No matter what your curriculum looks like, phonics instruction for primary grades is a big undertaking. One super effective way I initiate my phonics instruction each year with my first-graders is with a Letter Sounds Bootcamp. I usually spend most of September teaching and reviewing letter sounds that were taught
It’s true that sequencing is so common in our day-to-day life, recognizing patterns and putting things in order usually comes naturally for our students over time. Even at home, whether they’re putting toys in order from biggest to smallest, or recognizing daily patterns and predicting routines; sequencing can become almost
Every week, every day, every hour of teaching is dynamic and always changing. But one thing stays the same for me: I always include the same five elements in my weekly plans: Hands-On Games Individual Work Technology Movement Community Building Each week might look a little different in terms of
The first days of school are full of hope, excitement, a few back to school jitters, and a great opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the year! I love the energy a new school year can bring, but it can also feel OVERWHELMING. I know that feeling
Picture books and fictional stories can be so much fun to read with primary students, but it’s also important to expose kids to plenty of nonfiction passages. Becoming familiar with informational texts is an important “real world” reading skill, and it prepares students for upper elementary and secondary school when
Classroom management—it’s one of our biggest issues as teachers. Without a solid classroom management plan, kids can quickly get off-task and disruptive, which isn’t exactly conducive to a productive learning environment. Since I know teachers can always use more tricks up our sleeves, today I’m sharing my top five teacher
Are you still resisting the idea of using hands-on centers in your classroom? I get it! I was pretty nervous to implement centers. I had so many questions: how would I manage my students’ behaviors? Won’t it take a ton of prep? I don’t have time! As with many new
Ready for simple ways to increase reading comprehension in your classroom without a ton of planning and prep? Better yet, are you looking for digital resources you can use when students are working in a virtual or socially distanced environment? This post offers up my favorite go-tos to boost proficiency
Math centers add so much value to your classroom. They’re a non-negotiable part in many primary classrooms because when rolled out appropriately, centers promote great learning strategies. They can completely uplevel your teaching! Hands-on access gives kids a chance to explore concepts they’ve already learned and strengthen their skills at
Let’s be real: we all need to get the wiggles out at certain times of the day. Think about the last time you were immersed in a big project or studying for an exam back at university. I’m willing to bet you took plenty of mini breaks to stretch, get
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