Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
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
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
Summer learning does not have to mean boring worksheets or long packets! Whether you are teaching summer school, running a summer camp, or just looking for fun educational ideas, keeping learning engaging is the key. The best summer activities feel more like games and challenges while still helping students practice important reading, writing, fluency, and math skills. Here are some… Read More
The last few weeks of school are always a mix of excitement, interruptions, schedule changes, and emotions, while teachers are still trying to assess and finish up their end of the year standards! If you’re looking for simple, engaging activities that still feel purposeful, here are a few of my favorite go-to end-of-the-year ideas! 🚌 School ABCs This is a… Read More
Teaching friendship skills is an important part of helping young students build a positive classroom community. These friendship activities for primary students are designed to help children learn how to be kind, work together, and solve problems with their classmates. This friendship activities booklet for kindergarten and first grade includes simple lessons, reflection pages, and engaging activities that encourage students… Read More
…Because routines build the foundation for everything else. The first day of school sets the tone for the entire year, and establishing clear expectations right away can make a huge difference in how smoothly your classroom runs. Teaching important classroom routines on the first day of school in first grade helps students feel confident, independent, and ready to learn. From… Read More
I love making and sharing great resources for teachers to use. Here is a roundup of some of my FAVORITE FREEBIES from my Teachers Pay Teachers store or my blog! Click the pictures to get your free resources! This pack has 17 passages for first grade Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational (RI) passages. Perfect for practice, review, and assessment… Read More
Looking for fun attention getters for kids that actually work? Having a few simple attention getters ready to go can help you quickly get students focused without raising your voice or repeating directions. These easy classroom attention getters are fun for students, quick to teach, and perfect for keeping your day running smoothly. Here are my Top 5, in no… Read More
I thought I’d do an upbeat post of some of my favorite teaching tools! We all have our faves…here are a few of mine! So, here are a few of my favorite teacher things!! SitSpots I. LOVE. SITSPOTS. I use them at our assigned spots at our meeting area. I use them to mark where my line leader should stand…. Read More
Writing report card comments can be one of the most time-consuming parts of report card season. Finding the right words for an entire class of students can be tricky! Over the years, I’ve found that having a collection of ready-to-use positive report card comments makes the process easier and quicker. I’ve made a great FREE handout where you’ll find ideas… Read More
