Do your students know how to break words down into syllables? Do they know how to sort? These two skills are essential for early learning as they are part of building a strong base for concepts coming up in language, math, science and making sense of our general world. Learning by being involved in an active, social, non-competitive and fun play activity is very effective. Kids' feel confident, have a positive attitude towards learning and are … [Read more...]
Fun ways to seize teachable moments with K-2s this holiday season!
The holiday season is indeed the season of abundance and gifts, and while the abundance in schools may come in the forms of chaos, germs, behaviors and lost mittens; the gifts come in teachable moments that the Winter holidays provide! From learning about how others celebrate the season, to having a true purpose for writing, discovering math concepts, and for those of us who teach in Catholic and Christian Schools, learning about the … [Read more...]
Fun, pirate-themed no (and low) prep literacy printables!
Did you know that September 19 is Talk like a Pirate day? Kids love pirates (and who doesn't like breaking into pirate talk once in a while - let's be honest!) These fun, pirate-themed no (and low) prep literacy printables are a big hit with my students. Here's one special student's cover page, followed by the activities! -> Pirate letter sounds: Many early writers need a strategy for hearing the sounds in words. Check out this post … [Read more...]
It takes a village to raise readers – links and freebies for those in various roles!
I like to think of our classrooms, schools and communities as these proverbial ‘villages’, don’t you? To put the whole business of a child’s literacy development in one place – well, that’s a lot of pressure! Let’s be honest. We all have our roles to play. Circumstances, training, personalities and other factors help us work together to round out the literacy development team. These little people in our lives can only benefit! Parents and … [Read more...]
5 ways to make sight words memorable and fun for early readers and writers!
If you teach early readers and writers, you know as well as I do that the experience of remembering sight words varies greatly among our students. We know that it takes a variety of strategies to make sight words memorable for kids, and that the most successful strategies motivate them with large dose of F-U-N! 5 ways to make sight word learning memorable and fun: BUILD A FOUNDATION: This is a job for all grown-ups in a child's life: ensure … [Read more...]
Canada literacy product updates!
Hello everyone! Just a quick note to let you know I've updated Canada Read and Write and More, so if you've already purchased it or either of the Canada literacy product bundles, that's a free download for you! Here's what's new: … [Read more...]
How reading and writing are linked – tips for building cross-print connections
During my training year in Reading Recovery, one of my students’ reading had taken off and I was finally beginning to feel like I was making progress as a Reading Recovery teacher. The writing was still a struggle, but I figured it would come. I can remember reading about the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing, and hoping that my student's stronger abilities in reading would 'pull up' what was missing in writing. I was less sure … [Read more...]
6 ways to save time and money during a TeachersPayTeachers Sale
If you are a teacher, like I am, you may schedule your resource shopping around Teachers Pay Teachers TpT Site Wide sales. I love to buy clip-art these days, and have learned a few things (at least six) about being strategic during a sale! Here are six ways to make the most of a site-wite TpT sale: Use the categories on the left side of the page to find what you are looking for quickly! Wish list everything ahead of time and get it all … [Read more...]
Writing for real purposes – at Christmas!
Hello everyone! I am thrilled to be a part of an amazing group of teacher-authors who are sharing holiday lessons! Be sure to check out their posts - linked below - and be inspired! It really is the most wonderful time of the year to get kids writing, don't you think? It's all about The List (and the cards - remember the cards!) When you think back to your own childhood, when were you most motivated to put the time and effort into … [Read more...]
Phonemic awareness – hearing sounds in words with Elkonin sound boxes.
When children learn to write, they need to develop phonemic awareness, an understanding of letters and sounds, and how they work together to make words. They must hear the sounds out loud first before relating them to words. What are sound boxes? When are they used? 'Elkonin' or sound boxes are used worldwide and taught as Reading Recovery™ procedures, along with the use of a personal alphabet book, to help children make the connection … [Read more...]