I remember someone asking me if rounding to the nearest ten or hundred was "something students REALLY needed to know, or do we just teach it because it's on the test?" It's a fair question. Many skills don't seem necessary until we ... Read More
7 Favorite Subtraction with Regrouping Games and Activities
Teaching subtraction with regrouping is a marathon, not a sprint. And one that requires four things: The concept to be broken down into bitesize lessonsA range of strategies to support foundational subtraction ... Read More
9 Picture Books to Build Powerful Conversation Skills
Full Disclosure: I believe that you can use almost any picture book to support conversation skills. Think about it. The structure of a well-done read-aloud is a scaffolded conversation. The book is our central topic. We use ... Read More
Free Sub Plans (Grades 1-3)
Get 3 FULL DAYS of sub plans so you can take your sick days when you need them! Zero-prep plans AND editable templates to customize your classroom info and routines!
Teach Conversation Skills in 6 Easy Steps
Virtual Teammates, it’s time we chat… about chatting. Recently, many of you reached out asking for advice on one common struggle. How do I teach conversation skills? After settling into the year, you've noticed some ... Read More
Low Frustration Tolerance: 3 Ways to Support Struggling Learners
Virtual teammates, I hear you. Our virtual community stretches far across the country, and I feel honored to hear from many of you in times of excitement and in need. Recently, I'm seeing a pattern. Teachers are noticing high levels of ... Read More
Addition and Subtraction Word Problems: Why We Should Avoid Math Keywords
I don't know about you, but early in my career, I was encouraged to teach math keywords as a primary strategy for solving addition and subtraction word problems. Oh, how I wish I could have a do-over! If you're not sure why I want a ... Read More
