Hi Reader, Well, I just finished my first week of school. Maybe you are in about the same place, or maybe you are just getting started. No matter where you are, I hope your students are learning the expectations and charming you with smiles and hugs! My kindergarten students do NOT have good pencil grips, so I decided to pull out a lesson I used when I taught older students and see if I could adapt it to sneak in some pencil grip practice. And it went great! I have also used this project with...

Hey Reader, I have been meeting my students this week - you too? September is here, and if your classroom is anything like mine, there’s a LOT happening right now! Amidst all of the back-to-school frenzy, one thing can be easy - word work. Teach this routine once, and practice essential word skills all year long - sight words/heart words, vocabulary, spelling words.... Color by Code is a simple way to turn word-work practice into something students can do with minimal teacher direction. And...

Hey Reader, Last week in Tuesday Tips, I shared a simple prompt I use when I want students to take their thinking a little deeper: “Say more about that.” I especially love this strategy during science discussions. For example: Teacher: If an ice cube melts, does it still weigh the same? Student: Yes, the liquid weighs the same as the ice cube. Teacher: Say more about that. Of course, that answer is correct, but if you follow up, you might learn whether the student understands conservation of...