Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

Sofia Valdez for president! Have you seen this new book by Andrea Beaty? She's written a few other books you may already know: Ada Twist, Scientist Rosie Revere, Engineer Iggy Peck, Architect Her books empower children, leaving them feeling like they can do anything and her new book doesn't disappoint. In Sofia Valdez, Future Prez, a young girl notices a problem in her community and … [Read more...]

Reusable Anchor Charts for Young Readers

I have a few teacher friends who don't like their own handwriting and swear they can't even draw a stick figure. I'm not sure I totally believe the stick figure part, but I get the point. So you can imagine their anxiety over the thought of creating anchor charts. And seriously, don't we all have that one teammate whose charts are museum-worthy? The kind with perfect artistry we envy? We just want … [Read more...]

Freebie: I’m a Little Penguin

Penguin Poem If you're planning lessons on polar animals, animal habitats ... or just think penguins are cute ... and need additional resources to integrate literacy work, you can grab this nonfiction poem at the link above.  It's sung to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot and provides factual information about penguins, giving the children a spot to draw what they know based on the … [Read more...]

What Is Labor Day? Nonfiction Books for Kids

What is Labor Day? Most kids don't know. Depending on where they live, they might think it's the last day the community pool is open for "the season." Some families will have the day off. Some will go to the beach one more time. And some might be doing their last bit of shopping before school starts. But Labor Day has an important back story many children haven't heard. For our youngest readers … [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...]