Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
‘Tis the season when students can become a bit…distracted. 🙂 So, my sister and I have some holiday-themed products to help K-3 teachers focus that energy and keep those kiddos learning through the holidays…including some FREEBIES!! Check out this post about using Logic Puzzles in the classroom! Read more about “Make a Difference Mondays” in my classroom! Thanks for visiting!… Read More
Several years ago, I started Make A Difference Mondays during the holiday season to keep my students focused while working on kind and charitable activities! Here’s How It Works! On the Friday before we start, I read and show all of the cards to my students. We have a quick discussion about the various activities. Then, I give the kids… Read More
Are you looking for homework activities that are able to be completed by all students? In first grade, there is no one-size-fits-all due to the varied reading readiness levels that my students arrive with! So, I came up with these differentiated reading passages with comprehension activities at three different levels, while covering the same subject matter or topic. They worked… Read More
I love letting my students know about my life right from the start so I can start learning about them, too! This automatically helps them feel more comfortable in their new classroom, builds trust between us, and encourages them to share more with me, too! HERE ARE SIX WAYS I START RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING… 1. Postcard Before school starts,… 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
