Fall is the perfect time to bring hands-on science into the classroom, and pumpkins offer a fun, seasonal way to excite your students about learning with a pumpkin science experiment. With this change in season comes a change in our science standards here in Texas this year. One of the significant changes is the word […]
Spending time to set up literacy centers in kindergarten truly helps build a solid literacy foundation. Literacy centers allow students to practice reading and writing skill at their own pace because they are easily differentiated. There are many options of how to run and set up literacy centers and I typically had 8 centers that […]
Most of us, as teachers, really enjoy reading aloud to our students. We love it! They love it! It’s a win! The science of reading research has shown us how children learn to read and the best practices for teaching reading. Reading aloud to kids is a powerful tool that aligns well with these evidence-based […]
Are you looking for engaging activities to help your growing readers understand the concept of comparing and contrasting characters in books? Look no further! In this blog post, we’ll explore some fun and creative activities to make this important literacy skill come alive in your classroom. Plus, I have a free download of an event […]
Creating and maintaining organized literacy centers can be the key to a smooth and productive classroom. For kindergarten and 1st grade teachers, having a system that helps students find what they need, stay focused, and follow clear directions is crucial. Letโs explore three simple tips for organizing literacy centers and keeping them manageable! *Amazon affiliate […]
Patriot Day is a significant day of remembrance, and introducing it to our little learners can feel tricky. We want it to be done thoughtfully. One way to do this is through carefully chosen Patriot Day activities such as read alouds. Using stories that explain the importance of unity, bravery, and compassion helps students understand […]
The first day of school can be overwhelming for both students and teachers, especially in Kindergarten and first grade classrooms. As students trickle in during the first week, itโs important to have a routine in place that keeps little learners engaged while allowing the teacher time to greet each child, ease nerves, and establish morning […]
When I was in the classroom, reading assessments looked like this: a large DRA box, a stack of running records that were to be carefully analyzed, leveled texts with lots of wear and tear, and maybe some checklists. But now that we know what we know, thanks to the science of reading research, we can […]
Introducing poetry to young learners can be an enjoyable and enriching experience. It fosters creativity, language development, and a love for writing. Sometimes, it can feel tricky to know where to begin when it comes to teaching poetry. With engaging activities and strategies for teaching poetry elements to our young writers, it doesn’t have to […]
We all know how important phonics instruction is. It is a pillar in the 5 pillars of reading, itโs integrated into Scarboroughโs Reading Rope, and it is heavily supported by research when it comes to how the brain learns to read. Phonics instruction is both explicit and systematic, but that doesnโt equal boring! We need […]
Develop fluency with these fun, fluency activities for kids! As teachers, one of our primary goals is to equip our young learners with the foundational skills they need to become proficient readers. As we dig into the Science of Reading research more and more, we see this in Scarborough’s Reading Rope through the word recognition […]
Teaching reading is truly a science. As we learn more about the Science of Reading research that is rising to the top, schools are beginning to adopt best teaching practices for teaching reading, including strategies for those struggling in reading. We are better equipped to support kids in reading. But even with our knowledge base […]
Sound walls are a great change that many teachers are making in their literacy classrooms. Why? Sound walls are a great visual for students of how phonemes and letters or letter patterns are used to write words. Giving each student their own personal sound wall is a valuable tool in the classroom. Letโs dive into […]
Have you heard the chant โwhen two vowels go walking, the first one does the talkingโ? It is commonly used to help teach vowel teams. I remember teaching my students this refrain during reading small groups. A few of my students were struggling with words like peach, read, and pie. I donโt remember where I […]
Planning a reading small group can feel like a big task. It is incredibly important, and there are many pieces to consider, but it doesn’t have to be hard! Having a science of reading small group template at your fingertips makes everything easier! I have been there–the end of a long day, cleaning up my […]
A Kindergarten schedule is always jam-packed. I know it felt this way in first grade, too, but it was just a different level of “jam-packed” in Kindergarten. Not only are you constantly teaching them how to do school, but you also have so many core curriculum pieces to squeeze in. Among them were kindergarten reading […]
December is often a busy time not just in the classroom, but in our personal lives as well. That coupled with the holiday excitement that the students bring to school each day, it can feel overwhelming to manage everyone and everything. I found over the years that when I bring the holiday fun into the […]
There are so many different tools and resources to use in your reading small groups that help your students with their reading skills. One of my favorite tools is using reading comprehension passages with questions to help my students work on their comprehension skills. Letโs chat about reading comprehension passages with questions and how to […]
