If you use task cards in your classroom, you will LOVE digital task cards, specifically, Boom Cards! Digital, self-checking task cards are my favorite way to differentiate learning and engage learners. These are the top 8 reasons I’m a fan (in no particular order): 1) DIGITAL No printing, laminating, and cutting out sets of paper task cards. Less prep = more… Read More
8 Reasons to Use Boom Cards with Students
5 Reasons to use Google Classroom
Have you used Google Slides or Google Classroom, yet? It is really easy- and in the event you are wondering how to do something, answers abound at your fingertips! Here are some of my favorite reasons for using Google Classroom. These reasons are so great, you don’t need anymore! 1) Easy to setup Teachers can set up a class, invite… Read More
8 Back to School Picture Books and Activities (plus 2 books for you)
I can’t believe Back to School is so close! It really seems like we just started summer break. One of my summer goals has been to re-organize my teaching materials and picture books (in a more efficient manner), and well…basically put some “piles” away. In doing this, I have been sidetracked so many times! As you might guess, this classroom… Read More
Amazing Hacks for Easy Literacy Centers
Back to school time is almost here and I wanted to share a couple of fun ideas for interactive literacy centers with you! You don’t need to spend all day trying to create the latest, greatest new word work games. Kids love interactive activities and the two I’m going to show you are easy to prepare and cost next to… Read More
12 Ways to Help Striving Readers
So, you have some kiddos that read effortlessly and a couple that just can’t “take off”. What to do? In this post, I’ve listed 12 steps to help striving (struggling) readers make progress. Read on. First of all, you have to figure out what your student already knows and doesn’t know in order to determine what to teach next. I’m a reading… Read More
Teach Phonemic Awareness With No Teacher Tears
What is Phonemic Awareness? You may have heard that phonemic awareness is an essential building block for reading, but aren’t sure why. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes (the smallest units of spoken language). It is the primary predictor of early reading and spelling skills in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Students who lack phonemic awareness… Read More
