I’ve always loved using novels in the classroom, but in more recent years, I’ve recognized the power of picture books. They’re short and easily have multiple ways to be used in the classroom. They can be inspirational and mentor texts. While virtual for most of 2020-2021, I relied heavily on
I’m a bibliophile. I can’t help it. I love books and I’m constantly looking for new ones to add to my classroom library. When I first started teaching, I was given the leftover stack of books from teachers who retired or others who were cleaning out their stash. You know
Previously, I shared some favorite read aloud books for fourth grade. Since writing that post back in 20??, I’ve made a few updates to my read alouds. This list represents the read alouds I’ve used in the past few years. My #1 favorite is at the end! Six New Read
My number one goal every year is to make more kids readers. I love books and I wholeheartedly agree with this quote: “There’s no such thing as someone who hates reading. It just means they haven’t found the right book.” Heading into summer, kids only want to be done
This post may contain some affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the links and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. You will never incur a fee or charge for this. Point of view can be a tricky topic to teach for reading and writing.
It’s all about a dog. I mean, how can you look in those eyes and not fall desperately in love? This is why I loved creating a poetry unit for elementary around Love that Dog by Sharon Creech. First: gratuitous picture of my dog! 😍 Okay, but really, I’m here
In this new world of teaching, are there even early finishers? What does that look like? How can I implement this idea? For context, my school is completely virtual (right now). We have 4 synchronous learning blocks- math, language arts, science/social studies (alternating weeks), and flex (time to pull small
First off, read aloud time is non-negotiable in my classroom. But how to fit it into an already packed schedule? Here’s what I’ve learned and how I adapted my schedule. This post may contain some affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the links and make a
Mysteries are probably my favorite genre (see more about my mystery unit here), but historical fiction is a very close second. Students don’t always love learning about history, but historical fiction usually presents the facts in an interesting way. The trick is that I need to get my students excited
I am 10,000% obsessed with Harry Potter. From the moment I started teaching, I kept looking for ways to incorporate this novel into my classroom. I really wanted to be able to show my students the magic of these books, even though it’s now so easy for them to have
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