You need Editable Vocabulary Presentations! Are you stuck in a rut with your vocabulary lessons?  I have a way to make them fun and engaging.  You can use PowerPoint or Google Slides to introduce, practice, and even quiz students on their spelling and vocabulary words.  Don't worry that you're not an expert with PowerPoint or Google Slides.  I've created the templates, complete with animations; all you need to do is type in your content! It really is that simple.  Each slide template had editable text boxes.  You type in your words, sentences, clues, etc ..read more

    There’s nothing like the first day of school. Everything is fresh and new. Expectations are high and everyone’s a little nervous. From day one I want to be sure my new students know that our classroom is a place where everyone is accepted and kindness is normal. The first day of school can be a little hectic. That’s why I make sure to plan activities that not only help us get to know each other but also establish a classroom that thrives on positive energy.  Here are five of my favorite ways to get the school year off to a positive start.  1.  Parent Questio ..read more

 Fun with Informational Text Third-graders are in love with learning.  They’re fascinated with everything around them; worms, rocks, space stories, prehistoric animals, just about everything.  That’s one of the reasons, eight and nine-year-olds are such fun. It’s at this age that students begin to read to learn instead of just learn to read.  One thing I always made sure was plentiful in my classroom was informational text.  For every science or social studies unit I checked out tons of books from our school or local library so the kids could have lots of ..read more

  Many teachers have their students use individual journals.  I’ve had journals for reading, writing, and the content areas of science and social studies.  Journals are a great way for students to keep important information, class notes, and reflections on their learning.  But, have you tried class journals?   Class journals are used by all students.  These special journals can be a way to share common experiences and build a strong community.  The journals can keep a record of class meetings, collect thoughts on current events, write continuing stori ..read more

  Everyone loves to listen to stories.  Even as an adult, I listen to recorded books all the time.  As a teacher, I read aloud to my students every day, throughout the day.  One author I returned to again and again was Patricia Polacco.  Her books are not only filled with her beautiful artwork, but they also tell beautiful stories. This is the first in a series of blog posts that highlight books by Patricia Polacco with suggestions for how to use them in your classroom.  I’m starting with a book you may not be familiar with . . . Aunt Chip and the Triple C ..read more

Digital Planners:  Making them Work for You One of the biggest advantages of digital planners is being able to customize it to be exactly what you need.  Customizing can be as simple as typing in your name and class information to adding columns and rows in a table. I’ve put together directions and a few videos that will help you customize your digital planner. Before you begin customizing your digital planner I highly recommend making a copy of the original file and saving it with a new name.  This will preserve the original version.  You’ll want to keep the original u ..read more

Research shows that reading aloud to your child or students is the single most important activity for reading success (Bredekamp, Copple, & Neuman, 2000).   Reading aloud is the first step toward building reading comprehension skills.  That’s why I hate seeing it squeezed out of the crowded daily schedule in so many classrooms.  Before you take out your daily read-aloud, consider these benefits. Establish a sense of community with shared experiences.  One of the goals during the first few weeks of school is to bring your students together as a community ..read more

Using writing folders saved my writing block.  It's so frustrating (for me and the students) to be in the middle of a writing project, only to have a student say, "I can't find my paper."   Writing folders have helped us all stay on track and organized! In late summer, as soon as Walmart and Target stock their Back-to-School aisle I look for their specials on pocket folders.  I can usually find them priced at 10 for $1.  That's when I put my writing folders together. They are a super handy way for students to keep their writing projects organized.  Putting ..read more

I love the first week of school because it’s a clean slate.  The room is clean and perfectly organized, the year-at-a-glance plans are written, name tags are on the desks, and your supply cabinets are filled with unbroken crayons.  Now the butterflies in your stomach begin to flutter madly.  What do you actually do with your kids during the first week?  Getting to know your students and establishing a kind and caring community is a must for the first week of school.  I have a few ideas to share with you in the next few weeks that will help tame those butterfl ..read more

The Sentence Game Let’s face it, writing is hard.  It takes lots and lots of practice to master the many skills a writer needs.  But practice can be boring.   Not now!  I’ve created a sentence writing game your kids will love.  With this game they’ll write sentence after sentence without complaining, because it’s a game. It’s very simple, but practices very essential skills- capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. The game can be played with 2 or more players.  There’s even a way to play it with your whole class. Each student needs a word grid and a sentence ..read more