Reading and writing are inherently linked, often referred to as being two sides of a coin. Often, we are reading while writing, and writing while we are reading. Conditioning one literacy ‘muscle’ will strengthen the other. Here is what I learned about this reciprocal relationship in my Reading Recovery training, along with some tips for Read More…
The benefits of a personal letter sound chart
Do you use letter sound anchor charts in your classroom? Here are the benefits of using a personal letter sound chart for early readers and writers. Visual documentation of growth over time A personal letter sound chart is a record of the sound / symbol associations for an individual student. Like its counterpart, the Read More…
Social emotional lessons in my go-to book for teaching Concepts of Print.
It was just recently that I discovered the social emotional lessons in my go to book for teaching Concepts of Print. A few years ago, I was thrilled to discover that The Monster at the End of This Book had been brought to life, still as a storybook, through animation. Here is just a taste Read More…
Children’s books for explaining emotions (and link to freebie)!
Children’s books for explaining emotions! Talking about feelings is more comfortable when stories start the conversation. These children’s books explain emotions gently and provide a natural transition into discussions about self-acceptance, empathy, kindness, love and friendship. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have. Lots of Feelings is a great book to introduce Read More…
Managing Back to School Anxiety – Teacher tips
Back to School Anxiety is very real for our students and for us! Here are some teacher tips for managing both! This post is an update from the vault after four more years of experience and in the context of our new reality. Anxiety symptoms: Symptoms of āanxiety are a common complaint by many anticipating Read More…
Fun ways to use boxes in the classroom (and freebies!)
There are so many fun ways to use boxes in the classroom that I have become somewhat of a ‘high quality’ box junkie. Here’s how we’ve been using them, the ones worth asking for, a free download and links to more!
Teaching beginning readers to prioritize meaning: the why and the how of Prompt #1
We focus first on teaching reading for meaning, because understanding what we have read is the end goal, and what we have read previously gives context to help us solve that which lies ahead. Here are 6 ways to teach your beginning readers to ensure that their reading makes sense!
8 ways to help students with social and emotional regulation (and still have time to teach!) Part 2
This post is the second of two posts about helping students with social and emotional regulation. The first post was about communicating feelings, social / emotional language, going cross-curricular and linking feelings and behaviors. This one covers kindness expectations, positive reinforcement, dedicated space, tools and strategies.
8 ways to help students with social and emotional regulation (and still have time to teach!) Part 1
Dealing with issues related to social and emotional regulation have become a part of everyday life for many teachers. Here areĀ 8 ways to help students with social emotional regulation (and still have time to teach!)
Fun activities for sorting syllables, seasons and more – through play!
Do your students know how to break words down into syllables? Do they know how to sort? Here are some fun activities for sorting syllables, seasons and more – that you may have the materials for right in your own classroom! Free follow-up linked at the end!