Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Laser Tag in the Classroom

My students really love using these Loco Lasers to play laser tag in the classroom. They're easy. to find in the pet section of most discount stores or pet shops. I found these. at Walmart for only. $3.97 each, which is a lot better than at an office supply store where they can easily cost between 14 and 30 dollars!    I usually use them in a small group setting as a warm-up activity, but I've … [Read more...]

Lap Book Templates for Kids

There's really no middle ground here. You're either a lap-book-loving teacher or you're not. I've heard, "I LOVE them!" and "I HATE them!" but never, "Yeah, they're kind of okay, I guess."😂 Teachers on the thumbs-down-side cringe at the thought of lap books because they seem tedious and labor intensive, like scrapbooking. I totally get the scrapbooking thing... that's way too much work. I have … [Read more...]

5 Anchor Charts to Support Reading Discussions

Anchor charts don't have to be complicated.  As a matter of fact, they shouldn't be... especially for primary children.  I once read that anchor charts should be designed the way advertisers design billboards... simple, clear, and to the point.  A driver needs to be able to look quickly at the sign, see a few key words and images, and understand what the message is about. … [Read more...]

Open-Ended Flip Books

Flip books are popular. I've made flip books about activists, presidents, mothers, even groundhogs. (Speaking of which, I'm so ready for spring.) I've also seen flip books for specific book titles, but sometimes you need a template for a different book. And that's when it happened... an idea for blank flip books... templates I could use with any book... fiction or nonfiction... and open-ended so … [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...]