they discovered that  mittens keep our hands warm because they trap our body heat, but mittens alone are not

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