As teachers, we can all agree that the ever-growing mass of teaching methods for reading can be totally OVERWHELMING. You might be thinking, "Sure, shared reading sounds interesting, but how in the world am I going to fit one more thing into my already jam-packed day?" Why complicate it, right? Well... let me just ask you this: Have you ever peeked around a first-grade classroom while a teacher is teaching a reading strategy lesson? If not, let me paint you a picture. A handful of ... continue reading...
Opinion Writing First Grade
Ask first graders to share their opinions and the song Who Let the Dogs Out immediately comes to mind. They will seriously pepper us with opinions faster than flies can invade a juicy burger in the summertime. Ask them to write their opinions and support them with reasons...well...that's a whole different story. It's not unusual for a first grader to write something like this: I like art best because it is fun. It is really fun. It's really super duper fun. Sound familiar? Of course ... continue reading...
TEACHING INFORMATIVE WRITING IN FIRST GRADE
Picture this: You are wandering around your first grade classroom in awe as each and every student is madly engaged in informative writing. It's so quiet you can actually hear yourself breathing along with the sound of pencils scratching along pieces of paper. Informative Writing - a no-nonsense genre of writing where just the facts are delivered. It seems straight forward and like it should be incredibly easy for young children to grab onto and run. Some do. Some run with informative ... continue reading...
TEACHING BEGINNING OF YEAR FIRST GRADE WRITING HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER
Does the thought of teaching beginning of the year writing in first grade sound less pleasant than a staff meeting that has gone into overtime? Teaching first grade writing is not for the weak. It's no easy task. Like for real. Teaching first grade writing at the beginning of the year...even trickier. I remember my first year as a teacher. So excited and full of energy. Writing was absolutely, without a doubt, the one topic I looked most forward to teaching. Then...not so much. ... continue reading...
5 Easy Steps to Teach Number Talks in First Grade
Do you do Number Talks in your first grade classroom? We do! And we can honestly say that Number Talks are the BEST way we have found to increase our students' computational fluency and their ability to think about numbers flexibly. This simple addition to our math warm up time has truly transformed mathematics in our classrooms. Pinky swear! However...if the thought of implementing daily number talks gives you hives....we've got you covered! Our YEARLONG ... continue reading...