Improve Students’ Writing with These Grammar Ideas for Primary

Grammar teaches us to look closer at the construction of a sentence. By understanding the frame of a sentence, we become more enabled to construct better sentences. It is like building a house. If someone handed you a hammer, some nails, and wood, you probably could build something, even if you were never taught how. […]
Nine Games to Use with Grammar Task Cards

I’m excited to show you nine different games (including a freebie) that you can use to make your grammar task card activities more hands-on. Let’s face it. It can be a challenge to constantly teach rich content that is also engaging and fun for students. Task card games tap into children’s love and need for […]
Ideas for Teaching with Phonics Posters

Today I’m going to share with you nine teaching ideas to use with your phonics posters. As you all know, an alphabet, displayed horizontally across a wall, is a standard feature in most elementary school classrooms. But have you ever asked yourself what purpose is it serving? How are my students (and I) using it, […]
End of the Year Writing Prompts

Every teacher needs engaging activities to do with his or her students at the end of the year. If we don’t give them things to keep them busy, the little darlings might drive us crazy because they are so excited for the summer! However, we don’t just want to give them busy work. We want […]
Spring Activities that Integrate Science & Literacy

Spring has sprung! With warmer weather and brighter days, now is the perfect time to integrate science and literacy into your spring activities. However, with so many cute spring themes to choose from (just ask Pinterest), it can be tempting to let academic rigor fall by the wayside in favor of adorable spring crafts and […]
Fun and Simple Activities for Bossy R & a Freebie

I have some fun and simple activities I want to share to help you teach Bossy R. My ideas can be changed and used to teach other phonemes as well. With so many phonics concepts to teach, it’s hard to find time to create quality resources for all of them, so I like to use […]
How to Teach Guided Reading: Prereading to Word Work Extensions

Planning how to teach guided reading can be an intimidating task in the beginning. My first year of teaching, I was extremely nervous that I was going to fail. I had never taught a child how to read. Would I be able to do it? While I was far from perfect and had lots to […]
Use Tech Creatively in K-2: A Simple 3-Step System

A free tech course to get it all up and running smoothly in your primary classroom without losing a bunch of class time. Does most of the professional development for using tech in the primary classroom seem not relatable to you when it comes to using some of these suggestions in your primary classroom? Are […]
Activities for Teaching Long Vowel Teams in the Primary Classroom

When it comes to teaching long vowel teams in the primary classroom, incorporating many different engaging activities is a must! If you are looking for some ideas and teaching strategies for teaching long vowel pairs, you have come to the right place! First, let’s talk about introducing the vowel teams to students. First, it is […]
Those Diphthongs

Hi everyone! Today, I wanted to discuss those diphthongs and how to build up from phonemic awareness to higher order thinking. Of course, it will incorporate some inspiring ideas. 😉 If you have read the sister post on my r-controlled vowels here, you would have heard my spill about how I like to set foundations […]