Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
If you’re looking for September activities for first grade, I’ve gathered some of my favorite resources for fluency, writing, phonics, reading comprehension, grammar, thematic learning, and even those days when you need a substitute! 📖 September Fluency Activities September is a great time to begin building strong reading fluency routines. Repeated reading with familiar, accessible text gives students opportunities to… Read More
Poetry is one of my FAVORITE tools to use in first grade because there are so many literacy skills that you can hit with a simple poem! A short, engaging poem can become repeated reading practice, a fluency activity, phonics and high frequency word practice, vocabulary work, partner reading, and even an independent literacy station. I especially love that poems… Read More
Our Writing Station is the second station I introduce after Read to Self. (You can read about how I launch independent reading here.) During the first two weeks of school, my goal isn’t to have students writing long stories. Instead, I want them to learn the routines, build confidence, and become comfortable working independently. By keeping writing station simple at… Read More
The first few weeks of school are full of excitement, new routines, and getting to know each other. One important thing I do during this time is assess where each child is academically. These beginning of the year assessments help me see what my students already know and where they may need extra support. I have a binder of the… Read More
Back-to-school season is here! There’s something so exciting about setting up the classroom, meeting a new group of students, and planning all of the fun learning that’s ahead. But, the first few weeks can also feel overwhelming. Between teaching routines, building classroom community, assessing students, and planning engaging lessons, there’s a lot to fit into a short amount of time…. Read More
Independent Reading, or Read to Self as a lot of people call it, is the first literacy station my students learn and it’s one of the most important routines I teach during the first weeks of school. Just like any classroom routine, it takes practice, structure, and time to reflect and improve. I run a modified version of literacy stations… Read More
Teaching students to ask and answer questions is the first reading comprehension skill I introduce each year. I love teaching young readers to stay engaged with a text and think about what they are reading. This standard helps us build the foundation for the other standards we tackle throughout the year. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I… Read More
Fluency practice is one of those things we know our students need, but keeping it fun and engaging all year long can be a challenge. If it feels repetitive or tedious, students can lose interest quickly. The good news? With just a few simple routines and activities, you can build strong, confident readers and keep your classroom excited about reading…. Read More
If your literacy block starts to feel a little… chaotic 😵💫… this time of year, you are definitely not alone! Spring is a fun time in the classroom, but it can also be a tiring time. Students are excited, they argue like siblings after a whole school year together, and teachers are juggling testing, end-of-year tasks, and everything in between…. Read More
Movement can be a powerful tool for keeping young learners engaged while learning important literacy skills. When students are up, talking, and interacting with their classmates, they are often more focused and excited to participate. ✅ Here are some of our favorite ways we MOVE in 1st grade! 1. Stand Up, Sit Down Simple and quick, just like it sounds!… Read More
