When it comes to early reading, few topics cause more confusion than sight words. Are they the same as high-frequency words? Should students memorize them? What are “heart words”? And how do you actually track progress? If you’ve ever felt unsure, you’re not alone. Let’s break down everything you really need to know about sight words so […]
Teaching money in first grade is an important step in building foundational math and financial literacy skills. With the right money activities, students can confidently identify coins, understand their value, and count collections of money, which tends to be the most exciting part for them! Let’s talk about how to make teaching money hands-on, effective, and […]
Over the last several years as the Science of Reading research has gotten louder and louder, we are learning more and more about how our brains actually learn to read. It’s not as simple as we my have thought. It actually is science. There is real brain work required to teach ourselves how to decode […]
Black History Month is more than a moment on the calendar—it’s an opportunity to tell the truth, celebrate resilience, and help our youngest learners understand the world around them. The stories we choose matter. When we use black history month read alouds intentionally, we show students that American history includes many voices, experiences, and perspectives. And yes—K–2 […]
Winter is the perfect time to dive into a favorite learning theme: penguins! Penguin activities spark interest because the birds are just fascinating! A bird that doesn’t fly? Where do they live again? Many of the cool science concepts connect beautifully with literacy instruction, too. If you’ve ever struggled to make science meaningful—or to fit it […]
There is just something magical about a snow day. Whether it’s an unexpected day off or a planned cozy winter morning, snow days create the perfect opportunity to slow down, snuggle up, and share a great book together. For teachers, snow days (or snow-themed days when school is still in session) are the ideal time […]
As we prepare to ring in a new year, it’s a great time to press pause in the classroom. We can pause and reset, realign ourselves with what is best for our students, and teach our little humans how to set fresh goals and welcome in new beginnings and growth! My favorite way to spark […]
Teaching Christmas Around the World is a highlight of December in many elementary classrooms, and one of the most exciting countries to explore is Australia. Because Christmas happens during summer “down under,” students are immediately intrigued by the warm weather, beach traditions, Santa surfing, and unique animals that appear in Australian holiday stories. Let’s explore Christmas in Australia […]
If you’re planning a gingerbread unit, holiday theme week, or simply want to bring seasonal fun to your literacy block, gingerbread read alouds are the perfect way to bring excitement and meaningful literacy work into your classroom. These stories are filled with engaging storylines and many opportunities for teaching our readers how to think about their reading–what […]
Thanksgiving season is one of the most exciting times of year in the classroom! Between the read alouds, feasts, and gratitude-themed lessons, there are plenty of opportunities to bring creativity and learning together. One of my favorite ways to do that is with this free turkey hat craft! Whether you’re looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving activity, a […]
If you teach early elementary readers, you already know the power of using a decodable text. It’s one of the best tools we have to help students connect phonics skills to real reading. But here’s the thing—decodable text can be used for so much more than just reading small groups (though you all know that’s my favorite)! […]
Once your growing readers have a strong grasp of short and long vowel patterns, the next big hurdle in phonics instruction is r controlled vowels. These tricky sounds can be confusing at first, but with the right teaching sequence and plenty of practice, your students can master them confidently. Let’s walk through what r controlled vowels […]
Literacy centers give students a chance to practice reading and writing skills in a meaningful, independent way. While you’re working with reading small groups, your other students are still engaged in purposeful practice — reading, writing, listening, and working with words. Well-designed literacy center activities help students build independence, reinforce key phonics and reading comprehension […]
November brings about a lot of warmth and excitement to the classroom, especially in reading! From turkeys to family to thankfulness these November topics are always engaging for budding readers. When it comes to November read alouds, there are many to choose from that help you build strong readers with reading comprehension skills. Because there […]
You are there! You have finally trained your little learners well in literacy centers, you have gathered the best decodable readers, you know where your kids stand with their phonics skills, and you are *almost* ready to sit down at the small group table. Except one thing–how do you begin the precious time together? Every […]
My friend recently shared this story with me, and I couldn’t help but share it as we discuss background knowledge on the blog! “I was recently reading a book and asked me a question about the word operation. The book was talking about a student who needed to solve a math problem at school and […]
When it comes to creating a classroom where all readers thrive, your reading small group time is one of the most powerful tools in your day. It’s the perfect opportunity to deliver explicit, targeted instruction based on your students’ needs. But if managing this block feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Between prepping materials, keeping the […]
Teaching phonics rules can sometimes feel like a tricky puzzle—especially when letters like G have more than one sound–hard g soft g. As teachers, we know that helping our students become strong, confident readers means having solid phonics instruction. But what about when we, ourselves, didn’t have a strong phonics foundation? Making sense of those […]
