If you’re looking for books and mentor texts to teach opinion writing, you’re in the right place. Teaching opinion writing can be a challenge, however, I’ve found that picture book mentor texts can make all the difference in helping students understand different writing opinion pieces. Why use mentor texts? Using picture books to teach opinion … Read more
February means books for Valentine’s Day, and I have some really, really sweet ones to share. The bonus is that so many books for Valentine’s Day include themes of kindness, understanding, and respect. And if we’re being really honest, my students can use all the kindness reminders. Books for Valentine’s Day The Berenstain Bears’ Valentine … Read more
No matter what grade I’ve taught, or how many years I’ve taught, organizing a classroom library is a topic that comes up A LOT. Our classroom library is really the heart of our classroom. It takes up a big chunk of space, and we gather near it everyday for morning meeting, mini-lessons, and read alouds. … Read more
I love doing novel studies with my 2nd graders! They get so excited, and so invested in the characters! We end the year with our Chocolate Fever Novel Study, and it’s by far our favorite! I’ve done the Chocolate Fever Novel Study with my 2nd grade class 5 years running, and as long as they … Read more
One of the most important jobs I have in my classroom is to teach my students to be themselves, to accept and respect themselves as well as each other. Promoting individuality in the classroom though, can be a difficult concept to teach. Picture books are the perfect way to help students understand, promote, and celebrate … Read more
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I LOVE children’s books, and I especially love books that go with a specific theme, holiday, or season. In this post, I’m sharing my favorite Valentine’s Day Books that are perfect for any classroom library. Having themed or seasonal books that only make an … Read more
It’s almost time for Earth Day (although we could argue that everyday should be Earth Day), and I want to share my favorite Earth Day read alouds with you. As I was putting my Earth Day read alouds on the shelf, and realized they were seriously lacking. Although I had a few goods books, I … Read more
I have all the heart eyes for author, Maria Dismondy! Her books are powerful, and offer real-life examples of how students can take ownership of solving their own problems. Throughout this post, you’ll find Amazon Affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission if you purchase something through that link, at no extra cost … Read more
I sort of feel like Groundhog Day is one of those “holidays” the sometimes gets overlooked, but it covers so many different teaching and learning opportunities, it’s worth taking some time to incorporate it into your lessons. I especially love THIS informational reading mini-unit. Throughout this post, you’ll find Amazon Affiliate links. This means I … Read more
As part of our folktale unit in 2nd grade, we spend about two weeks reading different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. There are LOTS of different Goldilocks books out there, and a ton of activities you can do with those books. I’m sharing a few of my favorite Goldilocks books, and a few … Read more
I always like to think of January “back to school” as sort of a reset after Christmas Break. Everyone feels refreshed, and ready to tackle the second part of the school year. It’s also the perfect time to revisit some of the growth mindset books I shared with my students at the beginning of the … Read more
Every year I spend about two weeks reading gingerbread stories, and doing all the gingerbread things. My BEST tip: do your gingerbread unit AFTER Christmas. Say WHHAAAT? I know, I know. But seriously, I have so many Christmas books (you can read about those HERE) I want to share with my class, that there’s just … Read more
