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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to loop with your students to the next grade? It can be a difficult decision to make. Before making that decision, you should weigh the pros and cons.

The Pros and Cons of a Looping Classroom

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to loop with your students to the next grade? It can be a difficult decision to make. Before making that decision, you should weigh the pros and cons.
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Punxsutawney Phyllis (Activities and Resources)

I don’t know about you, but Groundhog Day always seems to sneak up on me each year. It has something to do with arriving so early in February and competing with so many other holidays early in the year. I tend to read several stories aloud to build schema about groundhogs and the holiday, but then we focus in on one story, Punxsutawney Phyllis (also called Wake Up, Groundhog). Here are some activities and resources you can pair with Punxsutawney Phyllis.
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Sneezy the Snowman Resources

Are you reading Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright to your class this month? I want to share a few activities you can pair with this story that your students will enjoy!
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Snowman Supplies (a Free Station for Addition with 4 Addends)

A few years ago I was bored to tears trying to find engaging ways to practice addition in my classroom, particularly when needing to add up to four 2-digit numbers. I decided to bring a little real-world math into the classroom and let my students go shopping. Today I want to let your students go shopping with this little addition practice with 4 addends freebie:
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A New Improved Santa Activities & Crafts

A New Improved Santa by Patricia Rae Wolff is a story about staying true to yourself and makes a great read aloud near Christmas. Here are some activities and ideas for using this book in your classroom!
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Are your students working on finding the sum of 3-addends this month? Here’s a great way to get your students up and moving during math time!

Turkey Trios (Freebie for 3-Addends)

 Are your students working on finding the sum of 3-addends this month? Here's a great way to get your students up and moving during math time!
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The Very Stuffed Turkey (Turkey Craft & Book Companion)

Are you still looking for a great read aloud before Thanksgiving? You should grab a copy of The Very Stuffed Turkey by Katharine Kenah! This is a great story about a turkey who just can't say no to one more meal with a friend. I want to share some activities you can pair with this Thanksgiving book.
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The Littlest Pilgrim (Book Companion Freebie)

The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Dougherty is a sweet little story about friendship that I love to read before Thanksgiving. Here are some resources you can use in your classroom, too!
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Substitute Creacher Book Activities

It's October and Halloween is probably on the minds of most of your students. Your students are starting to get comfortable and their true personalities are emerging. Combine these two and it's time to grab your copy of Substitute Creacher by Chris Gall and share it with your students! Here are some of my favorite activities to use with this story.
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Writing Tip: Revising Sentence Beginnings

Do you dread reading some of the writing pieces your students have written because each and every sentence starts the same way? I know I have! Here's a quick tip I want to share with you that I have used with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade writers to help with revising sentence beginnings.
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Are you getting ready to read I Need My Monster? Try these comprehension and vocabulary activities to pair with the story.

I Need My Monster Activities

I like to do a mini monster unit before the Halloween craze begins! One of my favorite stories to read is I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll. Today I want to share some of my favorite activities to use with this story.
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Looking for ways to keep your spelling worksheets organized all week long? Here are three ideas to try!

3 Ways to Organize Weekly Spelling Practice

I prefer to incorporate spelling practice into our Word Work rotation during our Daily 5 block. In order to do this, things need to be organized so the students can access and use the materials independently. Here are my three favorite ways to organize student practice.
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Are you getting ready to read Mr. Popper's Penguins? I've shared activities to pair with this book, including a fun penguin craft!

Mr. Popper’s Penguins Resources and Activities

Mr. Popper's Penguins was written decades ago, but the story still captures the hearts of readers today. Whether I'm reading the story aloud to my class or reading it with a small group, I use many of the same activities from year to year.  Today I want to share some of those activities and resources with you.
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Number Names (Different Ways to Represent Numbers)

Years ago our school was using Everyday Math. One of our routines was Name Collection Boxes. If you aren't familiar, this is an opportunity for students to represent and read numbers in different ways. I had a group of second graders who struggled with number sense, so I used this number names game to help during our intervention block.
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Put on Your Listening Ears

The beginning of the year is a time best spent on teaching expectations and procedures to set the tone for the rest of the year. One of the expectations we work on is listening skills. Two books that I use to help are Listen Buddy by Helen Lester and Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen by Howard Binkow. Here are some activities you can pair with these two stories.
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