Where creativity & learning collide.
“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
It’s almost here – the end of the year! I know you’re probably more sad about the end of this year than others. You might even be more tired this year. Your students might be, too! What better way to end the school year than to do something fun and “normal” for the end ofMore
One of the holidays we usually celebrate in the classroom is Earth Day. Even though teachers and students are all distance learning right now, we can still find ways to teach students about Earth Day and how to care for our earth. I came up with some activities that would be easy to implement whileMore
A free ABC Countdown to Summer to use while distance learning. One of my favorite ways to make the end of the year fun and memorable was to do an ABC countdown with my class. My students and I loved having something fun to look forward to each day as the year wrapped up. ThisMore
Whether you are brand new to distance learning or ready to try some new things, Boom cards are a must-try! This online tool makes it simple and easy to have students practice specific skills, monitor progress, and track data. I know teachers are overwhelmed with trying to successfully teach and connect with students online, soMore
Have you suddenly found yourself homeschooling? Are you thinking to yourself, “I most definitely did NOT sign up for this!”? Or maybe you feel like you are drowning as you are trying to help your kids with school and still do your job with all the people at home now. I know that we definitelyMore
In this post, I share 17 ideas for connecting with students during distance learning. Have you found yourself drowning in all that is involved with distance learning? Maybe you have even found yourself just missing seeing your students each day. I have heard some people compare this time to summertime. But friends, it is veryMore
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
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
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
Subitizing is a big word for such a simple concept. Funny how that happens! Much like reading, students need a solid foundation in number fluency. Subitizing activities are a great way to help students do just that! As a result of not learning how to subitize, students might have difficulty with spatial reasoning, understanding additionMore
Kindergarten teachers know that the beginning of the year brings in a variety of students with different skill levels. Some know their letters and sounds, some can read, and some can barely identify the letters in their own names. One thing all of these students can benefit from is practicing name activities. Why Should StudentsMore
Setting up a listening station is made simple with these steps! Literacy stations are a BIG part of the day for kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Time and time again, I had kids who loved this part of our day. Some people walked in our classroom and may have felt like it was a zoo,More
I think we can all agree that in the primary grades, our classes are made up of a variety of students with different abilities. Every year we never know who will be walking into our door! That’s part of the fun. With 20 or more little people that we are responsible for teaching, differentiating isMore
When it comes to guided reading, there are several components of a lesson. The students have jobs and you, the teacher, have jobs, too. One of those is to take a running record. What is a running record? A running record is a page of notes that you take as you listen to a readerMore
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s time to figure out what to give to your kiddos. Maybe you are a teacher who wants to give something to their whole class or maybe you are a parent who wants to give something other than candy to your child’s classmates. You also do not want toMore
February is Black History Month and a wonderful time to celebrate the amazing contributions African Americans have made to history. I love that we have a specific month to celebrate the Black race. As a parent of a black little girl, we talk about race often. Even if we don’t bring it up, it comesMore
I don’t know about you, but kindergarten writer’s workshop was one of my favorite ways to see my students blossom throughout the year. It’s amazing to see them start with scribbles and letters to ending the year with full stories and books! But what if you don’t know where to start? Some districts may notMore
