Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

A Letter from Your Teacher on the First Day of School

There are certain picture books teachers grab year after year because they're perfect for the first week of school. For us, A Letter from Your Teacher on the First Day of School is becoming one of those books. When you're working on setting the tone for your classroom and beginning to establish a healthy culture, this one's a great choice. There are so many directions you can take after reading … [Read more...]

Our Class Is a Family

Shannon Olsen's picture book, Our Class Is a Family, is quickly becoming a back-to-school favorite. We're not surprised. It's short. Sweet. And speaks to the idea that a group of people who care about each other is another type of family. And that makes it just right for the first week of school. ACTIVITIES FOR OUR CLASS IS A FAMILY Lesson plans for the first few days of school are pretty … [Read more...]

Summer Picture Books – Our Top Ten (Or So)

It's time to gather all your favorite summer picture books! We love summer. These are long, lazy-ish days for lots of adventures before the sun goes down... and even then, who can resist sitting outside watching fireflies blink on and off? It's just a special time of year. My own kids are now young adults, but when they were little, a perfect summer day meant sleeping in, making chocolate chip … [Read more...]

If You Take a Mouse to School

If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff is one of our tried and true back to school read-alouds. The kids love the little mouse and all his silly antics! From the moment he wakes up to the end of the school day, he makes sure he's in the mix. He does a little math. He tries out a science experiment. And he even builds himself a little mouse house in the block corner, complete with clay … [Read more...]

Presidents’ Day Activities for Kids

Each year on Presidents' Day, we spend time teaching the children about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And for good reason. They were both a big deal. But there were others who also left their mark on America's history in other ways. FDR helped the nation recover from the Great Depression. Theodore Roosevelt cared deeply about conserving our country's natural resources. And Barack Obama … [Read more...]