Inside: Discover a weekly routine for shared reading that supports you in teaching multiple literacy skills, while providing a consistent structure for capturing young readers’ attention and interest. The Magic of Shared Reading I was once observed during a shared reading lesson. In the post-op, the administrator told me that it’s always her practice to […]
The Kindergarten Name Game: A Literacy Routine for the Beginning of the Year
Inside: Play the name game with your kindergarten class to learn each other’s names, while introducing important print and phonological awareness skills. Teaching With Children’s Names When I get my class list, I count the number of kids, look at birthdays (hoping none fall on the for the first day of school!), and then look […]
7 Playful Ways to Do Letter-Sound Card Drills in Kindergarten
Inside: Discover ways to add some fun and playfulness to your daily letter sound card drills to hold children’s attention and keep their eyes on the cards. Those Dreaded Letter-Sound Card Drills You pick up your letter-sound cards for the 100th time and hope that you won’t hear any audible groans (mostly from yourself). You […]
Retelling Stories with Story Maker Mats
I once saw a kid-written sign in a classroom that read, “Stories Happen Here.” What lucky kids! I knew this meant that they weren’t just being read stories, they were also inventing and retelling stories. I immediately wanted to know how I could create this kind of environment in my classroom. And was sure it […]
Story Maps: Teaching with Fairy Tales in Kindergarten
Teaching With Fairy Tales If I had my way, a fairy tale unit would be an essential part of every kindergarten teacher’s curriculum. These age-old stories are highly engaging and full of teaching opportunities that include building oral language, expanding vocabulary and increasing comprehension. They are also my go-to favorites for teaching the story elements […]
Why I Don’t Have a Dramatic Play Center in My Kindergarten Classroom
Now before you go jumping to conclusions, let me say that I have nothing against a dramatic play center. In fact, it makes me pretty sad to see how few kindergarten classrooms have space for them anymore. I even got choked up at a conference once (not unusual if you know me) as I described […]
Teaching with Elephant and Piggie Books in Kindergarten
Inside: Discover 10 ways you can use Elephant and Piggie books in kindergarten to teach language comprehension, expression, friendship, social emotional skills, and more! It’s Elephant and Piggie Time! April is rain, and mud, and worms and the month that I bring out the Elephant and Piggie books in kindergarten. Spring fever has set in […]
10 Ways to Celebrate Read Across America Week
If you search Pinterest for Read Across America week, you will find a bazillion activities around Dr. Seuss and his beloved books. No surprise there! Yet, if you visit the NEA site, the organization that sponsors the event, you will find something very different! This year’s theme is Celebrating a Nation of Diverse readers, and […]
