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articles to motivate, educate & differentiate
17 Ways Kids Can Be Thankful
The holiday season is a time people reflect on gratitude and giving. November especially is the month that many teachers introduce the character trait of thankfulness for their character education... Read More
Why Language Arts is Integral to STEM
Every generation has its own idea about how to educate children and prepare them for the future. The newest trend in educational theory is something called STEM. STEM is a... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #38 on Final Copies
Are your students ready to write a final copy? It is the step following peer reflections in the writing process. This writing mini lesson is part of a series of... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #37 on Peer Reflections
Do your students particpate in peer reflections? Peer reflection is a step in writing process after revising and editing a rough draft and before the final copy. It is one... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #36 on Spelling
Are you looking for teaching ideas for proofreading spelling? Students should edit their rough drafts using CUPS (Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling) and this lesson focuses on the S for spelling.... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #35 on Punctuation
Are you looking for ideas to teach PUNCTUATION to your students? This post will review basic punctuation rules needed for an upper elementary curriculum, provide ideas for teaching them, and... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #33 on Capitalization
Do your students need help learning rules for capitalization and symbols for proofreading in their writing? This post will review basic capitalization rules needed for an upper elementary curriculum, provide... Read More
An Easy Way to Build Good Character in the Classroom
Building good character in the classroom is essential in today’s society. Many parents are teaching their children how to be good citizens, but educators have to step in for those... Read More
A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO TEACHING MYTHOLOGICAL ALLUSIONS
Do your standards cover mythological allusions? If so, this is the right place for you! I will show you an effective step-by-step approach that will help your student(s) understand or... Read More
How to Teach Inference
With the Common Core Standards in place, students are being asked more and more to use critical thinking skills to analyze literary and informational text. Inference is a prime example... Read More
May Writing Prompts
Are you looking for oodles of writing prompts for the month of May? You came to the right place! This extensive list of prompts are divided into categories to help... Read More
Strategies to Teach Text-Dependent Analysis (TDA)
Many states have adopted a TDA (Text Dependent Analysis) style assessment for the writing component of their state test. This type of writing style requires students to read a text... Read More
APRIL WRITING PROMPTS
Are you looking for some writing prompts that are related to an April theme? You’ve come to the right place! This extensive list of prompts are divided into categories to... Read More
7 Writing Activities for March
Dear Teachers, although the following writing activities for March are resources in my store, I welcome you to use the ideas in your classroom by DIY without a purchase. However,... Read More
An Easy Reading Response System for Accountability
Reading Response skills and strategies are important for students to have a better understanding of their reading. Whether you are reading a chapter book together, assigning book groups, or allowing... Read More
THE BEST WAY TO SET UP INTERACTIVE WRITING NOTEBOOKS
Are you looking for an effective way to organize your student interactive writing notebooks and folders? I’ve used writing notebooks for several years and have made changes along the way... Read More
October Books for Upper Elementary
Are you looking for great literature to introduce to your students in the month of October? You will find some of my favorite October books for upper elementary students. Read... Read More
7 Ways to Teach Cause and Effect
Are you looking for ways to teach cause and effect? I love to think outside the box and find ways to teach reading skills in a variety of ways to... Read More
How to Get Your Students Writing!
Do you want your students writing more? These three ways will get your students writing! 1. Morning Work Place a daily prompt on your white board using a projector or... Read More
Classroom Must Haves: Things I Can’t “Picture” Myself Teaching Without
When it comes to organizing and planning a classroom, every teacher has a few items they couldn’t possibly ever go without! It might be that favorite stapler, the perfect book,... Read More