Writing papers, multi-paragraph stories, and essays can be challenging for many upper elementary students. For reluctant writers, this often means frustration and black paper at the end of your writing block. Since the expectations for on-demand writing increase after the primary grades in preparation for standardized writing assessments, it is important to support all students […]
Curriculum & Instruction
The 20 Best Books for 3rd Graders
Ever struggle to find the best books for your 3rd graders? Whether you’re planning for literature circles, read aloud, or independent reading, it can be challenging to find quality novels with engaging plots that support deep conversation and critical thinking about the text. That’s why I compiled this list of the 20 best books for third […]
Simplify Place Value to Help Struggling Learners
Teaching place value is always a challenge when it comes to my third graders. They come in with very different levels of understanding, and I find that I need to spend a lot of time differentiating to meet their needs and get everyone on the same place. It can be a struggle to figure out […]
Fun September Lesson Ideas for Grades 2-4
September is typically all about building routines and starting the core of your instruction. However, September also contains a number of great opportunities for building fun, interactive learning into your lesson plans. Here are a few September lessons and activities to consider: Back-to-School Lessons & Activities for September I’ve included my five favorite activities to include […]
Differentiated Place Value Worksheets
Are your students struggling to master key place value concepts? These Differentiated Place Value Worksheets include activities that are perfect for meeting your students regardless of their level. Ideal for small group or independent practice, these can also be used in math centers. What is included with the Differentiated Place Value Worksheets? These Place Value Worksheets target a […]
World’s Best Grandparents- A Grandparents Day Writing Craft
This World’s Best Grandparent Award is a no prep Grandparents Day writing craft that students love to create for the special grandparent in their lives. The craft has a graphic organizer for planning, all the pieces to create the ribbon, and additional writing pages for older students to write a longer response. Easy and meaningful, this […]
Advice to Help You Shine – An End of Year Writing Craftivity
Advice to Help You Shine Next Year is a fun, easy end-of-year writing craftivity that students will love to create and your class next year will love getting to read. The craftivity includes a graphic organizer for planning and all the pieces to create the sunshine writing display. Easy and meaningful, this craftivity makes a […]
Improving Personal Narratives with a Focus on Seed Stories
Every year my students struggle to write personal narratives. This makes improving personal narratives imperative to building successful writers. I’ve been using the Lucy Calkin’s Units of Study for a few years now. One of my favorite parts is the analogy watermelons and seeds during the idea generation process for personal narrative writing. I’ve found […]
World’s Best Mom – A Mother’s Day Writing Craft
This World’s Best Mom Award is an easy Mother’s Day writing craftivity that students will love to create and moms will treasure for years to come. The craftivity includes a graphic organizer for planning, all the pieces to create the ribbon, and additional writing pages to allow the option of an extended response. Easy and […]
Poetry Month in the Upper Elementary Classroom
April is National Poetry Month, but with state testing season closing in (or already arrived), it can be hard to find ways to incorporate this genre in fun and meaningful ways that engage students without sacrificing a lot of instructional time. Today I want to share a few suggestions for incorporating poetry into your already […]
Cheap & Easy-to-Use Handwriting Apps for Upper Elementary
There are so many apps, activities, and worksheets available to help beginning writers, but what is available for upper elementary students who struggle with handwriting? Students who form poor handwriting habits early in kindergarten or elementary school may have a hard time overcoming them. Still other students perform well with printing but struggle when it […]
What is Daily Academic Vocabulary?
Daily Academic Vocabulary is designed to support students to build the academic language skills needed to be successful in school. While many students have a strong conversational vocabulary, they lack the exposure and understanding of the Tier 2 words commonly used in the classroom and on standardized assessments. While this is common, and often addressed, […]
The 20 Best Books for 5th Graders
Looking for the best books for your 5th graders? From read aloud to novel studies to independent reading, there are so many different options and it can be challenging to find quality novels that engage your students while supporting critical thinking about the text. The 20 Best Books for 5th Graders Whether you grab a […]
The 20 Best Books for 4th Graders
Ever struggle to find the best books for your 4th graders? Whether it is read alouds, novel studies, or independent reading, it can be challenging to find quality novels with engaging storylines that support deep conversation and critical thinking about the text. That’s why I compiled this list of the 20 best books for fourth grade. […]
What are trifold novel studies?
