One way teachers can assess how their students are doing and where there are gaps in understanding different concepts is by data tracking. The information you can learn from the data you collect is invaluable to help you know where to focus your instruction the most. It's also beneficial in that you can determine how to group students and differentiate them according to their needs. Check out this earlier blog post about other math resources. let students track their own data Just as gathering data is useful to you as the teacher, it's also very useful to your students. But I'm not referring ..read more

Word centers are so important for young students learning to read and write. They allow them to focus on one particular skill or to practice and review what they've already learned. They can do word word centers at any point in the school day and even at home. Working with words in all areas such as rhyming, phonics, etc. will make your students better writers, readers, and spellers. I have more ideas for word work in this previous post. ideas for fun word centers Write a Silly Story This is a word center activity that students really like because they get to make up silly stories! Have a wor ..read more

Are you studying animals? Looking for some fun classroom decor? Are you teaching science vocabulary? Want to further develop your students' speaking and listening skills? You can cover all of these bases with animal posters! benefits of using animal posters Of course, the most obvious use of animal posters is to decorate your classroom. Kids love animals and have endless curiosity about them, so it makes perfect sense to use them around your room as part of your decor. But posters can be much more than just decoration. Here are some benefits of using animal posters in your classroom. An eye ..read more

Handwriting practice is so important for young students. But for those who are having difficulties it can be a very frustrating endeavor. How can we help our students practice their handwriting without making them bored or frustrated? I've gathered some ideas together here for you. You might want to try one of these fun ideas! fun handwriting practice ideas One thing that really helps with this skill is to make students forget that they're practicing. If the activity is fun, chances are they'll be much more willing to try. Practice that isn't schoolwork – Change things up by practicing writi ..read more