Simple Science: Crystal Snowflakes

Simple Science: Magic Milk

Simple Science: Colorful Lava Lamps

Simple Science : Grow a Tree

December Fun!

Hello!  Hope you're keeping warm and cozy as the cold weather starts to roll in!  Here are some of our favorite December activities!  In our classrooms, we share activities that align with the similar message of many winter holidays...kindness, gift giving, favorite holiday foods.  Read on to grab some ideas from your classroom!

How To Writing | tips. tricks. ideas. (and freebies)


Hello there!  We are dropping in to share a little bit about how we teach How To writing.  It's one of our favorites and we find that students share the same feelings!

Find ideas and resources for teaching How-To writing in the classroom!



Increase Math Fact Fluency with the Rainbow!

Math fact fluency is an ESSENTIAL building block to many math tasks!   Read on to see how our Rainbow Math fact fluency system can help build fact fluency in your classroom!

November Notes: Ideas and FREE Resources


The leaves are beautiful and swirling around!  We're deep into fall!  Time to prep your November resources.  Here are a few mini lessons and activities we mix into our daily routines this month.  Scroll along to see several mini lesson ideas and grab some free resources you can use for a fall theme in your own classroom!

Simple Science: Popcorn in Salt

Character Traits Detective

Character Traits are a favorite unit of ours; one reason is there are SO MANY good books and strong characters to choose from! Come find out about some of our favorite books and resources!

Simple Science: Gummy Bear Experiment

Halloween


As the days get shorter, we get closer to a favorite spooky holiday!  Here are a few Halloween mini lessons and activities we mix into our daily routines.  Scroll along to see several mini lesson ideas and grab some free resources you can use in your own classroom!

Pumpkins!



Happy October!  It's pumpkin time!  Scroll down to find our favorite pumpkin themed lessons and activities!  You can grab some free resources along the way!

Simple Science: Dissolving Pumpkins

Opinion Writing: Tips, Ideas, and Freebies (W K.1 + W 1.1)




Opinion Writing has always been a favorite for us.  Read on for tips, ideas, and freebies to help you plan and teach your Opinion Writing (W K.1 + W 1.1) unit in your primary classroom!

Determining the Central Message (RL 1.2)


Helping kiddos identify the central message or lesson of a story is a tricky skill,  Here's how we practice through LOTS of modeling in the classroom!

Simple Science: Dancing Gummy Worms

Narrative Writing: Multiple Moment Narratives



We love teaching small moments as our first writing unit.  Once our students have had plenty of practice with single small moment stories (a story about one small event); we transition to a story with multiple small moments; but with the same topic.  

Simple Science: Black Magic

Story Elements Detective



One of our favorite ELA units is Story Elements.   Teaching students story elements is key to being able to retell a story independently.

Apples and Fall


Through September, we teach main idea and details.  We pull in the fall theme to our lessons.  Scroll along to see several mini lesson ideas and grab some free resources you can use for a fall theme in your own classroom!

Back to School Character Building Lessons

We're sharing our favorite, must do lessons for the beginning of the year!  Through these lessons, we encourage our kiddos to be kind to each other and build a caring classroom community.

Simple Start: Morning Work Routine


Morning Work is something that I have revamped (a lot!) over the years.  I have tried what seems like everything.  

I have found that Morning Work needs to be:
 1.  something students can do on their own  
2.  something that is not for a grade  
3.  something that is not new (curriculum wise)   
4.  something that you don't have to spend time planning for each week

This is where Simple Start comes in.  Simple Start is a routine used throughout the week that gives students a chance to start their day in a simple and positive way.

Pen Pals Through the Year

Being a Teacher Parent | A Few Quick Tips!

Habits of a Good Reader: A Mini Unit


Our favorite mini unit is Habits of Good Readers!  We do these lessons the first week of school and it's our chance to build a love and respect of reading from the beginning of the school year!   This mini unit is the perfect springboard into Daily 5.

Mini Lessons for Introducing Writer's Workshop


Here are 5 mini lessons we like to teach during our Writer's Workshop Introduction to help our kiddos build good writing habits.  Read on to grab some ideas and FREE resources you can use in your classroom as you introduce Writer's Workshop!

Handy Helper Folder | A Writing Workshop Tool


The Handy Helper Folder is a very useful tool in our classrooms for independent work times. It's one of our most favorite classroom tools!

Hi Buddies! We are glad you're here!




Hi Buddies!  We are glad you're here!

Tutoring Tips: Primary Tutoring Simplified

Planning to tutor over the summer?  Here are tips for quick and easy planning!

Student Led Conferences in the Primary Grades


Student Led Conferences in the Primary Grades!

Hi there!  Would you love to simplify one BIG end of year task?  Come find out about our version of student led conferences used at the end of the year.  In our FREE webinar, Student Led Conferences in the Primary Grades, we'll walk you through the preparation and planning so you're able to implement these conferences in your own classroom!

Our Student Led Conferences = LESS Work and BIGGER Impact!


Interactive Reading in the Primary Grades


Free Webinar!  Free Reading Tools