Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Fun Reading Activities for 1st Graders

I'm always looking for fun reading activities for 1st graders. And since kids love to practice skills in game formats, I tend to make a lot of them. My favorite literacy games are ones that are easy to grab and play. In fact, I love games that are simply one page. A giant collection of these not-so-fancy games can be kept in notebooks or folders. Then, when kids want to play, they can pick a … [Read more...]

Children’s Dental Health Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. Personally, my inspiration for maintaining healthy dental routines comes from Julia Roberts. Remember the bathroom scene in Pretty Woman where she's hiding floss behind her back? The poor girl just wanted to get the strawberry seeds out from between her teeth, but Edward thought she was doing something illegal in there. He judged. And she … [Read more...]

What is Groundhog Day?

What is Groundhog Day? Can a rodent really predict the answer to winter's most pressing question? (For the record, my vote is for NO shadow. Honestly, that's my vote every year.) No surprise, but Phil's activity on the morning of February 2nd is the most watched weather forecast of the year. Hilariously, his predictions are more often incorrect than correct, but the tradition lives on, making … [Read more...]

What are the sports in the Winter Olympics?

Kids want to know, "What are the sports in the Winter Olympics?" Chances are, if you teach a primary grade, these will be the first Winter Olympic Games your students will remember. Having grown up on the west coast of Florida, I'm here to speak for all the kids who don't have a clue what snow, or even winter, is. I didn't see snow for the first time until I was in my mid twenties. Unless you … [Read more...]

Informational Writing Templates for Kids

Informational writing doesn't have to be super challenging for kids. Most children like reading, watching, and listening to nonfiction. And they LOVE to tell you all the fun facts and trivia they know about their particular passion topic. I don't know if this happens in other parts of the country, but when I was teaching in Florida, many of my students were obsessed with … [Read more...]

Diaries: A Tiny Twist on the Personal Narrative

Writing personal narratives is a key unit of study in primary classrooms. Most students manage this unit with ease. They're not usually at a loss for ideas and often over-write. As a matter of fact, you've probably delivered a lot of lessons on how to rethink and revise for irrelevant, superfluous content. It feels like that never ends. Ever. Do you have that lesson on repeat too? But some … [Read more...]