Thinking of having Reading Buddies for your class this year? Here are some of the benefits (for more than just the little buddies!)
How reading and writing are linked – tips for building cross-print connections
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…
Stories by author/illustrator Tomie DePaola for St. Patrick’s Day!
St. Patrickās Day is just around the corner, and a great opportunity to teach children about the Irish. Celebrated annually on March 17, children will likely notice the shamrocks, leprechauns and thematic āgreenā while out in the community, watching their television shows and be curious to know more. Award-winning author and illustratorĀ Tomie dePaolaĀ provides Irish expressions Read More…
The most important letters to young students – and a fun, free activity!
The letters that are most important to young learners, and a fun activity to do them #letters #teaching #alphabet #kindergarten #earlylearning
My favorite Nativity Stories
Nativity Stories are a wonderful way to help children learn the biblical origin of Christmas. Here are some great stories about the birth of Baby Jesus – and a read-aloud for kids to enjoy (and buy busy parents and teachers a few moments of pre-Christmas preparation!)
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!
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