When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, Jamie O’Rourke is one of my favorite characters! Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato to focus on cause and effect.   CLICK BELOW TO GRAB YOUR FREE LESSON: I thought I would offer a free read aloud lesson for this St. Patrick’s Day favorite. Just click above to […]

Having your first graders dive into writing poetry can be a tricky thing, but it is so much fun if you really give them plenty of freedom! During poetry month it is nice to take a break from our very structured writing units and let loose with a little poetry! I created a writing poetry […]

I am so happy to share some brand new, silent e fluency passages I made… and they are FREE! These phonics “read & illustrate” passages are the perfect way to assess students understanding of what they are reading.   There are 2 activities for each of the following phonics skills: a_e i_e o_e u_e   […]

I am always interested in what other teachers are doing over in their classrooms around the world?! What does their mini lesson look like? What does their guided practice look like? What about small groups?!I thought I would share today what my first grade math centers look like and when I use them! We do […]

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 […]

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 […]

After teaching writing to my first graders for 5 years, I have a sad secret to share with you: I totally underestimated my young students.     Bleck. That pains me to say, but it is true. My first year in a classroom I thought writer’s workshop was going to be an absolute trainwreck in […]

Do you teach realistic fiction writing in first grade? Confession: Writing realistic fiction is a genre I hadn’t taught before two years ago. However, once we hit the ground running with it, I knew it was going to stay for the long run.   My first graders LOVE coming up with their own character and […]

How to writing is one of my favorite writing units to teach. My students just get it and they enjoy writing many, many pieces!   Maybe it’s because my students think they know how to do everyyyytthiinngggg. 😉 If your students are like mine, let them run with the idea that they know it ALL and have […]