Where creativity & learning collide.
Teaching reading with a balanced literacy approach is the perfect combination between whole language and phonics. In a balanced literacy program, students see reading modeled, share in the reading with the teacher, are coached in reading, practice independently, and are actively engaged in word study. These blog posts are here to help you navigate your way through implementing a balanced literacy program in your classroom.
Second grade guided reading usually includes levels K, L, and M. Friends, I got so comfortable with the one-day lesson plan for guided reading in kindergarten. In first grade, I started realizing that time seemed a little rushed in the upper levels. Then, when I started planning for the Second Grade Guided Reading Kits, IMore
Normally, our end of the year guided reading assessments might look like a big DRA box on our teaching table, a slew of running records carefully analyzed, and checklists to be sure we covered each student. This year, things might look very different for you. I know everyone is in a different place as farMore
“Amanda, there must be a secret to successful guided reading. What is it?” I get asked this exact question often. Teachers want students to experience success in reading through guided reading, but sometimes they feel like a hamster in a wheel. They are doing the “right” things, but it feels like going through the motions.More
I chatted with a brand new teacher who was trying to figure out which reading instruction model she should choose: reader’s workshop or guided reading. Not to mention, there’s also the book club model (or literature circles). She read the professional development books, asked her teaching team for opinions, and searched Pinterest until her eyesMore
Do you have parents who want quality resources to work with their children at home to prevent the summer slide? Do you have readers in your class who you want to keep moving forward throughout the summer? Then the At Home Leveled Reading Kits might be perfect for you and the parents in your classroom.More
How do we prevent the summer slide in reading? You’ve worked so hard all year long to help your students build a strong foundation in reading and phonics. Studies have shown students can drop two reading levels over the summer. With summer quickly approaching, now is the time to start thinking about how your studentsMore
Step-by-step tutorial to use Loom for online teaching. Many teachers near and far are using Zoom to meet with their students face-to-face. Even my own daughter had a meeting this week and seeing a class full of 6 and 7-year-olds get together was the cutest thing! Their excitement to see each other was so genuine!More
As more time is going by, teachers are putting together distance learning lesson plans and trying to reach out to students in their classrooms to keep moving them forward in learning. I want to help make part of the reading aspect a little easier for you! You all know how much I love guided reading,More
Step-by-step tutorial to use Zoom for online teaching. Have you found yourself in a sea of technology overwhelm as you are trying to figure out how to deliver online teaching? Are you being asked to implement distance learning with your young students? With all that is changing so quickly, we all feel overwhelmed by howMore
Whether you are a teacher looking for resources for your students to use through distance learning or a parent trying to figure out how to manage some homeschooling, it all can be overwhelming to take on. Today I want to help make this a little easier by sharing some screen free activities that you canMore
Easily make online reading for kindergarten and first grade possible with these favorite websites. With all that is changing so quickly, I know that we are all feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and even a bit lost when it comes to tackling this all. Let’s be honest, as teachers, we do more than just provide an education.More
The number one question and concern I get is that teachers say they don’t have time for guided reading. You have at least 22 students to manage in your classroom. You have mandatory things you have to fit into your reading block from your school or district. You have testing to do. I get it!More
You sit down at your table, get your readers reading, then freeze. Oh no! I need to check for comprehension. What will my focus be? If you have followed me for even a few months, you probably have heard me share about my guided reading journey. It took some time, but once I found myMore
Do you struggle to fit science in every day? Or does your school district’s curriculum not have enough content to make planning for science easy? I have been there friends! If you don’t integrate science into other subjects, it can difficult to figure out how to help students master their science standards in a shortMore
Do you know what some of the big differences are between guided reading levels in kindergarten and early first grade guided reading levels like level F? Hint: If you have my FREE Guided Reading Resource Cards, you might already know! Here are some of the big differences when students are moving to level f: increasedMore
Grab this new book and FREEBIE to share as you are teaching kindness in the classroom. You are on the other side of your classroom. “STOP!”, you hear someone yell. “Don’t do that!”, they continue. You look to see one child bothering another and while you now have a very upset child, you scramble toMore
“How do I keep my kindergarten students in independent reading center for the whole time?” is one question I get asked often about literacy centers. Trust me when I tell you that you aren’t alone if you feel like this center is equivalent to herding wild cats. Keeping five and six-year-olds in an independent readingMore
What do you say when your kindergarten parents ask for reading tips? Do you struggle to offer them concrete, practical activities to do at home? I sure did! Until I got my little secret weapon ready, I found myself digging through files and grabbing charts and flashcards to send home with students who needed aMore
