One of the most important components in today's classroom is the use of collaborative learning techniques. Collaborative learning in the elementary classroom setting not only supports academic development, but case studies show that it also nurtures essential life skills that children need for future success. Participating in group work to reach a common goal is essential for students in many ways. Here are some of the amazing long-term benefits of collaborative learning and why I LOVE group learning: ❤️ Social Development: Collaborative learning strategies provide students with opportun ..read more

The month of December is a wonderful time of year but can be brutal for teachers! The kids are super excited about the upcoming winter break and holidays. That makes it so hard to get them to settle down and focus on school. Sometimes it feels like teaching at Christmas time is a completely futile task, right? One way to keep your students on track at this time of year is to have a really good list of December writing prompts on hand. Giving them fun, timely topics to write about gives kids a way to channel all of their excitement and energy into their classwork. I know coming up with writing ..read more

One of my favorite ways to engage and connect with with upper elementary students is by reading aloud to them. You might think that bigger kids would rather read to themselves, but that's really not true. 3rd, 4th, and even 5th grade students love hearing a good story. A huge benefit of reading aloud to older elementary school students is that you can expose them to more advanced vocabulary and complicated plots than they can handle on their own. A read-aloud is also a fantastic opportunity to build comprehension skills without it feeling like a reading lesson. Finally, reading aloud is a rea ..read more

Are you a kindergarten, first, or second grade teacher? Then chances are pretty high that you teach writing throughout the school year. This can be a really fun subject, but also frustrating at times. Writing in the primary grades involves a lot more than just jotting down some ideas. Writing for young children encompasses things like fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, letter formation, concepts of print, generating ideas, planning, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and more. Whoa, that's a lot to think about! And then there's the issue of reluctant writers. Even when ..read more

If there's one thing I've learned in almost 20 years of being a teacher it's how to utilize volunteers in the classroom. As a new teacher, I never asked for volunteers. In fact, I avoided it. Having my students' parents in the classroom made me nervous and I really didn't know what to have them do. But oh how things change! One day I realized that having parents willing to help is an amazing gift that should be accepted with gratitude. Not only that - it's quite okay to ASK for help. Don't know exactly how? Read on... How to Recruit Parent Volunteers I have found that the very best time to lin ..read more

One of my very favorite math skills to teach is how to count money. Kids really enjoy learning it too because it's one of the math concepts that has a clear, real-world application. One way to make this topic extra fun and relevant is to provide students with hands-on math activities that let them experience counting actual money. This is so much more effective than practicing with the pictures in a textbook and your students will actually have a great time learning! But handing out stacks of real money to a classroom full of seven year olds just isn't practical, is it? Talk about pandemonium ..read more

Reading aloud to your fifth grade class is something you should try to do every day. It engages students in literature they might not try reading for themselves and introduces them to a wide range of genres, authors, and styles. It also creates a shared experience in the classroom, promoting discussion and sharing of ideas. Reading aloud exposes students to diverse perspectives, cultures, and experiences. It can spark empathy, compassion, and understanding as students connect with the characters and their experiences. 5th Grade Read Alouds Your Whole Class Will Love So what should you read to ..read more

One of my very favorite math skills to teach is also an essential life skill - how to count money! One reason I really enjoy this topic is because the kids are genuinely excited to learn it. It's something young children see adults doing out in the real world and they want to do it too! Money concepts are typically taught as part of the math curriculum in first grade and second grade. Younger students are usually very motivated because they know these new skills can be used in real life. Understanding how to count money makes them feel so grown up. What is the best way to teach money skills? Y ..read more

Adding live plants to the classroom can create a more vibrant and stimulating learning environment. It benefits students' physical and mental well-being, fosters a connection with nature, and can even improve learning. But before you run out and buy whatever you find in the nearest garden center, take a moment to consider the lighting conditions in your classroom and how much time you can spend caring for your plants. In this blog post, I'll explain some of the best classroom plants that are easy to care for (even if you don't have a green thumb) and tolerate the indoor low-light conditions. W ..read more

Understanding the difference between fact and opinion is a skill often taught in the first and second grades. It is usually part of reading instruction, but this is actually a very important life skill. Imagine being an adult and trying to get through life without it. Why is it important to teach fact and opinion? Someone who can't tell the difference between a fact and an opinion can quickly be taken advantage of. They are unable to determine what is believable and accurate and what isn't. Making good decisions becomes impossible if you don't know what are factual statements and what is simpl ..read more