Opinion writing in first grade is a little tricky. It's not because kids don't have opinions. They have plenty. And if you've been a teacher for even two minutes, you already know this. It's because they're also storytellers and they can't help themselves from sharing all their comings and goings with anyone who will listen. Even though you've taught umpteen opinion writing lessons, there are … [Read more...]
How to Teach Writing in First Grade
I think a lot about how to teach writing in first grade. When I was a beginning teacher, I would read through the writing standards and wonder if they were even reachable for kids who were only six ... kids who pretty much just learned how to use letters to write their own names ... kids who were still drawing pictures to communicate most of their ideas ... kids who would rather hear a story than … [Read more...]
National Poetry Month: Books for Children
April is National Poetry Month, which I think scares the heck out of a lot of teachers. Not me. Or at least not anymore. I think most people have a deep-rooted fear of poetry. I'm guessing you're already remembering some horrible class you had in high school where you were forced to read and understand a bunch of poems you thought were dumb. Been there. Oh, and another confession? I used to … [Read more...]
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...]
No More Mentor Texts?
"Because texts don't mentor ... authors and illustrators do." (Lisa Cleaveland) I love this book ... and if you teach writing in a K-1 classroom, you should get this book, too. (Ask your principal. That's my answer to all the $$ questions.😉) Teaching writing is a favorite of mine, so this book was really interesting to me and it got me thinking about how a small shift in our planning and … [Read more...]