Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Famous Inventions Kids Love – Bubble Gum

Thank goodness for inventors and all their famous inventions. There are the basics like cars, light bulbs, and (one of my personal favorites) hot water heaters. Then there are some less obvious ones like thumbtacks and zippers. There are even a few I resisted at first, like backup cameras in cars. I mean who needs those? (Apparently, me.) If you can believe it, I didn't even want an iPhone when … [Read more...]

Women’s History Month

I love Women's History Month. It's a time of year when we collectively seek out stories of determined, courageous women ... women who looked obstacles right in the face and said, "Pardon me while I go around you." It's so common for curriculum calendars to suggest, or mandate, certain topics for certain times of the year. I remember when I was a new teacher and my mentor said something like, … [Read more...]

Sweet on Scarecrows

  I don't know what it is about scarecrows, but I sort of have a fondness for them. Maybe it's because they're supposed to be scary, but they just aren't. And a scarecrow that's surprisingly not scary is a nice kind of irony.    These are some of my favorite picture books about scarecrows. All three are great examples of how authors are intentional with word choice and how the detailed … [Read more...]

Go on a Leaf Hunt! An Autumn Teambuilding Activity

I taught in Florida for 20 years, a place where books about seasons can leave you with a little feeling of FOMO. The leaves in Florida only come in two colors. Light green. And dark green.Oh, and dead brown ... so three. Unless they've been on some grand vacation, kids from the tropics don't really have a mental framework for things like red and orange leaves. I once had an ambitious … [Read more...]

3 Children’s Books That Inspire a Wonder for Words

When Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek referred to teachers as scholastic skippers, I was reminded of how much I have a wonder for words and how important it is to make sure we're helping our students develop deeper vocabularies. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but these are some of my favorite picture books for getting young kids curious about noticing and collecting new words. … [Read more...]