Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Mentor Texts for Small Moments

It's really important to have great mentor texts for small moments as you plan out this writing unit. It can be challenging for young writers to focus in on one small moment in time. Many kids tend to write the same way they tell stories. They can go on and on, and are often distracted by unrelated tangents. Been there? 👉 Tip: One of my favorite ways to show the small-moment-non-example is … [Read more...]

Biographies for Children Come to Life on Netflix

I've been collecting titles from the Who Was biography series for years. The text is too complex for most of the primary children I work with, but every now and then I find a student with a deep interest in a connected topic who has the ability to read and comprehend the material independently, so they haven't been wasted.  Mostly I use them to research information and then adapt … [Read more...]

The Anatomy of an Anchor Chart

I get asked about anchor charts all the time. It seems to be a thing a lot of teachers dread making because they think they aren't good at it. But anchor charts are an important part of any classroom. They contain key information about the concept you want children to learn. They represent the learning going on in the classroom and they foster independence, so they need to be posted … [Read more...]

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...]