Everyone has a story to tell. What is yours?
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. Looping means a teacher remains with the same group of students for more than one school year. I have taught multiple grades over… Read More
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
I think most teachers would prefer a world where all students were intrinsically motivated, but it just isn’t an every day reality. Many of us dig deep into our pockets and find extrinsic rewards to help change certain student behaviors. Guilty! Once I started adding up those little rewards, I knew there had to be a better way, so I… Read More
In all my years of teaching, I don’t think I have ever done things the same way twice. This includes the decision about having a dedicated snack time or going without. I can’t speak for the masses, so today I’m here to share the pros and the cons of having snack time in my classroom. Before you make your decision,… Read More
Have you ever asked your students to find a partner? I have and the same problems arise year after year. So now I have five quick and easy ways to group my students using supplies I already have in the classroom. Popsicle sticks (aka tongue depressors) can be found in almost every classroom, which makes them a great tool for… Read More
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… Read More
Have you heard any good jokes lately?
If you spend any amount of time around kids you’ve probably heard the classics and more than a handful of punchlines that don’t even make sense. Joke books are definitely funny, but there are a lot of other great reasons to share them with your students.
•They are interactive, which keeps kids engaged.
• Since jokes are short, they can help fill up those extra minutes that appear when you finish a lesson early or have to wait a few extra minutes for specials.
• They can motivate and build confidence in your reluctant readers.
• Kids can practice fluency while learning how to deliver the punchline.
• Jokes often play with words. This means you can work on language (vocabulary, parts of speech, multiple meaning words, etc.) in a fun way.
• They can build classroom community and help reset the tone when kids are having an off day.
• Joke books can create lifelong readers!
I have been on the lookout for joke books that my kids will enjoy. Here are just a few that we recently found. Let me know if you have any other joke books you’d recommend!
#jokebooksforkids #jokebooks #funnybooksforkids #kidlit #kidsbookstagram #childrensbookstagram #kidsbooks #raisingreaders
I'm very proud of my book collection, but I don't think I've reached library status...yet! 😉Pretty much. I just opened a store instead. 😁
Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Neal Layton follows a young author as she sets out to write a book. Along the way, she will keep your readers giggling as she shares the ins and outs of the writing process.
This book would be a great mentor text for your writing workshop. It shares information about finding ideas, knowing your audience, the parts of a story, how to receive feedback, making revisions, and publishing your writing. These could easily be used to guide your writing mini lessons. While the pictures and text will draw in your young authors, I think older students might enjoy this book as a way to review the writing process.
Have you read this book yet?
I found my copy on Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/39I41Bx
You know I love to share MY favorite picture books with you, but now it’s your turn. What is an amazing picture book you have read recently? Hopefully I can add some new titles to my list for our next library (or bookstore) trip!
#raisingreaders #picturebooks #readerforlife
