Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Segmenting & Blending Sounds

These are a few simple ways I try to help my visual and tactile learners practice segmenting the sounds in words.This is especially helpful if their auditory discrimination skills are still developing. This way, they can connect hearing the sounds with something they can also see and feel.   The tool we like best is the one that uses pony beads on a pipe … [Read more...]

Laser Tag in the Classroom

My students really love using these Loco Lasers to play laser tag in the classroom. They're easy. to find in the pet section of most discount stores or pet shops. I found these. at Walmart for only. $3.97 each, which is a lot better than at an office supply store where they can easily cost between 14 and 30 dollars!    I usually use them in a small group setting as a warm-up activity, but I've … [Read more...]

How Emojis Help Kids Understand BIG Feelings

I love these emoji sticks, especially the little ones... they're pretty cute. But they're smart, too. And they're perfect for reading discussions, writing workshop, class meetings, social-emotional lessons, and so much more.I mean really ... when are we not reacting emotionally to life? I feel like we talk about feelings all day long. (Is that just me?)    READINGDuring reading … [Read more...]

Halloween Snack Mix!

This October, grab a few fun ingredients and let your kids make their own Halloween Snack Mix.  I like to put out several choices and invite the children to build theirs the way they'd like... this way, they can leave out anything they don't really care for. Here's what we do: I teach primary children (which means I have "primary" parents), so I steer clear of things that are too … [Read more...]

When Readers Become Distracted…

This happens to me. I'll be reading something (or I think I'm reading something), when suddenly I realize I have no idea what I've been reading. My mind was totally someplace else.   It happens to kids, too... even young readers. And they need to be aware of it. They need to know WHY this happens to readers and then WHAT to do about it. This post doesn't have a chart about why readers get … [Read more...]

Lap Book Templates for Kids

There's really no middle ground here. You're either a lap-book-loving teacher or you're not. I've heard, "I LOVE them!" and "I HATE them!" but never, "Yeah, they're kind of okay, I guess."😂 Teachers on the thumbs-down-side cringe at the thought of lap books because they seem tedious and labor intensive, like scrapbooking. I totally get the scrapbooking thing... that's way too much work. I have … [Read more...]