Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
Phonics is one of the most important building blocks in early reading instruction! And, you don’t need anything fancy or expensive for good phonics lessons. In my classroom, the best phonics routines are simple, consistent, and easy to prep. Here are five of my faves that I use for phonics lessons and activities. 1. Whiteboard Dictation Work Nothing beats fast,… Read More
Friendship is an important part of growing up and of getting along with others at school. Learning how to be a kind and thoughtful friend takes practice. In Kindergarten and 1st grade, teachers are responsible for much more than just teaching the curriculum. Many of our students need to be explicitly taught how to interact appropriately and kindly with other… Read More
Do you do show and tell or sharing in your classroom? We call it Sharing in my classroom and it is a fun, meaningful, and beneficial time. My students get so excited to share their favorite toys, keepsakes, photos, and more! Why Is Sharing Important? Community Building Learn more about your students’ personal lives Build community as they find common… Read More
One of my favorite ways to kick off the school year is with our Back to School Book Challenge! It’s easy, free, and fun….and I’ll tell you a few other reasons why I love it and how you can do it in your classroom this year! Book Challenge Benefits!! Goal Setting This is a fun and informal way to start… Read More
Positive reinforcement and authentic praise are the best ways to let a student know that they are on the right track! In this post, I’m going to list my easiest and most frequently used ways of letting my students know “JOB WELL DONE!” 1. Verbal and Nonverbal Recognition This is the quickest and easiest way to let a student know… Read More
One inevitable part of teaching is that you will sometimes be left with a small block of time and no formal plans. Maybe you’ve lined up a few minutes early, arrived at specials a few minutes ahead of time, or are waiting around for a bus or an assembly. Whatever it is, it’s always good to have some easy time… Read More
Have you tried doing Logic Puzzles with your students? They are fun for kids, but can also serve a very important purpose in building logical thinking and reasoning skills. Here are FIVE reasons I love logic puzzles AND I’ll work through a sample grid puzzle to show how they work! 1. Critical Thinking and Reasoning Skills Logic Puzzles teach step-by-step… Read More
We start the day with time to chat with our friends, be creative, and settle in before diving in to our rigorous content each day! How do we do this? Morning Chat Tubs! Ground Rules for Students Students come in to the classrooms, put backpacks and lunch boxes away, turn in any papers or notes, and choose a tub Four… Read More
In Part One and Part Two, I talked about how I’ve been doing a poem or song of the week for my entire teaching career (mostly First Grade) and I gave the basics of where this fits into my day, how it works in my classroom, and what we do each day of the week.If you missed those posts, check… Read More
In Part One, I talked about how I’ve been doing a poem or song of the week for my entire teaching career (mostly First Grade) and I gave the basics of where this fits into my day and how it works in my classroom.If you missed anything, check outPart One-The “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How” of Poem of the… Read More
