Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

The Changing States of Matter

THE CHANGING STATES OF MATTER I think food makes most things better, even science. My now-grown daughter would add that her fourth grade teacher's Munchie Math was her favorite math experience ever, and is apparently the only reason she understands fractions to this day. Clearly food can be a hook. That being said, did you know you can make ice cream in a plastic bag? It's one of those … [Read more...]

How to Use Wordless Picture Books

A book without words? It seems like an oxymoron, right? If there are no words on the pages, is it still a book? Can it be "read?" Will children be challenged to think deeply when they're only looking at pictures? Yes. Yes to everything. I think some teachers look past wordless books because, well, there are no words. They seem like books for little kids... for "kids who can't read yet." … [Read more...]

A Big Bag of Writing Ideas

My last post, Gathering Writing Ideas: 5 Tips to Generate Ideas, really should've been 6 tips because I totally forgot about this idea... A Big Bag of Ideas. This idea is similar to the strategy of using children's literature to generate writing ideas, but instead I use my own personal treasures to stimulate thinking about topics. It's super simple, but very effective. All you'll … [Read more...]

Gathering Writing Ideas

You know, some days are like this... it's just the way it goes. And it doesn't just happen to kids. It happens to me, too. Sometimes, it seems like coming up with a good idea is the hardest part of writing. Our writing workshop is one of my favorite times of the day, so helping kids generate and maintain a wealth of topics is critical to our success. No ideas... no writing. This is what I've … [Read more...]

Strategies for Remembering New Vocabulary Words

I think vocabulary is a big deal. Not only do I want my kids to love the sound of language and become intensely curious about words, but I actually want them to remember new words and use them. Sometimes, pre-packaged vocabulary programs aren't helpful in achieving these goals. I've had to use crazy vocabulary resources where the words were chosen for me and were sometimes so … [Read more...]

Having Fun with the Famous!

Before I even start, I have to explain the horrible desk arrangement in the background. Usually, the desks are grouped together in student teams of 4, but it's standardized testing time. You know the spiel. "The students have to be separated. Remove any visual aids. Yadda, yadda, yadda." Our counselor doesn't really say yadda... that's just what I hear. So the room is super boring and … [Read more...]