Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
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
Strong phonics instruction is one of the most important parts of helping young readers become confident and successful. If you’re looking for phonics activities for kindergarten and first grade, simple routines that reinforce letter sounds, blending, and word building can make a big difference. These easy phonics activities for K–1 classrooms are perfect for literacy centers, small group instruction, or… 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
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
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
