I love exploring different versions of familiar fairy tales and folk tales. This book list is kicking off a series of book lists that share versions of favorite stories. Did you know? I have a collection of reader's theater scripts featuring favorite stories - perfect for kids in grades 1-3. When you purchase the bundle, you'll get ten scripts - including "The Little Red Hen ... Read More
How to teach sight words
Are you here to learn how to teach high frequency words? You're in the right place! What are sight words? Traditionally, when teachers say "sight words" they are referring to high frequency words that children should know by sight. We often define sight words as words that kids can't sound out - words like the, for example. However, reading researchers have a different definition of sight words. ... Read More
6 Whole Class Vocabulary Activities
Here are some simple whole class vocabulary activities for your learners! (This post contains affiliate links.) Thanks for sticking with me for my vocabulary series! We've covered a lot of ground. So far, I've shared: Today it's time to talk about actual whole class vocabulary activities that you can do after you've introduced the new vocabulary words. Let's take a look! 1. Have simple discussions ... Read More
Beginning letter/vocabulary cards
Today I'm sharing a set of free cards to help young learners build letter knowledge and vocabulary. We have a very busy 2-year-old who is interested in many things. The biggies include playing with our marble run, listening to his favorite board books, doing simple crafts (and by that I mean dripping glue all over the page), and playing in the sandbox. One thing that he hasn't shown much interest ... Read More
Vocabulary in grades 3-5
Looking for a great method for introducing new vocabulary to kids in the intermediate grades? I've got you covered! Vocabulary. I don't know about you, but that word makes me feel guilty. Guilty about all the years I spent as a classroom teacher ... and didn't make time for focused vocabulary instruction. It just felt like an extra. After all, I was hyper-focused on phonics, comprehension, and fluency. ... Read More
How to teach vocabulary in the primary grades
Are you looking to amp up your vocabulary instruction for your K-2 learners? You're in the right spot! This post contains affiliate links. I don't know about you, but I sure get a headache when someone tells me that there's one more thing to jam into an already-packed school day. So I apologize in advance, because ... guess what? Today I want to talk to you about something that you need to jam into an already-packed ... Read More
How to build vocabulary through read alouds
We all know that a large vocabulary is important for our learners. Here's how to build vocabulary through read alouds! This post contains affiliate links. One of the easiest ways to build our learners' vocabulary is through whole class read alouds. Today I'm sharing tips for making the most of this instructional time.* *If you're a parent, these tips work for one-on-one read alouds, too! When you ... Read More
How to choose words for vocabulary instruction
We know that it's important to build our students' vocabularies. And we know that talking about words here and there isn't enough. But how do we decide exactly which words to use for vocabulary instruction? Last week I told you ten mistakes to avoid when teaching vocabulary. This week we want to answer an important question ... How do you choose which vocabulary words to teach? I wish I could tell you this ... Read More
Mistakes to avoid when teaching vocabulary
If you have questions about teaching new vocabulary words to learners in grades K-5, you're in the right spot! This post kicks off a series with everything you need to know! This post contains affiliate links. Phonemic awareness. Phonics. Comprehension. Fluency. Am I missing something? What's another key element to reading instruction? Oh, yeah. Vocabulary. Isn't that how it often works? We ... Read More
Our favorite children’s Bible story books
If you're looking for children's Bible story books to read with your kids, you're in the right place! This post contains affiliate links. While my Christian faith is not usually a focus of this blog, it is central to my life. Each evening, our family gathers on the two couches in our living room. My husband reads the Bible story, we talk about it, and we say a prayer and sing a few hymns. Sometimes ... Read More