Pride Reading Program will help your child with their reading comprehension and dyslexia troubles. Click here to learn more about our program.
Problem solving is challenging for young students (and many adults too)! To support my little friends, I teach them problem solving strategies that they can use when they encounter a problem. We want our students to become independent thinkers who can solve problems, control their emotions, express empathy, and help others.
Welcome to our new Math Talks series, where we will be looking at ways to build critical thinking and math skills tailored specifically for our little learners! As a former kindergarten teacher and a mother
This measurement book list has the perfect additions you need for your class library to engage your students in the world of measurement!
Teaching Symmetry to Little Learners with fun and engaging activities that both you and your students will love.
Are you looking for some great books to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd? Come check out The Best Earth Day Read-Alouds.
What does spelling instruction in a science of reading classroom look like? Take a look at spelling activities that align with SoR principles in this post.
Welcome to our new Math Talks series, where we will be looking at ways to build critical thinking and math skills tailored specifically for our little learners! As a former kindergarten teacher and a mother
A few years ago, we sat in a Professional Development meeting faced with the challenge of bringing robust vocabulary to the forefront of our primary classroom. It seemed such a BIG task for such little brains, but one that we agreed was imperative to teaching today’s learners. We spent over a year planning, creating, testing, […]
In this article, we'll learn what an explicit phonics lesson looks like, explore each step, and show you how to simplify planning and prep with our favorite grab-and-go tools and resources.
Are your little learners working on their sight words? Our FREE Sunshine Sight Word Memory Game is a fun way to help them review their words!
The Lucky Little Toolkit has many amazing Literacy resources including this six types of syllables poster.
Are you looking for some great books to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd? Come check out The Best Earth Day Read-Alouds.
A few weeks ago while junkin' at a neighborhood garage sale, the Hubs came across a gently used guitar. He plunked down his $10 (It was marked at $15, but he's a picker, so he NEVER pays full price...but, I digress.), and headed home to show the kids. Not surprising, the new little treasure was passed from hand to hand as everyone clamored to strum a few "notes???". When Sweetie Pea took her turn, she picked at the strings and then casually mentioned how much easier the guitar would be to play if it came in a smaller package. (This post contains affiliate links. Please see the disclaimer below.*) "The smaller version's called a ukulele." the Hubs said nonchalantly. A ukulele. Just a few minutes of string strumin' plus two little words....and SPARK! a fascination of the ukulele was born. At the time, we did not own a ukulele. We did not personally know anyone who played the ukulele. But, we did own a computer. The Hubs helped her download a ukulele app on our ipad and searched for a few youtube tutorials that she could watch. She sat for days eagerly listening and learning. And then came the eBay searches. She had been saving 40% of her allowance for months but did not have a clear vision of how to spend it. When she realized that she had more than enough to purchase a basic ukulele, she asked permission to make a "splurge" purchase with her savings. Not wanting to hamper her independent learning, we agreed. We've been "privileged" to hear the "gentle" sounds of luau music wafting around the house ever since. Quite accidentally, when the Hubs brought home that $10 garage sale find, he ignited a curiosity in our girl. A curiosity that grew into hours of independent, organic learning. Quite accidentally, he STREWED. Strewed?? What in the world does that mean? Recently, I had the opportunity to read The Art of Strewing, by Aadel Bussinger, and learned that strewing, as she mentions in this fascinating little eBook, is... "sowing or scattering things to spark the interest of our children." Quite simply, just as a farmer sows seeds hoping to grow all kinds of good things, a homeschool mom can sow seeds of learning in hopes of growing curiosity. It is an idea formulated by Sandra Dodd and embraced by the unschooling community. I am not an unschooler. But, as an eclectic homeschooler, I find value in ALL schooling methods. I feel privileged to be able to take the "good" and leave the "bad" of all methods and toss them together to make a hodge-podge, a la carte-style education perfectly suited for each of my kiddos. So, while I may not adopt all the tenants of unschooling, I DO try to weave organic learning into our school day. And that, apparently, is what strewing is all about! Admittedly, it is easier said than done. How DO you ignite and foster a curiosity...a passion...about something completely unfamiliar to you or your children? When and where do you start? What if your budget is limited and you can't purchase all the fun, fancy activity kits and new ukuleles that your child desires? Enter The Art of Strewing. What I liked about The Art of StrewingAadel's conversational style made me feel like I was sittin' in the coffee house with a homeschool veteran getting a one-on-one, Titus 2 tutorial about year-round gentle schooling. I was inspired. I was encouraged. I was shown how POSSIBLE it is to arouse learning without relying on a lesson plan or boxed curriculum. As a girl who enjoys exhausting a topic and all of its angles, I appreciated all the many links that Aadel included. After reading her book and following all of the links to other well-written articles and online resources, I feel confident that I received a thorough introduction to strewing. Although I did not know the "official" name for it, I had been dabbling in the art of strewing since the inception of our homeschooling. This practical guide reinforced how I already nurture curiosity in my kids and provided me with the tools and helpful hints to do it better! The Nitty-Gritty of The Art of Strewing Retail value $2.15 44 pages share about the book on social media via Aadel's BUY NOW link and save 25% For more information, be sure to visit Aadel Bussinger on FACEBOOK or Twitter. Want to win a free copy? Now's your chance to grab your very own copy of The Art of Strewing for FREE! Two lucky readers will win. Just follow the simple instructions from Rafflecopter. There are several chances to enter. Just click on the +sign for every entry you wish to make. No purchase necessary to win. Must be 18 years old or older and have a US address to enter. Two winners will be randomly selected via Rafflecopter and announced Wednesday, July 31, 2013. The winners will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond. If emails are not provided or the winners do not respond, the prize(s) will be forfeited and a new winner(s) will be randomly selected. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook. ***Mandatory Entry: To enter, be sure to leave a comment in the "comments" section of this post telling me why you would like to win The Art of Strewing. (Remember, simply leaving a comment does not ensure entry. You also have to click the +5 after you have commented.) a Rafflecopter giveaway **I was given a copy of The Art of Strewing in exchange for a thorough review. All opinions expressed were true and completely my own. I am not responsible if your experiences vary.
