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5 Ways to Get More from your Read Aloud Time
I know your reading instruction time is getting squeezed. You’re expected to meet with more groups that meet the specific needs of your students, track more data, and now you have more required tests...
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Literacy Centers I Couldn't Live Without!
Time, the one thing every teacher needs more of. My district guidelines said the literacy block in third grade should be 120 minutes. That sounds great until you realize that includes reading,...
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Ending the year with Memories, Friends and Wishes
It’s almost here . . . the end of the school year! Since reading aloud to my kids is my favorite thing to do, I read a lot of books at the end of the year. It's such a nice way to share special...
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What Goes on During Your Literacy Block?
Literacy Block, What’s in it? This is by far, the most important (and my favorite) part of my day. I love all aspects of teaching reading, from our whole class lessons down to individual...
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Daily Agenda
The Easiest Daily Agenda, EVER!Right now you probably display the schedule for the day somewhere on a whiteboard. On the whiteboard, you can erase the daily lessons/activities/events every day and...
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The 3 Essential Elements of Whole Class Reading Lessons
When I first started teaching (back in the Stone Age J ), my reading instruction time had 2 parts. Most of the time was spent in whole-class skill lessons. Then, I'd listen to my high, middle and...
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Back to School Books -- When Lightning Come in a Jar
When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia PolaccoLove, love, love this story. Of course, I could say that about every book by Patricia Polacco. But this book reminds me of summers growing up in the...
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Your Literacy Block Schedule Doesn't Have to be Complicated!
Let the circus begin! That's how I used to feel right before the small groups/centers time of my literacy block stated. For years I followed the trend of having my students rotate through...
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High Expectations are NOT Enough
Picture this: You have your centers set up and your small group lessons are planned. The kids are working on their reading and literacy center tasks. You're focused on your small groups. You...
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Character Trait: Searching for the Evidence
What an inspiring character! A young girl shows you should never give up on your dream. Although there were many roadblocks in her path, with determination, she found her way around everyone to...
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Easy, Inexpensive, and Efficient Ways to Organize Literacy Centers
Organization is key to running a smooth and successful literacy block. When your materials are organized and students know how to maintain the organization you have time to focus on your lessons....
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Light up Your Room with a Lightbox
Light boxes are a fun way to make a statement in your classroom. You can put up an inspirational quote, make class announcements or use as a sign for a special area of your room.I started my lightbox...
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Homework, Yay or Nay?
Homework has been a tradition in our schools for decades. But, is it a tradition that needs to be retired? At the very least it's time to evaluate your homework policies. Research shows homework is...
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How to Avoid Messy Desks
Organization does not happen by itself. Your students can be organized, but you have to teach them. I can’t tell you how many times my lessons and class activities have been delayed or interrupted...
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Why You Should be Using Student Binders
Are you tired of students not being able to find that math paper you started yesterday and want to finish today? Then you should be using student binders. I can't say my students never lose a paper...
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This is the Writing Game Your Kids will Love!
The Sentence GameLet’s face it, writing is hard. It takes lots and lots of practice to master the many skills a writer needs. But practice can be boring. Not now! I’ve created a sentence writing...
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Would You Rather Daily Question
I love the first week of school because it’s a clean slate. The room is clean and perfectly organized, the year-at-a-glance plans are written, name tags are on the desks, and your supply cabinets are...
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Get Your Writers Organized!
Using writing folders saved my writing block. It's so frustrating (for me and the students) to be in the middle of a writing project, only to have a student say, "I can't find my paper." Writing...
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10 Reasons Why You Should Read Aloud to Your Students
Research shows that reading aloud to your child or students is the single most important activity for reading success (Bredekamp, Copple, & Neuman, 2000). Reading aloud is the first step toward...
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Making a Digital Planner Work for You
Digital Planners: Making them Work for YouOne of the biggest advantages of digital planners is being able to customize it to be exactly what you need. Customizing can be as simple as typing in your...
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