Trifold novel studies are designed to engage students in higher level thinking about literature without the long list of chapter questions that only focus on recalling the plot. Students focus their daily reading response on core reading comprehension skills and vocabulary using popular chapter books that are appropriate for their reading level. What’s in a […]
5 benefits of novel studies that will change your perspective
The room was abuzz with discussion. This was exactly what I had been aiming for as I began planning my novel study and is one of the core benefits of novel studies in my classroom. As I moved from group to group, I listened to the lively debate about character relationships. I overheard a discussion […]
How to use brain research to teach problem solving the best way
Math problem solving is a hot topic. Whether you’re talking state tests or just meeting with your team to plan the next math unit, the conversation inevitably turns to word problems…and not easy-peasy, let’s put the skill in context word problems. But have you seen how many math skills we are required to teach these […]
15 totally free websites for digital reading in your classroom
Looking for some free digital reading resources? With the number of classrooms moving toward 1:1 technology on the rise, the amount of time students spend reading digital texts is growing exponentially. However, it can become costly for us to try to keep up with classroom libraries in two formats so I’ve pulled together a list […]
September Books for Upper Elementary
September is one of my favorite months of the year, and I love the transition into the autumn weather and the excitement of pumpkin latte season. September is also a great time to start making a plan to bring novels into your classroom. As you get get acquainted with your new class and start to think […]
Math Spiral Review to Increase Achievement
Last week, I wrote about issues I’ve seen with spiral review, but I didn’t tell you much about how I handle these issues. Today’s going to give you a picture into what math spiral review looks like in my classroom and how I purposefully designed it using research-based best practice and student achievement data. Math Spiral […]
Spring into April Learning
April is nearly here and spring has sprung! With the arrival of warmer weather, I love to add some spring fun into my classroom routine. Keep reading for a few great April-themed activities you can do in your upper elementary classroom. Celebrate Poetry Month with Spring Poems Poetry writing is one of those topics students […]
10 Must-See Websites to Support Math Intervention
I’ve received so many great comments regarding my post from last year, 10 Must-See Website for Reading Intervention, and one of the most common ones has been whether I know of any sites to build math skills and support math intervention. Math Websites for Intervention Support As you know, I firmly believe it is important to […]
Best Books for February: Engaging Readers in Grades 3-5
Looking for the best books February has to offer? Good news! There are lots of great holidays that can create cross-curricular connections, and by now the kids have developed their reading competencies and independence to the point that they are ready to take on more responsibility for their learning. This makes it the absolute best […]
Why I Teach Cursive….even if I don’t use it!
My friend Sherri, from the wonderful blog Literary Sherri, posted a few months back about whether cursive was becoming a lost art. You can read her thoughts on the topic here. After coming across the post recently through Pinterest, I decided to go back and re-read the post I wrote five (insert creaking bones here) years […]
Best Books for December: Novels, Nonfiction, and More for Grades 3-5
Is it really December? I feel like I’ve blinked and half of the school year has passed, and it is time to share a set of December novel studies. As we wrap up Thanksgiving and start looking toward holiday break, book clubs can be a great way to keep students engaged and learning as the […]
Holiday Writing…It’s more than just letters to Santa!
The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break can be torturous, and it can be really tempting to do some slacking when it comes to instruction…especially when it comes to writing. It can be really tough to fit quality writing instruction into those busy weeks. However, holiday writing doesn’t have to be fluff, and it doesn’t […]
Vocabulary is destroying your test scores. Here’s how to fix it!
Vocabulary Development. Would you believe me if I told you I took a whole class with this title in high school? I took the course an English elective because I had heard it was an easy way to get a credit. The rest of my schedule was full of AP this and that, and I […]
Building Mathematical Thinkers through Problem Solving
So many students grow up with a fear (or hatred) of mathematics. Mathematical thinking makes up a huge piece of the Common Core standards and this thinking is one way we can help students develop stronger problem solving skills. aimed to solve this by connecting different methods of thinking to the teaching of problem-solving. The big message is […]
No prep brainstorming strategies for reluctant writers
Every year there is at least one student in my class who dreads writing. When writing time comes, he’s the kiddo who spends the whole period just staring at the paper. Over time I’ve incorporated several brainstorming strategies for reluctant writers that have really helped transform how kiddos like this feel about writing. Why you need […]
Best Books for May: Novels, Nonfiction, and More for Grades 3-5
If your school is anything like mine, then you pine for the arrival of May almost as soon as April has begun. There is something about the beautiful weather and freedom to teach without throwing in test prep that makes May an infinitely better month than April. Book clubs are a must for my […]
Why Read Aloud?
