Back to School Season is here! Click to see my favorite first week of school activity.
I love doing this Skittles End of Year Writing activity with my students! Every year my students enjoy this Skittles Thanksgiving writing activity. But this year we were remote during Thanksgiving and didn’t get to do it. So I adapted this fun activity for the end of the school year. Materials for Skittles Writing Activity:…
I try my best to make test prep activities as engaging as possible. These test prep activities help my third graders stay focused during this time of year. For each of these test prep activities, I provide students with a reading passage or a set of multiple-choice math questions. Students complete their work on their…
Let’s talk about weekly vocabulary activities for elementary students. I’ve compiled a list of weekly activities I use with my third graders. These engaging vocabulary strategies are sure to help your students master their weekly vocabulary words. Finding the right weekly vocabulary words Research shows students benefit from the explicit instruction of Tier 2 Vocabulary…
Charlotte’s Web is one of my novels to read with my third graders in the spring. I like reading Charlotte’s Web later in the year, because my students have become stronger independent readers by this point of the year. The focus of my Charlotte’s Web unit is a deep character analysis. During this time, I…
This post is a round-up of some of my favorite biography picture books for women’s history month. I chose these books because they are all age-appropriate for third graders. Biography is one of my favorite genres to teach. Every year I find my students inspired by the accomplishments of others. Students are always in awe…
Vocabulary instruction is key to boosting students’ reading comprehension. These vocabulary Activities for 3rd grade students are so engaging. Students will broaden their vocabularies without even realizing they are working! Students need repeated exposure to new words so they can master them. Studies have shown that students need to see a word 15-25 times in…
These 10 winter picture books help brighten my mood during the dreary winter days. I have compiled a list of my favorite winter picture books to use with my second and third graders. I have also included a list of teaching points with each book. 1. Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham Penguin Chick by Betty…
A Chris Van Allsburg author study is a great way to engage readers and strengthen their comprehension skills. Chris Van Allsburg is one of the most thought-provoking children’s book authors. His storylines are captivating. His illustrations are eye-catching. From character analysis, to figurative language, to theme… the teaching points are endless! A Chris Van Allsburg…
Have you ever stopped to think about the benefits of using social media to boost parent involvement? Social media for elementary schools is a great way to boost communication, share fun classroom activities, and involve parents! Our parents are on social media. Our schools need to be there too! As educators, we know the importance…
Virtual vocabulary instruction is so easy thanks to neat websites like padlet and Google Jamboard. In this post I will explain how to use Padlet to create a vocabulary graffiti wall. Teachers around the world are entering a new realm of education: distance learning. As we are now thrown into the world of virtually teaching,…