By the time November hits, teachers and students are both exhausted. While everyone can use a break, there are still a few weeks before Thanksgiving. This means teachers have to work extra hard to keep students engaged and focused. However, this is hard when they are so tired! Luckily, there are must-have activities for November…
Students of all ages need to understand why we celebrate holidays and special events. While they often want to focus on holidays that result in candy or presents, it is crucial to gain an understanding of days they are less familiar with. This is the case with Veterans Day! While some students will know about…
Teachers have to focus on so many standards each year. Honestly, the amount of content to teach can be overwhelming when realizing this is how much students have to learn. Thankfully, teachers consider the importance of each standard when planning lessons. Ultimately, this means students receive more instruction and practice on skills they will use…
It is heartbreaking to see students not believe in themselves. This often comes in the form of giving up, becoming frustrated, and wanting to cry. Teachers never want them to feel like this. However, learning to read can do this to students. It can be overwhelming to look at words but not know what they…
Teachers have to make tough decisions about how much time to spend on standards. They want to ensure students are ready for everything in life. Therefore, some standards receive more time, focus, and attention. One of these standards involves writing. Honestly, this is a challenging skill to learn because there are so many components. Thankfully,…
Phonics skills create a solid foundation for students to become successful readers and writers. Honestly, they can handle many challenges when they understand how vowels, consonants, syllables, and blends work! For instance, they can sound out unknown words. This leads to better comprehension and understanding of the text. Likewise, phonics skills allow students to understand…
Learning to read is such a complex skill. Thus, teachers break down the process into stages. It often begins with learning individual letters and the sound each makes. Then, it progresses to stretching through these sounds to read words. As time continues, these skills come together, and students start to read beautifully! However, it can…
Phonemic awareness sets the foundation for being a strong reader and writer. Honestly, this involves much more than just learning the letters and the sounds they make. It includes everything from blending to syllables. Thus, it can be overwhelming for students to learn and remember so many skills. Thankfully, teachers work hard to take essential…
Learning how to read is such a complex task. Students must know their letters and the sounds they make. Additionally, they have to be able to blend sounds to form words. As an added challenge, they must learn about specific rules changes, such as R-controlled vowels. Thus, learning to read fluently takes a ton of…
1st grade is an important year for building reading skills! At this level, students dive a little deeper into reading and work on developing their comprehension and fluency. To get this practice, you’ll need lots of reading activities for 1st graders at the ready! Here are a few of my favorite low-prep activities to make…
Are you looking for a FUN way to celebrate Halloween in or out of the classroom this year? This Digital Halloween Party is the perfect way to add a little fun into your day! This is also great to use during a Google Meet or Zoom while distance learning, or as a whole class during…
It’s back to school season, teachers! You know what that means… Lots of introductions, icebreakers, and getting to know your new students on a personal and academic level. It also means that students will begin to build their classroom community, setting the tone for the rest of the school year! I am a firm believer…
