writing

help kids stay in touch with friends when school’s out: autograph sheet

I can't even believe it, but school's almost out for my kids. Though I'm totally psyched to begin our Smart Summer Challenge this year, I'm also …

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? It is. What does that even mean? It means that this month is all about celebrating …

Writing centers are something that I first created for my kids years and years and years ago. Though the format has changed slightly (we no longer …

I've been chatting up poetry all month long, since April is National Poetry Month. I've hit you with a few ways to make poetry rock for your …

Friends. It's summer, and if your kids are anything like mine, they want to be outside and they want to be at the pool. Or, okay. They want …

Oh, boy the last few weeks have been funny for us. And by 'funny' I mean not really laughing funny but funny in a tricky kind of …

Summaries are difficult. Writing summaries, oral summaries--it doesn't matter. Both? Difficult. No matter the student's age, the act of reading …

I just shared a cool series over at the Scholastic Parents Raise a Reader blog, and I think it will be of interest to many parents. It's all about …

I have been as sick as a dog--sick as a dawwwwg-- for the past few days, but today I had a little spring in my step because it was National Grammar …

One of the greatest ways to get kids invested and interested in writing is to give them authentic reasons to write. When I was teaching high …

We've been dumped on. Big time. Tons of snow has kept us indoors for the last few days, save from the few hours …

As a longtime friend of PAL, Pets Add Life, I'm happy to share news about a cool opportunity for our students, …

The following guest post is written by Christie Kiley. Christie has the job I find amazing and awe-inspiring: an Occupational …

Our Everyday Journal cards have proven to be a really incredible—and sneaky—way of getting the kids focused and thinking in a way that I’m not sure …

Last summer, Maddy came home from an overnight at her Aunt Mary's house dancing and singing about how Aunt Mary taught her to use chalk. Knowing …

Getting kids to write--especially in the summertime--is not an easy task. Granted, for some kiddos, writing is their thing. They journal, write …

This week, we officially began our Smart Summer 2012, a summer filled with fun learning, focused and free days, and a whole lot of …

We love our pooch, we really do. Sure, sometimes I say things to him that I wish I didn't. No, Maddy, I promise we'll never give Brady away, I …

Yay! We're getting down to the wire with this teach mama top 10 all-time best countdown! This post is one that I have shared probably more than …

I love it when I find a resource that really, truly helps my kids. And PBS has provided me with so many ways to support my children's learning, in …