If you’ve ever introduced addition and thought, “Why does this feel harder than it should?” you’re not alone. For so many of our K-2 students, addition clicks best when they can move, touch, count, and see the math in action. Sitting with a worksheet just doesn’t cut it for little
Ahhh… January in the primary classroom. Between the cabin fever, the post-holiday wiggles, and the wandering attention spans, it’s rough out there! But what if we stopped fighting these hurdles and actually worked with them instead? Wait, what?! Yes, teacher-friend! Let’s talk about how my Winter Color by Code and
Have you ever watched your students enthusiastically hop, skip, or wiggle their way through the room only to then immediately melt into “I’m too tired…” when asked to complete a worksheet? Yep, been there! As primary teachers, we already know that early readers need both movement AND paper-pencil practice to
If you’ve ever listened to a kindergartener blend sounds together and felt both proud and a little confused about what comes next, you’re not alone. Once students can hear, isolate, and blend sounds, the next big step in phonemic awareness is learning how to manipulate them, and that’s where phoneme
If you’ve ever wished for an easy way to combine phonics practice with an activity your students actually love doing, phonics word searches might just be your new favorite tool. Phonics word searches give students a fun way to connect spelling, reading, and word recognition, all while feeling like they’re
November is one of those months where the classroom buzzes with activity! With fall projects, family events, a Thanksgiving feast, and those last-minute lesson pivots before the break, it can feel a little hectic. Seasonal, low-prep centers are lifesavers during the holiday rush because they keep learning meaningful and festive
Blending is one of the most important early literacy skills students learn in kindergarten. Without it, they can’t smoothly move from recognizing individual sounds to reading whole words. For some kids, blending clicks quickly, but for others, it takes repeated practice and a variety of approaches before it finally sticks.
If you’ve ever sat down with a small group of students to teach phonics, you already know the struggle… every child is at a different place. Some are still working on letter recognition, others are confidently identifying beginning sounds, and a few are ready for blends and word families. Although
Small group time is one of the most powerful parts of the day in a primary classroom. It’s where you can give students more individualized instruction, target specific skills, and see their growth up close. But let’s be honest. . . it can also feel a little overwhelming when you’re
If you’ve ever watched a kindergartener beam with pride as they show you a page full of squiggly lines and tell you it says “I love my dog”, you know beginning writing is about so much more than just forming letters. It’s a fascinating and fun journey from scribbles to