Education resources for parents and teachers
So. These days I've been doing a lot of research into how our brains learn to read. In doing that, I've made a shift in how approach beginning reading. I used to ascribe to the three-cueing-systems model. It's the idea that kids solve unfamiliar words by using three cues: what looks right (phonics), what sounds right (syntax) and what makes sense (semantics). Here's the problem with the three-cueing ... Read More
Today I'm sharing a huge list of our favorite black history books for kids! Do your kids encounter a lot of racial diversity? We live near a major American city, full of people of all races. But our own little suburb is mostly white. Unless we go shopping, my children don't encounter a lot of faces different from their own during the school week. I can't begin to understand the racial struggles that African ... Read More
I have a problem. I'm a clip art addict. Sometimes I buy clip art without any idea what I'm going to create ... because it's Just. So. Perfect. That's how I felt about this Christmas sweater clip art. How could I resist? Thankfully, I thought of the perfect use for these adorable sweaters ... problem solving! I created a set of task cards. Each card has a set of clues to help kids determine the mystery sweater. As ... Read More
Today I'm sharing over forty free printable Christmas games! Are you in charge of a classroom Christmas party this year? Maybe you're looking for something to entertain the kids during a family Christmas gathering. Either way, I've got you covered! Today I'm sharing over forty free and fabulous Christmas printable games for kids. Christmas Matching Games Get Christmas matching game from ... Read More
If you're looking for Thanksgiving books for preschoolers and kindergartners, you'll love our kid-approved list! Sometimes I think our librarians try not to make eye contact when I walk through the door. Either that, or they roll their eyes behind their desks. It's just that I usually look a little silly. And plenty awkward. Because I'm either fiercely whispering that the kids need to be quiet and walk, not run - or ... Read More
I grew up near a large naval base. Many of my friends had dads who served in the navy - dads who were "out to sea" at least half the year. I remember how excited they were when the deployment was nearing its end! I have a huge amount of respect for those who serve in the military and for the families that keep things running while their loved ones are away. (If you're one of them, thank you! And if you're looking ... Read More
Looking for books that will help your learners understand the concept of addition? Try these! The Blunders: A Counting Catastrophe! by Christina Soontornvat I read this book waaaay too many times at the request of my Four. In it, a woman has ten children. Exasperated by their behavior, she sends them out for the day. When it's time to return home, the Blunder children believe one of them is missing. This is because ... Read More
Check out my giant list of fall books for preschool and up! Over the years, I've shared quite a few book lists about fall - because I absolutely love this season! I'll start this post with a list of general books about fall. Down below, you can click on any of the images for even more books about fall ... apples, pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! Here we go! Fall Is Not Easy, by Marty ... Read More
Grab this free visual discrimination activity for Fall! Visual discrimination activities are important. When kids have to look at a set of pictures and identify which one is different, they're practicing the skills they need to distinguish between letters and numbers. This is especially important when comparing tricky letters such as b and d. I simply printed the cards and asked my daughter to identify ... Read More
Check out this fun editable spelling game - perfect for fall! I know how hard it is to spice up spelling practice ... so I created this simple fall spelling game. The game cards are the same, but you can type your own words into the spelling word cards! The game is cute, but not too cute, so you can use it for kids in (late) first grade through fifth grade! To play, a student draws one of the 18 game cards ... Read More
