Number charts serve as valuable tools for students, offering a visual guide that makes understanding numerical patterns easier. They enhance counting skills, boost mathematical fluency, and provide a practical resource for problem-solving and reinforcing key math concepts. So the vote is unanimous. We LOVE our number charts in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade. It makes a nice year-round center and is just great fluency practice for students. Let’s explore ways to work on a number chart or mix-up your card routine. Number Charts in Kindergarten A number chart is a great tool ..read more

There is so much technology in the classroom now. I love to make sure I take advantage of it whenever I can. Science is one of those subjects my little learners absolutely love. Slow motion video makes science for accessible for all of our students. So – let’s talk about it. How Does Slow Motion Video Work? As our young scientists are exploring, planning, implementing their plans, and watching the experiment, so much can get lost in the moment. Having a student record an experiment taking place or the reaction of an experiment is a perfect way to explore a single moment, slowing everything dow ..read more

Celebrating a rodent who can’t identify his shadow? Hi, it’s us. First grade students everywhere in the United States. We live for random, odd holidays and Groundhog Day is one of those. So, as a teacher, how do I allow us to bask in the weird while also ensuring another February school day isn’t lost? (You know what I’m talking about – 100th/120th Day, Dental Month, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, ANDTHELISTGOESON.) Groundhog Day Books – My Faves I can never turn my back on a good book. It’s just not possible. From morning arrival to transition times, classroom bookshelves are the perfect s ..read more

The school year is quickly ending, and I can not believe how fast this year has gone! I love to share picture books with my students during the last few days because there are many good ones! Here are 5 picture books for the end of the school year.  You’ll Love These Picture Books for the End of the School Year Although there are so many picture books that you can easily use during the last few days of school, these are a few of my absolute favorite end of year read alouds! They touch on memories, funny moments, moving on, and more! 5 Picture Books for the End of the School Year **The boo ..read more

Using or creating a Wordless picture book is ideal for building students’ storytelling skills, strengthening oral language, and practicing a variety of story structures (linear, circular, flashbacks, etc). Today we’ll explore my favorite wordless picture books and the benefits of using this genre of text with littles. In this post, you’ll find Amazon Affiliate links, which means Amazon tosses a few nickels my way if you purchase something through that link, at no extra cost to you, that helps to keep my corner of cyber-space running and helps fund giveaways! My Favorite Wordless Pict ..read more

Every four years, we experience one of the most amazing and talented athletes of our country performing on the world stage in the Olympics. It is a truly beautiful event. The United States often wins gold, and the students love to track the number of bronze, silver, and gold we receive. My school loves to use the excitement surrounding the Olympics to get students about a topic that sometimes is one of the most hated among students—MATH. Our students absolutely love the Math Olympics, and every student can not wait to participate in each event. Where Do The Math Olympics Fit?  The math Ol ..read more

Teachers Make A Difference: A Life Lived in Small Victories A few weeks ago I sat at a Referral Meeting with a family who has trusted me with the most important part of themselves. A little person with so much joy and excitement and energy for life, it makes my heart hurt. As teachers we aren’t supposed to have favorites, but in reality, it’s an easy choice. So, we sit next to each other, our hearts aching. You know the feeling – you’ve poured every resource and ounce of energy and love into a child. You spend the weekends printing photos for her Good-Choices photo album, mornings finding the ..read more

Google Extensions for Distance Learning Distance Learning is moving 100 miles an hour and it feels like everyday we are introduced to a new, amazing, glittery tech tool; so you might be wondering what are my tried and true, go-to Google extensions for distance learning? I’m here to share! These are simple, rarely-glitchy extensions that I use every.single.day in my COVID-19, remote teaching life. Google Extensions For Distance Learning Like any tool, I am choosing to invest my time and energy in tech tools that help facilitate learning. The art of backwards design matters. What is the standar ..read more

Vocabulary mapping offers students the opportunity to make connections between words, concepts, ideas, and illustrations to increase comprehension or check for understanding. Think about a concept map, but in real-life human form and even better – collaborative! Vocabulary mapping is a great resource for struggling readers and can help them learn vocabulary words a little easier. I first learned about vocabulary mapping from EL Education’s Protocol’s guide. I watched it in action in a middle-school classroom and knew that it would work in any age classroom. It’s a perfect way to use vocabular ..read more

Getting students to talk deeply about math can be challenging, and they often are afraid to be wrong or share their strategies with their peers. When students transition from 1st grade to 2nd grade, we expect them to have more mental math strategies and to try to problem-solve when they cannot find the answer quickly.   Two of the main 2nd grade Mathematical Practice Standards are MP1 -Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. and MP3- construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. These two standards are entirely covered in 2nd-grade number talks, and ..read more