Everyone has a story to tell. What is yours?
Students love to receive notes from their teacher! In our digital world, a handwritten or personalized note can add that special touch and let students know how much you care. Classroom postcards are a quick and easy way to jot a personal note to your students, communicate with families about an upcoming school event, let families know when school supplies… Read More
Having stuffed animals in the classroom can provide emotional comfort and academic support. Here are five ways you can use stuffed animals in the classroom. Reading Buddies This is probably the most common way that teachers use stuffed animals in the classroom. If you use The Daily 5 for your reading block, you know that Read to Someone can… Read More
Spring in the classroom is an interesting time. Not only are students blooming and growing with their learning, but they are also becoming more like a family. And like any family, there are bound to be a few things that start to get on your nerves. One thing that always seems to pop up every spring is students who interrupt…. Read More
Transitions do not always come easy for students. However, getting from point A to point B doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Here are three quick tips to help improve hallway behavior. The most important thing you need to do is set your expectations. I love using acronyms with my students, so I played with the word LINE and… Read More
As you start another school year, I’m sure you have a million and one things planned to do with your students. One thing you should definitely take the time to do is set goals with your classroom. They really help set a purpose for ALL of your students and help with building classroom community. I’ve posted about how I set… Read More
Raffle tickets are a great way to practice math skills in the classroom, but did you know they can be a great management tool, too? Today I want to share with you how I have used math tickets in my 2nd and 3rd grade classroom. Spring was always an interesting time of the school year for me. The students were… Read More
After weeks of falling snow, Cami Lou gathers her family to build a gigantic snowman they call Snowzilla. This impressive snowman draws the attention of thousands of admirers, but it isn’t long before the neighbors start to complain. One neighbor files a lawsuit and a judge orders that Snowzilla must come down. That’s when Cami Lou reaches out to friends, family, and other people in her community to save Snowzilla. Can they find a way to safely move the snow giant?
This rhyming book lends itself to so many writing extensions that I couldn’t help but create a writing craft to pair with it. It’s just one part of my Snowzilla book companion. I have also included comprehension and vocabulary activities. Swipe to take a peek at what’s included.
You can find these activities here:
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowzilla-3530407
You can find the book on Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/2O4XiZR
Sometimes the little things bring the most joy!
One of the questions I am asked most often is where I find all of the books that I share. While I do purchase a large number of books, I also visit our local library. Here’s a little glimpse into where I spend most of my time during each visit. I thought this would be a great time to share a bit more about our library visits.
💜 I take my children to the library every 3 weeks, since that is how long we can keep our books.
💙 We are allowed to check out 100 books per library card. However, my rule is we can only check out what we can carry. My bags usually hold 40-50 books. My kids bring their own backpacks to carry the books they check out.
💚 Most of the books I check out are shared as bedtime stories on my stories each night.
💛 When we get to the library, we all head to different areas. I go to the picture books, my daughter to the chapter books, and my son goes to the easy reader section. They choose their own books.
🧡 My kids often finish browsing before I do. Obviously they can read their books, but our library also has puzzles and Legos for the kids. On this visit, there was also an invitation to make paper snowflakes for the library’s window display.
❤️ One thing I love about our library is we can choose to print a receipt of the books we check out. We use this as a checklist when getting ready for a library visit to make sure we don’t leave any books behind.
Please let me know if you have any other questions about our library visits!
Boxitects has a great message about creativity, teamwork, and friendship. I love that it features a wide variety of ways that kids can express their creativity and imaginations. As a bonus, the author has included some boxitect challenges in the back of the book along with information about why cardboard is a great material to work with. This would be a fantastic addition to your classroom library and a great mentor text for a STEM classroom!
Meg is a brilliant and creative boxitect, so her mom sends her to Maker School. As the only boxitect, she feels special and begins impressing her classmates with her creative structures and designs....until Simone shows up. Suddenly, Meg isn’t the only boxitect and a rivalry quickly forms. When the Maker Match competition is announced, Meg and Simone are forced to work together. Can Meg and Simone set aside their differences and combine their creative forces? Let’s just say that like many STEM challenges, things don’t go exactly as planned!
This is a new book and you can find it on Amazon (affiliate link):
amzn.to/36j2jo3
Did you know that Netflix has turned some of the Who Was? books into 30-minute episodes? I didn't!
Biographies for Children Come to Life on Netflix
creatingreadersandwriters.blogspot.com
I've been collecting titles from the Who Was biography series for years. The text is too complex for most of the primary children I wor...Groundhog Day always sneaks up on me each and every year. Does that happen to you? Thought I would share this mini book pack that will help guide your students through the text. These pages can be printed on white or on colored paper to add a little extra POP.
➡️ You can grab this freebie here:
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Weather-School-5177723
