There are many different ways to approach teaching a child about their world, but developmentally, it makes sense to start with their little circle and move out from there. When kids are young, they are looking at the world through the lens of ME - what I like, what I want, what I have, etc.  This is the time to focus on helping them to know what is going on around them with family, friends, neighbors, and themselves. Here are some fun activities that help them with learning about these things. All About Me Activities These activities help kids to focus on their unique identity, interes ..read more

Learning about the world we live in is a fascinating thing for young children. There are so many different facets of the communities, countries, and areas of the world to discover. Kids are intrigued with maps, field trips, and stories about the world around them. One way to capture their enthusiasm and engage them in learning more about the world around them is to start at an individual level and expand globally from there. There are several reasons for this approach, but from a developmental perspective it just makes sense. ​Kids focus on themselves and what is going on around them when th ..read more

Money is a necessary commodity in our lives, but it's a difficult concept for many children to understand. Because we are living in a plastic world, children don't always get to see and handle real money anymore. This makes it even more difficult for them to understand how to handle it and use it correctly. It is up to us as teachers to help them understand the importance of money and how to count it, earn it, pay for things with it, and make change when needed. This can be a daunting task unless we use concrete examples and situations. Recognizing Coins And Their Values Recognizing coins an ..read more

Do your students know much about money and how to count it, earn it, or use it for spending? Can they make change? Do they realize that they have to have money in the bank in order to use a bank card? All of these actions are necessary if they are to be able to handle money responsibly in life. I recently worked with some students in grades 4 and 5 who had great difficulty with identifying coins, counting money, and making change. It was important to start at the beginning and work through different skills one at a time to help them understand how money worked. A few years ago, there was a Y ..read more

Are you thinking about teaching a solar system unit to your students? Capture the attention and wonder of these young children with a hands on approach that allows them to actually see how different aspects work and why they are so phenomenal. ​ ​Here are some activities and experiments that will help your students better understand the workings of our amazing solar system. Solar System Activities And Projects Creating models, doing research on the planets, making mobiles, making puzzles or games or other activities will all make the solar system more understandable for your students and they ..read more

Picture the excitement on your students' faces when they learn that they are going to study the solar system. Watch the awe in their eyes as they learn about the colossal power of the Sun, the magnitude of the galaxy, the rocky planets and the gas giants, and all the other cosmic bodies in the solar system. ​ Teaching about the solar system provides students with the opportunity to satisfy some of their curiosity and learn more about the awesome galaxy they are a part of. As they journey through the solar system, they'll use their imaginations, ask lots of questions, and maybe even b ..read more

Spring is fast approaching and that means flowers poking up out of the earth, trees blossoming, grass getting green and lush again and kids wanting to get outside to play. This is the perfect time to start thinking about new science units that focus on life cycles, planting things, and watching baby animals as they start their lives and grow. Planting seeds is a great way to help kids understand how we get a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. This is the perfect season to start seedlings in the classroom as well. This has always been a great activity for my students. There are many ..read more

When it comes to nurturing successful readers, we often focus on the importance of word work activities, phonics instruction, and comprehension strategies. And while these elements undoubtedly play a crucial role in developing literacy skills, let's not overlook another essential aspect: the types of reading material we provide to our students. Just like the ingredients in a recipe, the selection of reading material can significantly impact a child's reading journey and overall literacy development. ​ Think about it: would you serve the same meal for every occasion? Of course not! Just as we v ..read more

Word work activities are key to developing strong language skills and fluent readers. Working with word families is an effective way to solidify connecting groups of letters with meaning and it is fun for kids to do. ​Here are some more word work activities that you might want to try.  6 Word Work Activities 1. Word Family Sort Provide students with a set of word cards representing various word families (e.g., -at, -an, -it). Have them sort the words into the corresponding word family categories. Differentiation: For struggling students use visual aids like pictures alongside words to r ..read more

Learning to read can be tricky as children learn in many different ways. Adding in a variety of skills and activities will help to engage them as they learn. Phonemic awareness and phonics are both important components of reading. Finding the combination of both that works for your students will make a difference to their successfulness in reading and writing. Here are 5 phonemic awareness activities and 5 phonics activities to consider as you plan for your lessons. I have also included some differentiations for those that need extra support and those who are more advanced. Phonemic Awarene ..read more