Mr. Popper’s Penguins was written decades ago, but the story still captures the hearts of readers today. If you aren’t familiar, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is about a house painter who reads and daydreams about the polar regions in his spare time. One day he receives a penguin at his home. What follows is an adventure with a group of very… Read More
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… Read More
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue
When students do not know the difference between tattling and reporting, it can eat up instructional time and frustrate even the most experienced teacher. I like to spend a good chunk of time at the beginning of the year teaching and using examples to illustrate the difference. Today I want to share some ideas for using the book, A Bad… Read More
Stuart Little Resources & Activities
Even though Stuart Little was originally published many decades ago, this story of friendship, family, and adventure still captures the hearts of readers today! This story is a great read aloud for a second grade classroom, but third and fourth graders can tackle this book during reading groups. Today I’m here to share some Stuart Little activities you can… Read More
Enemy Pie Activities
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson is one of my favorite read alouds to start the school year! Not only does this book provide teachable moments about friendship, but students relate to it and love the surprise ending. Here are some of my favorite activities and resources to pair with this book. About Enemy Pie It was the perfect summer. That… Read More
Earth Day {Books & Freebies}
Did you know that Earth Day is on a Friday this year? That means you can be prepared for a week long study with your students on ways to help the environment. Here are a few Earth Day books and resources to get you started! EARTH DAY BOOKS FOR KIDS Like most primary teachers, I build background knowledge using picture… Read More





