The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola is one of my favorite Holidays Around the World books to read! I thought I would share some of the comprehension and vocabulary activities I use each year {of course, all “gussied up” with better borders and fonts than I used in the past}. If you need […]

It can be hard to keep your young students’ minds focused on school when the holidays come around. Heck, it can be hard to keep your own mind focused on school when the holiday lights are up, the Christmas songs are on the radio, and the air starts to get a little chill!   Holiday […]

Ahhh.. the holidays are coming…   The air is crisp, the leaves here in Massachusetts are all shades of orange, yellow, and red and most of them have made their way to the ground already!   With all the excitement, I know my first graders always needed high engagement. Anything that could keep my students […]

Do your students read Stone Soup around Thanksgiving?! I love these activities to go along with some versions of Stone Soup. I have done this unit 4 of the 5 years I taught first grade and both my students and I L-O-V-E it! I always complete this literacy unit the week before Thanksgiving and we […]

Cats vs. dogs is the ultimate opinion reading and writing project! Students choose a side and read both fiction and nonfiction books to learn more about their decision. In the end, students choose a winner and write their opinion paragraph to determine which is the best pet! I love integrating reading and writing and last […]

Apple cider donuts, picking pumpkins off the vine, hayrides… that is what Fall is all about, right?!   I am feeling oh, so in the season and thought I would make this free math center for your younger students to practice their number sense!   Students simply count up the seeds (or better yet, identify […]

Interactive read aloud lessons in my first grade classroom have completely changed my Reader’s Workshop. My students love to read these classics and I now have all the questions and stopping points ready to go! I recently wrote a post HERE about what an interactive read aloud is and how I use them in my […]

I just wanted to stop by and share some free close reading ideas and activities that I just love!   I wrote a blog post way back when that explains how I introduce my first graders to close reading and how happy I become every year when it finally *clicks*! My young students learn to […]