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Tracking Reading Levels Through the Year

Primary students can make incredible reading growth each year and I am always looking for a quick and easy way to track that growth.  This is a simple form that works for me, so I thought I'd share the idea with you.  It's just a table I created to match the levels our testing kits assess.

Math Warm-Ups for Number Sense

Students need repeated practice on skills in order to work towards mastery.  I recently shared with you how my grade level team uses a customized Daily Math Review for our morning work Another key component of my morning is our math warm-up. Take a peek into our routine!

The Juice Box Bully

Are you getting ready to read The Juice Box Bully? Here are some of my favorite activities

Anansi and the Magic Stick

Anansi and the Magic Stick is an entertaining story for kids with a great lesson to learn. Here are some of my favorite activities to pair with this book.

Morning Work – Using a Daily Math Review

I have tried all kinds of things for morning work over the years.  Each has had its own pros and cons, but nothing ever seemed to be the right fit for my teaching, curriculum alignment, or student needs.  So what does a teacher do in this case?  She creates something that will work.

Gooney Bird Greene – Character Traits, Story Retell, Freebies, and More

Are you getting ready to read Gooney Bird Greene? Here are some of my favorite activities to use when reading this entertaining story!

Horrible Harry’s New Look

Horrible Harry has been a classroom staple for several years now.  There's just something about the kids of Room 2B (and 3B) that kids can relate to and enjoy. Here are some activities to pair with these books.

Classroom Economy: How I Use Money in the Classroom

Many years ago I moved from teaching intermediate down to primary. I worked closely with another teacher who had been using money in the classroom for years. I was hesitant at first, but quickly realized that if we would be sharing students throughout the day, I would need to jump in with both feet and get started. Now it seems like second nature, but it wasn’t always the case. Here’s a look at some of the questions I had when I first started and I hope it might help you, too.

Classroom Jobs for Students

After teaching for more than a decade, I have changed the way I have used classroom jobs many times. I'm sharing some of the systems I have tried over the years.

Celebrating Birthdays in the Classroom

Every child in the classroom deserves to be celebrated. Since everyone has a birthday, this is the perfect opportunity to make it special and memorable. Here are a few ways to celebrate birthdays in the classroom.

Setting Classroom Goals

Goals help set a purpose and a direction for where you are headed.  While you are building your classroom community, why not take the time to make some common goals that EVERY student in your classroom can work towards?  Here’s a little glimpse into how I do this in my classroom.

Opinion Writing for 2nd Graders

If your second grade students are working on opinion writing or persuasive writing, you may be looking for a few tools to get started. Here are some resources to help.

How-To Writing for 2nd Graders

If your second grade students are working on how-to writing or procedural writing, you may be looking for a few tools to get started. Here are some resources to help.

Friendly Letter Writing in 2nd Grade

If your second grade students are working on writing friendly letters, you may be looking for a few tools to get started. Here are some resources to help you with friendly letter writing.

Daily 5 – Work on Writing

Do you use the Daily 5 in your classroom? Here are some ideas to try for the Work on Writing rotation.