My students always LOVE using pointers in the classroom.  We use them for concepts of print practice (pointing to different parts of the books/words/letters), to track words when reading in big books (these pointers are too big to point to words in regular-sized books), to go on letter and sight word hunts around our classroom, to point to letters and words in pocket charts, and to use on our SmartBoard.  I also like to call them wands--I just find that word more fun--and my ... Read More about DIY Letter Wands

Kindergarten Readiness Handbook Kindergarten readiness has always been a passion of mine.  During the summers, I teach pre-kindergarten to students who have never had preschool and are entering kindergarten in the fall.  The majority of these students are largely unprepared for the demands of kindergarten; both academically and socially. Kindergarten can be incredibly demanding for those students who are not well-prepared.  When students are not "ready to learn", they struggle ... Read More about Kindergarten Readiness

Read alouds are my favorite time during the school day.  I try to fit in at least two (but many days only get to one) every day.  It is one of the only the only time when I have all of my kindergarteners in one area, engaged, and actively participating in their learning. Early on in my teaching career I realized that to maximize this special time I needed two things: to have "command" of the classroom, and to have the best read aloud titles possible.  To me, command of the ... Read More about Favorite Back-to-School Read Alouds