Cell phones are everywhere these days and they can be an unwelcome annoyance in the classroom. Rather than discourage phone usage, take advantage of these tools by integrating QR codes into lessons.
Journaling for even the smallest writers
It’s about time I honored those hard-working pre-K teachers again so today we are featuring a creative post on journaling from Preschool Daze. At the beginning of the year students decorate the front of their journal and every day during “journal time” they sit down to write in their books. It’s a great tool to […]
A new spin on book reports
We found some great new ways of having your students complete their reading assignments from Teaching in Room 6. Below is a picture from the classroom; it is called a Circle Map and it illustrates the point of view of various characters. This activity will be a nice alternative to formal compare/contrast papers. Like this […]
78 writing prompts for Halloween
Happy Halloween! Check out the Journal Buddies website for writing prompts galore including dozens appropriate for today’s lessons. Keep in mind, not all learners need to choose the same prompts and writing workshop and journal time can be differentiated by changing materials (e.g., notebooks, iPads), personal supports (e.g., cues from teacher, peer partners), or objectives […]
Poetry journals at any age
If you don’t have time to implement this idea this year, it might be one to tuck away for September.
Water writing for the little ones
I have been working with so many preschool teachers lately, so I thought I would share another tip for those of you with little ones. Are your students tiring of the same old tracing and writing activities? If so, bring on the paintbrushes! We found this fun water “painting” idea from Seeking Kingdom First; it […]
I can write a list, letter, story, or…
There are so many great posts about teaching writing on Teaching With Love and Laughter, but this one featuring a choice menu caught our attention because it is one of the best of its kind we have ever seen. Many teachers have choice boards in their writing centers, but Lori’s features work samples, colorful backgrounds, […]
FUN FRIDAY: Are you making a perspectacle of yourself?
Give your students a physical reminder to “focus” on another perspective with this idea from Rachel at Sub Hub. This teacher gives her students five chenille pipe cleaners to bend and make their own “perspectacles.” She tells them that once they put on these glasses, they are magically able to see the story from another […]
Reading, writing and radon?
Science journals are becoming increasingly common in K-12 classrooms. Teachers are using them to access student thinking, to encourage reading and writing across the curriculum, and to make assessments more authentic. Journals can also be fairly easy to adapt for different learners. Some (or all) students can journal collaboratively, for instance. Other students can use […]
