Are you looking for a way to solidify your first grade students' understanding of math concepts and give them extra practice without putting boring worksheets in front of them? If so, teaching math games in first grade is the way to go! Using math games in first grade is the perfect way to integrate purposeful play while solidifying important math skills and strategies. Here are 4 Reasons to Use Math Games in Your First Grade Classroom. #1 - Makes Math Practice FUN True ... 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...
11 Must-Do Tips for Teaching Personal Narratives in First Grade
We often think that writing personal narratives is easy for our first graders. After all, our students naturally share their stories ...all. the. time. It's innate. It's human. Telling personal stories is how we connect with others and share about our experiences, heritage, customs, and feelings. Yet when we ask our sweet little firsties to write personal narratives, we're often met with the dreaded, "I don't know what to write about." Again, and again, and again. What do we ... continue reading...
5 Easy Tips for First Grade Writing
Let's talk beginning of the year first grade writing. It's a brand new school year - full of fresh starts and endless possibilities. We've got our cubbies labeled, a fresh set of crayons for each student, and brand new pencils sharpened and ready to go. Now we're ready to start digging into curriculum and getting ready to teach! But when it comes to writing, we're oftentimes unsure where to begin. Planning first grade writing definitely has its challenges. Give a ... 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...