All children are super curious about the world around them. As the seasons change, you can take advantage of the beautiful world outside and that natural curiosity! As the season changes to Spring, take students out into the fresh air and enjoy a walk around the schoolyard or neighborhood.
Read MoreWith the huge variety in weather patterns, I believe anytime is the best time to teach your students about weather! I love using the Weather Time Fun Thematic unit by Kindergarten Kiosk because it allows me to hit all of the standards in a variety of ways throughout my classroom.
Read MoreToday I saw a Robin making a nest. It brought a smile to my face, and made me think of the beautiful book Bird Watch by Oana Befort. This is a great book to jumpstart your Spring-Themed teaching.
Read MoreAre you looking for simple St. Patrick’s Day snacks for your classroom or homeschool students? First, think green! A favorite treat for young children can be as simple as green food coloring dropped into their white milk. Here are a few other ideas to make St. Patrick’s Day fun and enjoyable.
Read MoreIt is almost time for kindergarten registration. This year probably looks very different than years past. You may even be wondering how to create an inviting virtual kindergarten registration experience!
Read MoreStrengthen the parent and teacher connection by providing resources that will assist parents as they support their child’s learning. Stay connected! If a parent knows how to help, they will help as their time allows if the activities are meaningful, fun, and will practice and enrich learning that is happening in the classroom.
Read MoreI love teaching students about weather, as it is such a rich topic with so many concepts to explore. One concept that is fun to teach is thunder and lightening!
Read MoreApples is always one of my favorite topics for the beginnings of the school year. There is just nothing that screams Fall is on the way like the bounty of apples falling from the trees, and thanks to Johnny Appleseed, apples are plentiful about everywhere you go! Did you know that more apples are eaten in America that any other fruit? I’m not surprised, who does like the crunch of an apple?
Read MoreIndoor Activities For Excitable Children
Whether you are stuck at home because of bad weather or continue to stay in to avoid a health crisis, the fact remains that kids need to be entertained. Unfortunately, even when the sun is out and the sky is clear, there are only so many outdoor activities you can do in a day. When you’re looking for something fun, entertaining, and educational that doesn’t require sunscreen, it’s going to take a bit of innovation. Here are some mom-approved suggestions.
Read MoreAre you like me, suddenly living the life of uncertainty? Will I be teaching distance learning from home? Will I be teaching a mix of face-to-face and distance learning?
Read MoreWe all know that children should not be overexposed to the screens on their devices, but that does not mean a complete technology ban. And as almost any parent can tell you, sometimes, buying yourself 30 minutes of quiet time with a videogame or television show is a lifesaver. It is okay to let your children indulge (within reason) as long as your most common response to boredom is the tried-and-true, “go outside and play.”
Read MoreHandwriting is a critical skill to teach and allow for independent practice. My favorite way to introduce handwriting to early learners is through the concepts of sticks and curves. By using this vocabulary, students can easily make sense of the complicated process of letter formation. Sorting activities with tactile letters is a great way to introduce the concept. As little hands can touch the curves and sticks that make letters, the concept becomes less abstract and gains meaning.
Read MoreName writing, spelling, and other activities have so many cognitive benefits and simply makes one feel important! Reading and spelling the names of classmates expands upon the benefits. It not only deepens alphabet knowledge, concept of print, and letter sequencing, but it builds community!
Read MoreRecognizing colors and identifying color names is an important part of a child’s development. This connection of colors, color names, and even color words create the cognitive link between visual clues and the spoken and written word. The process of learning to identify a color by name is actually more complex than it seems. A child needs to sort in their brain that colors are not shapes, sizes, objects, textures, but rather the shade, hue, and vibrance of something you see. Learning colors lays the foundation to complex cognitive thinking and neural pathways that will allow for complex thinking.
Read MoreThis engaging alphabet book featuring the letters A-Z, focuses on letter sounds in a musical way! Students learn alphabet sounds just like magic with this engaging rap and alphabet book craft they are excited to take home, share and love.
Read MoreWhen Covid-19 closed our schools this spring, education changed. Like it or not, education shifted from the classroom to the home. This shift will create gaps in education like never before experienced. Educators are scrambling on how to lessen the gap for their students when they arrive in the fall. Hopefully great things and necessary changes will result from that scramble. Kindergartners and First Graders are at the greatest risk for learning loss because of their crucial stages in development.
Read MoreMy Dad was born in 1912. His Dad was a government trapper and was in the mountains when he was born, but had arranged for his youngest sister Mamie, to be with his wife during his absence. My Dad and his twin brother came early, he weighing a mere 1.5 lbs and his brother at 2 lbs. The birth was difficult and his mother died within the week. Aunt Mamie was left with the responsibility of trying to keep two tiny premature twins alive as well as care for three older siblings until my Grandpa came back from the mountains.
Read MoreDuring this time of school closures, many wonderful companies are making their online resources available to elementary students, but for many families who are sharing computers in order to complete work, or have limited access to the Internet — completing school through online means may not be the best or most accessible course.
Read MoreWhen your child turns 5, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” When answering this question, it is important to look into all components of a child’s development. Ask yourself these questions:
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