With a carefully chosen book, read aloud time is a magical part of the day where students can open their imagination and even reluctant readers can find the joy in a story. However, many times read aloud is put aside due to the numerous stresses and requirements that must be fulfilled within the school day. […]
5 Simple Ways to Freshen Up Your Test Prep Passage Practice
Test prep is really a necessary evil this time of year. I feel like kids deserve to be familiar with the format, but we also need to avoid beating them over the head with reading test practice and passages before they even get to test day. Here are some easy ways to freshen up your […]
Best Books for April for Grades 3-5
Is it really almost April? I feel like I’ve blinked, and the school year is moving toward a close. There is a LOT of pressure this time of year to make sure you are putting the finishing touches on mastery of your grade level standards with the upcoming testing season ready to pounce. Teachers feel […]
Big Kid Book Clubs for March
Time seems to fly with testing approaching for the upper grades. There are so many skills to review in preparation for the state tests that it can feel overwhelming to tackle it all. While this often seems like a time to revert to practice passages and the basal, I encourage you to consider book clubs […]
Why You Need to be Building Computational Fluency Into Your Math Block & How to Do It
I firmly believe computational fluency and the related ability to quickly and easily recall the answers to basic math facts is a cornerstone of math success. I know there are a number of people out there who would argue that if a child can find a way to solve the problem that is good enough. […]
Genius Hour in the Classroom: Challenges & Solutions
I love helping students find their passion for learning, but for many students traditional instruction doesn’t teach students how to learn. Several years ago, I came across this post about passion projects by Jen Runde from Runde’s Room. After incorporating some of her stratgies and adding my own twists, I can honestly say I love implementing Genius […]
October STEM Fun | Pumpkin Science Stations
If your campus is like mine, there is a big push toward STEM activities that allow students to explore and learn through hands-on activities. Over the past few years, I have loved working pumpkins into my October lesson plans, and doing a STEM activity with pumpkins is always a long-lasting memory for my students. < […]
A beginner’s guide to teaching energy
Welcome back to another Science Saturday! We are just wrapping up our 10-day energy unit, and it has been a really fun one for the kids. You’ll notice we only covered sound, light, and heat energy in depth. We worked in a little mechanical energy on the first day, but our district has a separate […]
Science Saturday: Science Careers
Welcome back for another week of Science Saturday! This week I am going to share my second unit of the year. As I said last time, it is a very short one (which is why I am doing two Science Saturdays this month). However, I think it is great for giving students a background […]
How to teach science safety & tools
Science safety is something that students must learn. However, teaching science safety and tools can feel like a repetitive way to start each year. The good news is – It doesn’t have to be! I’ve outlined these lesson plans for science safety and tools that will keep your students engaged and excited to learn about […]
Tips, Tricks, and Free Activities Simplify Teaching Area & Perimeter
I love teaching measurement – especially area and perimeter – to my students. It lends itself to fun perimeter and area activities where students get hands-on practice and lots of opportunities to move around and work cooperatively. However, I find that many of my students struggle to differentiate the area of a shape from the […]
Teaching to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a great time to build in so many academic skills. Here are a few ways I incorporate the holiday excitement into my classroom…because we all know the kids’ brains are already moving to break! The First Thanksgiving Webquest I love doing this amazing webquest from Scholastic. The site is chock full of great […]
Building Focused Personal Narratives
Getting students to create personal narratives that are engaging and focused is one of the biggest challenges I face in writing. I’ve been using the Lucy Calkin’s Units of Study for a few years now. One of my favorite parts is the analogy watermelons and seeds during the idea generation process for personal narrative writing. […]
Why I Use Trifold Novel Studies for Building Comprehension
The first time I tried reading novels in my classroom, my novel study activities were dry and boring. While the story was great, the post-reading activities left something to be desired…and by the end of our book, my students could only recall the details of the story as a result of our work. From that point […]