Books are an excellent way to help children connect more deeply to science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) concepts they are learning in class. Plus, they practice reading skills as they strengthen STEM connections! These STEM books make great read-alouds and independent reading book choices for children at home
Written by Marika Ismail Director of Inclusive Curriculum at Waterford.org My 4-year-old son Niko recently started transitional kindergarten at our local elementary school. It’s been a rough time for us, with a few tears. Some days he tells me he’s scared and misses his friends from preschool. During the first
Creative writing has many benefits for kids. They learn to appreciate how stories work, they hear the wonderful way sounds can match with rhymes, and their love of reading grows as they become writers. Some children may be so inspired that they dream of being authors when they grow up!
Let’s explore phonics! Phonics refers to the ability to match letters and letter-sounds, which can help your students “break the reading code.” In this article, you’ll learn more about why phonics skills are so important for literacy development, then discover helpful strategies for teaching elementary students—with five free downloadable teacher
Let’s explore reading fluency, an important foundation for reading comprehension. In this article you’ll discover strategies for fostering reading fluency in the classroom, along with five free activities you can use with your students! What Is Reading Fluency? Reading fluency, in a nutshell, is the ability to read at an
In this article we’ll first explore phonological awareness, the listening skills that help students understand the structure of spoken language. These skills are a foundational part of learning to read. Then, we’ll share strategies you can use to help your students develop phonological awareness skills—with free rhyming books for classroom
Teaching students to read is so much more than sitting them down in front of a book. It takes an intentional mix of explicit classroom lessons, individualized support, and family engagement to help children develop strong reading skills. But, how do we know what strategies will work best? Have you
Looking for educational Halloween activities with all treats, no tricks? You’ve come to the right place! Here, you’ll find a total of 31 Halloween activities that you can use to teach or practice learning skills from home–one idea for each day of October. First, you’ll find 13 Halloween-themed STEM activities
Digital Citizenship Week is right around the corner. This year, it’s from October 17th to the 21st! Held every year by the nonprofit Common Sense Media, this event encourages families to teach their little ones the skills kids need to stay safe and informed online. But what are these skills,
International Literacy Day is a worldwide celebration that takes place on September 8. It is a wonderful event created by UNESCO in 1967 to encourage literacy and promote the value of teaching children to read. Keep reading to discover fun and engaging ways to celebrate all forms of literacy with