Try making this beginning sound activity today! They are a versatile early literacy learning tool and so fun to use. Kids will love matching up the
Learn about an easy routine for decoding multisyllabic words in 2nd grade text. Free tools included!
This Reading Comprehension worksheet is suitable for higher elementary to proficient ESL learners or native English speakers. The text recounts the story of "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen. After carefully reading the text, students are required to complete some comprehension exe...
This educational number matching game is perfect for little learners who are ready to learn! This learning game is perfect to help learn matching and recognizing numbers. This bundle is perfect for preschool and kindergarten learning! This learning game is perfect to add with other games to add to a busy book for extended learning
Bible stories for preschoolers contain age-appropriate, easy to remember lessons from God's Word. Check out all these options!
These activities are meant to help introduce students to diagraphs. This unit focuses on th, sh, ch. wh, and ck. Also, students will learn how to add and omit diagraphs to words. This unit continues on with rhyming words, beginning sounds, phonemes, and an introduction to vowels. Vowels will continu...
Are you required to teach a list of vocabulary words each week? Check out this list of vocabulary activities for little to help teach students to read!
An OI, OY, OU & OW Diphthong cut and paste word sort.
The BOOM Cards™ in this Concepts of Print Reading Foundations Boom Cards™ deck were created for little learners to learn and practice identifying print concepts of print and basic foundations of reading.
I got asked to cover Critical Thinking in some of my future presentations and I’m going to lie…I was (and honestly still am) really intimidated by a topic that sounds like something my college professors would be much better at than me. I know that I use it in my classroom and I know that …
Learn what to do and not do when teaching the alphabetic principle. Set your students up for reading success!
The Lucky Little Toolkit has many amazing Literacy resources including this diphthongs phonics sound chart.
The number one thing as a teacher that absolutely makes my heart break in two is when I hear some version of: "I'm stupid. I'm not smart."...
The BOOM Cards™ in this Intro to Using Digital Learning Computer Tools deck were created for little learners to learn the different parts of a computer and other digital learning tools.
There are so many engaging resources and activities that can be used to help 2nd grade students master verbs!
Multiplication is one of those foundational concepts that kids really need to master in order to progress in math. Here are some fun new ways to teach this important and sometimes tricky concept!
I can't believe it is coming up to Week 5 already! This term has just flown! I haven't had much time for blogging recently, however I am putting aside an hour or two to give you an insight into what's been happening. Its been busy, busy, BUSY!!!! FUNDRAISING On Friday our school and local community came together to raise money for the McGrath Foundation by participating in Pink Stumps Day. We played a staff V's students cricket match and I actually scored a few runs for the staff team! WOOP WOOP!! We managed to raise over $1200 from the day which is an awesome effort! Here are some shots from the day. MUSICAL CHAIRS READING I wanted to spice up our Reading Block a bit this week so I introduced something called 'Musical Chairs Reading'. It worked a treat and the children really enjoyed it! HOW IT WORKS: Each child has a chair and on each chair is a picture story book - I used all my own personal picture story books to make it even more of a treat for the kids. As the music plays, children dance around the circle and when the music stops, the children sit on the seat nearest to them. They then read the book that's on their chair. I waited around 5 minutes in between each song to give them enough time to finish the book. They truly didn't want to stop! We are going to make it a once a month treat so they don't get too sick of it! ;) GoNoOdle! Today I discovered GoNoodle! OMG where have I been???? I am rapt I found it! This is going to change my classroom! Up until now, I have been looking up Brain Breaks on Youtube and its a bit hit and miss. If you aren't familiar with GoNoodle you MUST sign up. Best of all - its free! Set up your account here: https://www.gonoodle.com/home You can choose from a either calming, energise and focus breaks. I'm looking forward to using the Yoga one :) I have set my class up and have added a few brain breaks to my favourites - Will let you you know how it goes! ******************************UPDATE***************************** My kids LOVE it! Especially Koo Koo Kangaroo! Highly recommend you sign up your grade :) QUEENSLAND I only have a 4 day week this week and next as I will be heading up to the Sunshine Coast for a wedding and a little getaway with Shaun :) I'm taking Friday and Monday off from school for a long weekend! YAY! We are looking forward to some sun and relaxation however Queensland has been experiencing some terrible weather conditions lately with storms, rain and crazy winds. I'm hoping it will have died down by them and that it will be safe to fly. Eek! Fingers crossed! Till next time,
Dive into the ocean with these preschool books! Fun facts, colorful pictures, and stories about dolphins, whales, and more. Kids will love exploring the sea and learning how to protect it.
Are you required to teach a list of vocabulary words each week? Check out this list of vocabulary activities for little to help teach students to read!
26 writers, parents and experts share their tips, stories and ideas for raising bilingual or multilingual children
All About Me books for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten! Fabolous books to celebrate themselves and others. Perfect for an all about me theme, diversity theme, or family theme.
Do you have a kinesthetic learner? Come take the quiz and find out how to how to best homeschool or teach your kinesthetic learner!
The BOOM Cards™ in this All About Letter Uu Boom Cards™ deck were created for little learners to learn and practice the letter Uu.
A Diphthongs anchor chart.
The BOOM Cards™ in this Concepts of Print Reading Foundations Boom Cards™ deck were created for little learners to learn and practice identifying print concepts of print and basic foundations of reading.
