Teaching Resources
We always want to be prepared for all things in our classroom, but one thing that is sometimes challenging but essential is being prepared for State Testing. Today, I am hopeful that I can provide a few test prep strategies for elementary students and ideas to inspire you. If your students are getting ready to take the state tests, you may… Read More
Why is it important to teach your students how to write strong intros and conclusions in their writing? Let’s think about it for a minute. Have you ever picked up a story from a student and known exactly how it would turn out after reading the first line? Each sentence was predictable. There was no spark and no excitement. This… Read More
Do you notice many of your students do not have a strong foundation of word choice, and vocabulary? Let’s set the stage… you notice your fourth-grade student is struggling with reading and reading comprehension. She is able to read the words and sound them out, but for some reason, she really doesn’t like reading. One reason many students don’t enjoy… Read More
Do you know what a fable is? These popular stories feature animals and also include a moral. If you’re a teacher, then you’ve definitely heard of them when you were reading through the Common Core Standards! In the third through fifth grades, they are part of the literature requirements. But, how do you make these stories come alive and engage… Read More
Do your students love fairy tales? Teaching Fairy tales in upper elementary can be timeless, with the magic, exciting storylines, and fascinating characters. I love incorporating fairy tales into learning in my classroom! There are so many lessons to be learned! Here are some of the ways I teach using fairy tales: Teaching Fairy Tales for Writing Practice Children often… Read More
It’s spring! This means it’s about time to change your bulletin boards to match the season. Why not get some meaningful writing practice while also creating a gorgeous spring writing bulletin board display? I love using writing prompts to inspire my students to practice their writing. Plus, once finished, their writing can make a beautiful display that students can be… Read More
“But teacher, that’s boring!” Or “But I don’t wanna do that!” These are commonly heard phrases in the classroom. Even when you’ve planned a fun, exciting activity, there may be a few students who aren’t into it. And when students aren’t motivated to do an activity, chances are they won’t put their all into it. So, how can you solve… Read More
Tips for Teaching Grammar to Elementary Students. Grammar can bring groans and dismissive shrugs from students and teachers. There are so many strategies to teach grammar with some educators in the teaching grammar in connection with writing while others believe grammar should be taught in isolation. Even though grammar may not be a favorite subject to teach, there’s one argument… Read More
Teaching writing is a skill that may be difficult to many. I love sharing some tips that I use to help getting started teaching the writing process. As a student I struggled and never had confidence to express myself in writing. I used those struggles to help me become a writing teacher. I came up with many ideas and ways to… Read More
Take a break on me and enjoy this gift, I love sharing resources with all of you… and I wanted to share a few Free Winter Writing Activities that are perfect to use this upcoming month. This season we are often busy planning engaging resources to keep our students excited to keep learning. These are also perfect bulletin board ideas… Read More
Help Avoid the Summer Slide with these activities. Did you know summer time is one of the best opportunities for your kids to continue to grow and learn. Of course summer time is a great time for kids to relax, have fun and play a lot. However we want to avoid the summer slide and I will share some easy… Read More
Fall is such a fun time with the weather changing and so many special events during the season. I love planning special activities for my students to do from fun Fall Learning Bulletin Boards, to great Autumn and Fall Books. Also, we love writing and creating poetry and displaying it for students to enjoy! Let the fall learning fun begin… Read More
Growth mindset may seem like the latest catch phrase in education, but it’s changing the way my students think about learning and their own self worth in the classroom. Teaching growth mindset to elementary students can help them change from a fixed mindset of “I can’t” to a positive self confident “I can” attitude. Positive Language Teaching Growth mindset is… Read More
Good writers are first and foremost good readers. Teachers often use mentor texts (or anchor texts) in writing instructions. These pieces of writing are examples of excellent work either from students or published writers. Mentor texts help upper elementary students improve writing in all areas. Here are some ways you can start using mentor texts for writing instruction in your… Read More
Do you teach research and writing biographies in your classroom? I love sharing some of my favorite biographies that are perfect for kids in upper elementary. These biographies are perfect to teach research and informational writing. I love using high interest biographies and autobiographies with my students. Letting them explore figures from past to present in books that use text… Read More
Often research has high emphasis in secondary grades, but the importance of teaching research writing in upper elementary cannot be overlooked. Teaching research in elementary school helps students develop higher level questioning skills, understand how to take notes, paraphrase, and focuses on communicating ideas through the written word. I have put together some helpful resources for you to use in your classroom today and also some… Read More
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