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 …
writing
how to make poetry ROCK for kids (start now — it’s national poetry month!)
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 poetry!
You know …
how to make an at-home writing center
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 use …
hear poems read by poets: 4 free, fab resources
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 …
7 ways to get kids writing (and cool writing prompts for kids!)
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 to …
fun, authentic writing for kids: power notes to nana
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 …
how to teach summary writing: the 1-hand summary
Summaries are difficult.
Writing summaries, oral summaries–it doesn’t matter.
Both? Difficult.
No matter the student’s age, the act …
first steps to writing: teaching grip to first letters and words
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 …
turn your kids into grammar sharks: national grammar day
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 …
celebrate creativity: PBS Kids writers contest for K-3
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 school, I …
kid-happy, pet-inspired poetry writing: haiku and cinquain
We’ve been dumped on.
Big time.
Tons of snow has kept us indoors for the last few days, save from the few hours we’ve …
pet poetry contest: calling all creative kids!
As a longtime friend of PAL, Pets Add Life, I’m happy to share news about a cool opportunity for our students, teachers, …
teaching left handed kids to write: grasp, stages, positioning
The following guest post is written by Christie Kiley. Christie has the job I find amazing and awe-inspiring: an Occupational …
getting kids to stop, observe and write
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 …
chalk paint graffiti: a happy welcome home
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 …
creative writing for kids: photo conversations
Getting kids to write–especially in the summertime–is not an easy task.
Granted, for some kiddos, writing is their thing. They journal, …
everyday journals: creative, thoughtful daily activities for kids
This week, we officially began our Smart Summer 2012, a summer filled with fun learning, focused and free days, and a whole lot of …
learning with pet poetry (& fun giveaway!)
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 …
best of teach mama countdown: #2 — spelling words
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 …
best of teach mama countdown: #5 — letters b and d
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, …