Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Mae Among the Stars

Little Mae was a dreamer. She dreamed of dancing in space, surrounded by billions of sparkling stars.✨ Encouraged by her parents' words, Mae dug in and began the work of making it happen. "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible," they said. Mae became NASA's first African American female astronaut. And on September 12, 1992, she became the first African … [Read more...]

A Crankenstein Valentine – Book Activities

Do you have a Crankenstein valentine in your classroom? If you're like us, you probably have at least one or two or ten. They're the kids who think Valentine's Day is a gross, disgusting waste of time. They hate it all... the hearts, the flowers, the syrupy sentimentality of dumb valentines... it's torture. They hate when the day starts and they can't wait for it to end. Or can they?? Take … [Read more...]

After the Fall: Learning to Persevere

I love this book. It picks up where the original tale ends ... after Humpty has been put back together again. But now he's scared. The fall broke not only his shell, but his courage and confidence too. His fears hold him back and they keep him from enjoying the things he used to ... until one day, one step at a time, he decides to conquer his greatest fear. INSTRUCTIONAL IDEAS This story is a … [Read more...]

Inspiring Stories Written by Athletes

I realize "Athlete Authors" isn't an actual genre, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorite groups of books for children. LeBron James is more than a basketball player. And Malcolm Mitchell is more than a football player. Each have a story to share. Each are real-life, kid-approved examples of what perseverance and effort can do for us when we're faced with challenges. And, now, each are also … [Read more...]

10 Ways to Build Reading Stamina

Reading stamina is important, no question. The more time we spend reading, the more we learn about ourselves and the world around us. Knowing how to engage with books for sustained periods of time begins with our youngest readers and grows over the years. For some kids, this is easy and natural. For others, not so much. When you teach a primary grade filled with six and seven-year-olds, most of … [Read more...]