I loved to teach fiction narrative writing at the end of the year. Students are always excited to finally get the chance to make up their own stories and they find fiction narratives fun to write. It’s so easy to engage kids in fiction writing, even when they are otherwise distracted by sunny skies, so this is a great unit to teach after ... Continue Reading
5 Easy Ways to Help Boost Writing Test Scores
It’s that time of year again. Every teacher’s favorite season . . . testing season. But preparing for standardized tests doesn't have to be difficult. Today I am sharing 5 easy ways to help boost writing test scores. I firmly believe that the best way to help your students become better writers is to make writing fun. Each of these strategies is ... Continue Reading
FREE Leap Day Activities
Leap Day is upon us! Get ready to celebrate Leap Day 2024 in the classroom with these FREE Leap Day Activities. What is Leap Day? February is the shortest month. It usually has 28 days. But every four years, an extra day is added to the calendar. And this is the year! It actually takes 365¼ days for the Earth to orbit the sun. A typical ... Continue Reading
3 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Texts for Teaching Close Reading
Close reading is an important component of literacy education. It’s essential not only for meeting state standards but also for deepening students' comprehension skills. However, engaging young learners in this repetitive and meticulous process can be a challenge. Today, I’m sharing 3 tips for selecting the perfect texts for close reading that will ... Continue Reading
FREE Spelling Activities for Students in Grades 2-5
Teachers are always on the hunt for easy spelling activities. You want something fun that students will enjoy. But it has to be simple to implement. No one wants to clean up sand or shaving cream every week. You also want it to be effective at helping students learn their spelling words. So, we created a FREE resource to help. This new ... Continue Reading
5 Reasons Why Teaching Grammar Is Still Important in 2025
Grammar - ugh! Every student's least favorite subject. And many a teacher’s too. This is not a surprise because it’s often boring, tedious, and confusing to teach. But despite your misgivings, teaching grammar is still important in 2025 because it contributes to student success in a variety of subject areas. With the rise of technology and a ... Continue Reading
9 Easy, Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for Students
Teachers have a lot on their minds in December. Holiday concerts, classroom parties, parent gifts, not to mention trying to keep kids focused . . . One of the most common threads we see in our Facebook groups this time of year is teachers looking for suggestions for easy and inexpensive holiday gifts for students. Let me start by saying ... Continue Reading
How to Teach Text Dependent Writing
I love teaching writing. And I am a big fan of writing workshop. So it’s no surprise that one of the most common questions I get asked from teachers is, “How do I teach text dependent writing?” There is a lot of pressure on teachers to help students develop this skill. In fact, I‘m being kind. Many teachers tell me that their admin expects ... Continue Reading
Everything You Need to Easily Teach Math
We've all been there—staring at a mountain of complex math curriculum, feeling completely overwhelmed. Your head starts to throb as you thumb through pages and pages of boring lesson plans, multiple problem sets, and homework sheets that go on forever, while you keep a running list of all the extras you need to create or find to keep your students ... Continue Reading
3 Simple Spelling Activities You Must Do This Year
Do you want your students to remember their spelling words after the test on Friday? Of course you do! That’s the whole point of teaching spelling. But, let’s be honest . . . that doesn’t often happen. So today, I’m sharing 3 simple spelling activities you must try this year to make sure that your students are actually learning how to spell and not ... Continue Reading
Our FREE Keep It Simple Summer Series (KISSS) for teachers in grades 2-5 is back!