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
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
Raising academic standards is certainly a worthy goal, but sometimes it can have unintended consequences. To find time to teach the rigorous reading and math
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
Do you remember singing the silly campfire song about old Mother Leary who left a lantern in her shed? It goes like this: “Late one
Have you considered implementing Literature Circles in your classroom, but you didn’t because you weren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you did try
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
Motivate Kids to Love Reading! It’s February, and your students are tired of the same old routines in reading. They’re ready for a change, and
Believe it or not, teaching kids to love to write poetry is easy. It’s a matter of finding the right poetry books to share and
With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and
Most teachers have heard of Literature Circles, or Classroom Book Clubs, but many find it difficult to add them to an already packed schedule. However,
Most kids love to listen to audio books, but did you know that this practice is also extremely effective for improving reading comprehension and fluency?
November is a great month for reading aloud! Here are a few of my favorite books for Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day. These short picture books
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 they are actively engaged in learning, and that’s definitely true in
Raising academic standards is certainly a worthy goal, but sometimes it can have unintended consequences. To find time to teach the rigorous reading and math Common Core standards, many schools are cutting back on physical education, the arts, and life-skill lessons. Yet we need to remember that we aren’t teaching
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 interesting nonfiction texts. If you enjoy reading magazines yourself, the solution
Do you remember singing the silly campfire song about old Mother Leary who left a lantern in her shed? It goes like this: “Late one night, when we were all in bed, Old Mother Leary left a lantern in the shed, And when the cow kicked it over, she winked
Have you considered implementing Literature Circles in your classroom, but you didn’t because you weren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you did try Literature Circles, but you stopped after becoming frustrated and overwhelmed with what was required. If you can relate, stick with me to learn about Classroom
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
Motivate Kids to Love Reading! It’s February, and your students are tired of the same old routines in reading. They’re ready for a change, and you are, too. But if you teach in a Common Core state, you know know that whatever you teach, it must be aligned with the
Believe it or not, teaching kids to love to write poetry is easy. It’s a matter of finding the right poetry books to share and providing time to write about things that matter. It always amazes me how students who seem to struggle in other areas are able to write
With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and Listening Standard. But even though this is not a tested area, speaking and listening skills are extremely important. Knowing how to participate actively in a
Most teachers have heard of Literature Circles, or Classroom Book Clubs, but many find it difficult to add them to an already packed schedule. However, it’s worth finding time to implement Classroom Book Clubs because this program is actually aligned with the first Common Core Speaking and Listening Standard for
Most kids love to listen to audio books, but did you know that this practice is also extremely effective for improving reading comprehension and fluency? I discovered this well-kept secret a few years ago when I started using audio books with my struggling readers. I was using Classroom Book Clubs
November is a great month for reading aloud! Here are a few of my favorite books for Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day. These short picture books are perfect for upper elementary students and work well with many fall-related activities. If you need ready-to-use lessons, activities, and printables to go with these
