The first day in Kindergarten can be hectic and overwhelming—I’ve experienced it firsthand! Over the years, I’ve developed a reliable first-day plan along with some tips for newer teachers. It’s important to find a balance: plan enough activities to fill the day without overloading it. Here’s a detailed look at
Teaching handwriting in Kindergarten takes a lot of modeling, practice, and patience! I’d be lying if I told you that I never got frustrated while teaching handwriting. Good handwriting is a critical skill for children to learn and practice as it improves their overall literacy and cognitive development. However, it’s
Part of your day in Kindergarten or First Grade should include some kind of daily sight word routine. It doesn’t have to be long, or be a whole written out lesson, just something simple and easy to fit in at any point of your day. When creating our daily schedule,
Rhyming is a phonological awareness skill that is first taught through nursery rhymes and songs. Children can hear the rhyme, rhythm, and repetition in those preschool songs, and unknowingly they start understanding how rhyming words work. Once they get to Kindergarten, they should have some kind of understanding of rhyming
One of my favorite tips for teaching phonics is to use songs! When students hear songs and rhythm, it helps them remember different skills. Think about how you still know every single word to a song you loved in Middle School. The same applies to your young kids or students.
Here is where you will find all the links to Sweet for Kindergarten IGTV episodes, as well as any links that I mention in each episode. Phonics Q&A Series May 10- Present Phonics Q & A Intro Episode 1: Should you teach long vowels in Kindergarten? Episode 2: How to
Are you looking on Amazon and Target, thinking “What do I need for my classroom?” All of the choices can seem overwhelming. Plus there are tons of “shiny objects” that truly won’t make a difference if you have it in your classroom or not. That’s why, I’m sharing my 3
Today, I want to share something that’s been on my heart lately. We all have those teachers who made a huge impact on our life. They may come at different times in our lives, but we will never forget them. I have had MANY amazing teachers, but there are three
As the school year winds down and summer is right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to celebrate just how far our Kindergarteners have come! One of my favorite ways to wrap up the year is with an ABC Countdown to Summer. Each day, we do a simple, fun
