The Journey to Teaching Summarizing When I first started teaching, my 5th grade students REALLY struggled with summarizing. It was a skill I expected them to already know, and I couldn’t figure out how to teach summarizing so my students could master this important skill. It seemed so simple to me yet it was so difficult for them. I discovered that summarizing requires the ability to recount and retell, and
Teaching the Truth about Thanksgiving From the food served to the people who celebrated, there are so many misconceptions about Thanksgiving. Many generally held misconceptions can seem fairly harmless. Unfortunately, misconceptions can perpetuate a cycle of oppression against certain people and cultures. Our understanding of history shapes our perceptions about the world we live in and the people we share it with, so it is important we push past generally
Teaching about Hanukkah Did you know that over 39% of the Jewish world population lives in the United States? Even though 5,700,000 Jewish people live in America, many people don’t know basic facts about Hanukkah. With the holiday starting Sunday, December 22nd this year, I figured now is the perfect time to break down some of the basics of this Jewish holiday and share some helpful resources for teaching about
Veterans Day in the Classroom While I hate to admit this, I never paid much attention to the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day until I became a teacher. Veterans Day, which is November 11 every year, is a national holiday reserved to celebrate all U.S. Military Veterans. (Memorial Day, on the other hand, is to honor those who passed away serving in an American war.) Teaching about Veterans
How I Teach Common Core Reading Standards Many teachers and students cringe when it comes to Common Core reading passages. When thinking about them, their minds immediately go to boring standards based test prep. I’m here to tell you, teaching and learning about Common Core reading passages and answering standards-based questions does not have to be tedious or boring. It can actually be fun and fulfilling! Keep reading to learn
Teaching Second Grade Measurement Measurement is a big topic for second grade. There is a lot that goes into teaching the second grade Common Core measurement standards, and tons of engaging and interactive activities you can use. Here are some helpful tips for teaching your 2nd graders. What First Graders Need to Know Students should enter the 2nd grade with the following skills: Order 3 objects by length. (ex. The
Teaching Word Problems Word problems was one of the biggest units I taught in 2nd grade, and I know firsthand that teaching word problems to 2nd graders can be challenging. But as challenging as it can be, it is also extremely important. Word problems are a key skill for students and should be taught and reviewed throughout the entire year. Before we talk about teaching 2nd grade word problems, let’s
Learning basic math facts in early grades is so important! When I used to teach 4th and 5th grade, math was very difficult for my students that didn’t know their basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division math facts. The same concept is true for younger grades! In second grade, students start working with two and three digit numbers, which can be very diffuclut and time consuming if they do not
It’s raining. AGAIN. Its twenty degrees. AGAIN. You have indoor recess. AGAIN. You’re GOING TO LOOSE YOUR MIND. AGAIN. Not to mention the fact that your students still have to sit still and attempt to absorb new knowledge for the rest of the school day. Try some of these fun indoor activities to ensure that recess time is still used to keep kids moving and grooving (and let’s be real,
When I was in the classroom, I implemented two different types of reading small groups during my reading block: guided reading and strategy groups. Here is the main purpose for each:Â Â Guided ReadingTo teach students reading comprehension skills and strategies in general. These are leveled groups with 4-6 students per group. In this small community, students are reading in the same range and share similar reading traits. Many students stay in
