st. patrick’s day joke notes: more lunchbox love St. Patty’s Day is around the corner, but over here we’ve been decorated and green for the last three weeks! We love that the green …Read morest. patrick’s day joke notes: more lunchbox love
10 tips for read-aloud learning Hip, hip HOORAY! This week has a little gem of a day hiding inside — World Read Aloud Day! March 7th is World Read Aloud Day, and I stand …Read more10 tips for read-aloud learning
new for us friday: gem jars 2.0 This New For Us Friday I’m sharing a new and improved version of one of the best things we’ve ever invited into …Read morenew for us friday: gem jars 2.0
quick trick: focus on free play This little Quick Trick isn’t as much a trick as it is a reminder–for parents, caregivers, teachers. . . for my husband and me. Though …Read morequick trick: focus on free play
favorite things book: an easy, little book of all things happy It has been tough go for us over here for the last few weeks. Maddy, Owen, Cora, Brady–everyone–has unfortunately felt the …Read morefavorite things book: an easy, little book of all things happy
sweet kids’ valentines: mini stained glass hearts I have always loved making Valentines with Maddy, Owen, and Cora. I love the discussion and decision-making beforehand, I love the mess, I love the …Read moresweet kids’ valentines: mini stained glass hearts
rich, diverse digital resources for learning: PBS LearningMedia So many times–without thinking–I look to those old standbys when I am searching for information on the web. Whether it’s just the …Read morerich, diverse digital resources for learning: PBS LearningMedia
quick trick: showing love Lately, my tiny Cora has been a little, teeny, tiny bit on the tough side. We’re back on a regular diet for her, after our gluten-free spring …Read morequick trick: showing love
family playing cards: take ’em, make ’em, then play! A few years ago, I burned the midnight oil way too close to the finish line, in an attempt to create Family Playing Cards for Maddy, Owen, and …Read morefamily playing cards: take ’em, make ’em, then play!
candy experiments: playing with color It’s been a busy few weeks for us, between school, sports, Blogalicious, Halloween, and my parents coming down to spend time with the kids while …Read morecandy experiments: playing with color
how to use halloween candy for (sneaky) fun learning There may only be a few more days left until our Jack-O-Lanterns turn into lunch for the squirrels (if they haven’t already!), but the candy …Read morehow to use halloween candy for (sneaky) fun learning
leafy, outdoor alphabet letter hunt It’s very leafy over here. With tons of huge trees dropping leaves at about a million per minute, our yard and house is covered. But before I …Read moreleafy, outdoor alphabet letter hunt
fabulous, fancy game to practice tricky sounds: s, t, r, l It’s Cora’s Sparkle-icious Game. That’s what she calls is. But I don’t care what she calls it because all I know is that …Read morefabulous, fancy game to practice tricky sounds: s, t, r, l
learning during read-alouds: oral language development Sometimes, simple is better. Sometimes, more choices make us more confused. If Maddy, Owen, and Cora were shown an amazing pallet of face paints …Read morelearning during read-alouds: oral language development
the fancy brush–avoiding tangled hair and tearful mornings This Quick Trick is a little bit funny to me. It’s not about how to make the school year a success. It’s not about how to teach kids to …Read morethe fancy brush–avoiding tangled hair and tearful mornings
a fish out of water: games to practice sight words Owen and I had to play a few extra games of Go Fish! this week to celebrate the Water Fun we’ve got on our calendar for the Smart Summer …Read morea fish out of water: games to practice sight words
alphabet letter splash–keeping cool with the abc’s Who says playing with the letters of the alphabet can’t be a fun and exciting outdoor activity? Who thinks that all letter-learning involves …Read morealphabet letter splash–keeping cool with the abc’s
backyard fun: dissecting, examining, and learning about flowers Dissecting flowers–totally pulling them apart–is a little bit funny for some kids. At least it was for mine. We tell them they …Read morebackyard fun: dissecting, examining, and learning about flowers
garden stepping stones and decorations Maddy, Cora, and I have always wanted to beautify our garden and flower beds with the pretty statues and mosaics we see at our local garden …Read moregarden stepping stones and decorations
learning during read-alouds: 5 things never to say to emerging readers Sometimes it’s very easy for teachers and parents to feel impatient with emerging readers. It’s hard to listen to kids sound out every …Read morelearning during read-alouds: 5 things never to say to emerging readers