Fun and Practical Ideas for Primary Classrooms
Do you LOVE fun poems as much as I do? Well, I know young readers LOVE poems when they are learning to read, rhyme, and identify letters and sounds. These alphabet poems are a favorite! These Alphabet Poems are fantastic for ABC Bootcamp or whenever you start learning and reviewing letter names and sounds in Kindergarten. And, each letter includes… Read More
After 20+ years of teaching, I’ve done a lot of different things for reading homework. I stopped doing reading logs several years ago because I didn’t feel it was meaningful. Sometimes, families were just rushing to write down book titles to get “credit” for homework, instead of focusing on the fun and important work of enjoying books together. Another reading… Read More
I love using fun decodable books with my young readers! See our four-day reading group routine with our short vowel decodable books! I’ve used these in reading groups, with reading volunteers, and I send them home with students as well. The kids love the funny characters and simple text. The “words to know” section is a great warmup for kids… Read More
I love using spring-themed activities to keep my first grade students engaged during this exciting time of the year! Here is a roundup of some of my favorites that I think you’ll love! Spring-Themed Reading Passages I’ve used these passages for leveled homework, reading groups, and more! Each week has three levels (emerging, growing, established) that cover the same topic… Read More
I love making and sharing great resources for teachers to use. Here is a roundup of some of my FAVORITE FREEBIES from my Teachers Pay Teachers store or my blog! Click the pictures to get your free resources! This pack has 17 passages for first grade Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational (RI) passages. Perfect for practice, review, and assessment… Read More
Primary teachers know we have students who come to us writing up a storm and others who are very reluctant to write anything! How do I get my first graders writing from day one? The short answer is…we write ALL THE TIME! (Me included!) We don’t just write at “writing time”. We write on whiteboards, sticky notes, anchor charts, and… Read More
If you’re a primary teacher, you know that we not only have to help little ones learn HOW to read, we also have to tackle some pretty challenging comprehension standards on top of that! It’s a BIG job! Here are some resources I use to help my first graders and I hope you will find them helpful, too! Anchor Charts… Read More
Learning to read is tough, so making it fun and inviting for our young students is a must! What activities can you do with Kindergartners or 1st graders who are working on letter names and letter sounds? Here are some of my favorite alphabet activities and resources for letter recognition and letter sounds that I’ve used with my emerging readers… Read More
Do you do Reader’s Theater in your classroom? It’s one of my favorite things I do with my students! I teach 1st grade and I use reader’s theater plays with my students every year. Let me tell you why!! 1. It’s FUN! 😊 But, the BEST PART IS…they don’t even realize they are practicing and improving their reading skills because… Read More
Poem of the Week is a beloved daily activity during my literacy block. Having engaging and fun poems for kids promotes reading, discussing, writing, and drawing about the poems each week. Our poetry journal and poetry station are full of familiar poetry they can read independently or with a partner, which is perfect for Kindergarten and First Grade students! I… Read More
