Preparing for the first day of school after distance learning? Here are 8 helpful tips to help you survive this unique day. Hooray! You survived pandemic teaching and are excited to start a new (and more normal) year. There’s only one little problem… Your new first graders spent little (or no) time in the school building last year. You have a new-found appreciation for the work the kindergarten teachers do each year, teaching students “how school works.” Now that task […]
Continue Reading6 Fun Question of the Day Activities
Looking for some new question of the day activities for your classroom? The question of the day routine can be used for so many things in preschool, kindergarten or 1st grade. Here are 6 creative ways you can use this routine. New to question of the day? Get 30 FREE questions about hobbies and activities here. Attendance: Display your question in a pocket chart or on a magnetic board. Then place a card/token with each child’s name in a space […]
Continue ReadingTeaching Place Value to 1st Graders: Simple Tricks & Tips
Teaching place value. It’s critical because it’s a foundation to understanding our number system, but it also presents a challenge for some children. They have to shift from the one by one counting they have practiced for years to an understanding that “one” can actually represent ten, one hundred, or more. But, as a teacher, there are things you can do to make this task easier for your students. Intentional teaching helps them be successful with this new math task. […]
Continue ReadingHow to Do Readers’ Theater: Keeping It Simple, But Fun
Have you always wondered how to do readers’ theater? Are you wondering what readers theater actually is and why it’s used in the classroom? Keep reading to find out answers to these common questions about readers’ theater. My students adore readers’ theater. Their faces light up anytime I pull out a script and they beg to do “the play.” And their reading fluency improves so much when they are reading the script. That’s why this is one of my favorite […]
Continue ReadingHow to Make School Fun with Social Distancing
Are you trying to figure out how to make school fun with social distancing? It takes a little extra creativity, but it can be done. This blog post shares 12 fun ideas you can try today! I’m living a life I never imagined I’d live… one filled with masks and social distancing. Never in my wildest dreams (or nightmares), did I imagine teaching would be like this! I have always found immense joy in teaching – but that joy is […]
Continue Reading13 Fun Alphabet Activities for Kindergarten Teachers: Ideas Kids Will Love
These fun alphabet activities for kindergarten will help your students learn letter names and sounds in no time! We’ve all seen it before… the children who enter kindergarten without knowing letter names are the children who struggle with reading in first and second grade. It is a predictable trend that has been dubbed “The Matthew Effect” by Keith Stanovich (1986). As in, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. As a K-1 reading interventionist, my mission is to […]
Continue ReadingParent Teacher Conferences – Ideas and Tips for Teachers
Get great parent teacher conference ideas and tips in this blog. You will learn what parents want to know and what work samples will help parents better understand their child’s progress. When I think of parent teacher conferences, lot of things come to mind: long days, lots of preparation, and the opportunity to learn more about the children I spend my days with. I truly LOVE parent teacher conferences, despite the amount of work involved. I find it rewarding to […]
Continue ReadingHow to Use Subitizing Cards in the Classroom
You roll a die, look at the dots, and instantly know that you rolled 5. When glancing at the plate of cookies, you quickly know there are 2 left. Looking at your stack of library books, you can immediately tell that there are 4 books in the stack. In all of these situations you are subitizing. What is Subitizing? Subitizing is the ability to rapidly recognize how many objects in a group. In each of the examples above, you did […]
Continue Reading10 Amazing Number Books for Kindergarten
Adding books to your math lesson engages students’ attention. Use these number books for kindergarten to build subitizing and number skills. Nothing engages students as much as a good story. I love how a good story captures students’ attention and makes them think about things in a new way. It is so rewarding as they lean forward and peer at the pages, soaking in every detail! That’s why I love adding literature to my math lessons. An engaging story arouses […]
Continue ReadingEasy Number Sense Games for Kindergarten
I love using easy number sense games for kindergarten learners! They are a great way to practice math skills in a fun and engaging manner. I’m lucky that my district’s math curriculum incorporates quite a few number games in the daily lessons. Once my students have learned how to play a number game, I use that same game repeatedly in my room. First, we use it as a “sponge activity” during math – students who finish early can play the […]
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