Book bins, book boxes and shopping bags Oh My! How do you help your students stay organized during independent reading time? There are so many different ways to organize students’ books, and you have to find what’s right for you,…
What’s Your Resolution? We Have One Word For You!
A resolution…the act of determining, as described by Merriam-Webster. A resolution is a buzz word this time of year…we are all in the process of reflecting, looking back, looking ahead, and then deciding what kinds of goals we have for…
Part TWO: Books Make the Best Gifts (Upper Elementary and Middle School)
Part II of the series…where do I begin when trying to find books for Christmas gifts?! Part I included suggestions of LOTS of books for K-1st and 2nd-3rdgrade students. Here, I’m going to make suggestions for upper elementary readers and…
Books Make the BEST Gifts: K-3 Book Giving Guide
Whether we are ready for it or not, the season is upon us!!! Yes, it’s the season for universal screeners, mid-year exams, etc. But that’s not the season I’m talking about today. No, today it is all about the holiday…
Monitoring Accuracy of Decoding in Guided Reading
Have you seen these lying around your classroom? Or at your school? As elementary teachers, we tend to have these little manipulatives coming out of our ears! We use them for math and they are everywhere! Today, I’m going to…
Do You Ever Have Technology Problems?
Howdy! How are you utilizing technology in your classroom? Whether you have a classroom brimming with 28 iPads or you have two stone-age desktops, our job as teachers is to make sure students know how to best use the technology…
Guided Reading… with LEGOS?
What kind of tools do you use at the Guided Reading table to keep readers engaged and focused? One tool I love using- are Legos! Who doesn’t like Legos? Here are a couple of ways…
Building STAMINA with the LITTLES
How do you build stamina with your emergent and early readers? It’s a challenge, right? And right about now you may be looking for something to HELP! Research says these readers (K-2) should be reading each day for up to…
Writing Workshop: Writing Partner Conference Form
Hey y’all! Many of the schools and teachers I work with are safe- but trapped in their homes. This will give you something to read! Prayers to everyone in the Houston area and all those affected by Hurricane Harvey! ***********************************************************************…
Friday Freebie: Substitute Response Form
Happy Friday and congrats on making it through a week of in-service PD or possibly your first few days of the 2017-2018 school year! I wanted to pop in and give you a few tips on staying afloat at the…
It’s AUGUST… BREATHE!
Twas the night before school starts and all through the halls, the teachers were scurrying to attach things to walls. August is here and with that school is starting! Many of you readers are hustling and bustling…
Launching Your Writer’s Workshop FREEBIE
Back to school is just around the corner! Have you thought about how you will launch your Writer’s Workshop time? How will you introduce the workshop to your students? Remember in May when your students and Writer’s Workshop were a…