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To introduce our study of homophones, I showed students the following photo: They had to figure out what was the same. They did, those li...

Friends~Do you have the WRITE Stuff? I love when my lessons connect across the curriculum. I work very hard to tie my reading and writing together. It maximizes my instruction time. Whatever book we are working on in reading, we are also working on in writing. If it is a nonfiction book it will connect with my science and if it is a fiction book I try to find a social studies link. I work hard to supply my students with materials that will allow them to practice our daily skills and learning in centers too! Check out my writing center! It is like a gold mind for my students because it is stocked with all THE WRITE STUFF! I added the file from Alma Almazan below this school year to the walls in my writing center. I love that the posters give my students ideas to write about. I often see them pointing or reading the posters before they grab a stool to write. I also fill it with tons of fun items that will entice them to write about what we are studying. Some of their favorites are: Smencils Roll a Story Story Cubes Theme Stickers (Dollar Store!) Stamps Journal Prompts Doodle Draw and Write Envelopes Different types of writing paper They also love the dry erase and chalkboards. The dry erase are just wallboard from Lowes. I found the chalkboard at Marshalls. I attached each piece with 3M Picture Hanging Strips! This is one of my favorite quotes! Click the picture to download it for FREE! In my Reading Nook, you will find tons of great items that my students use to practice the skills taught in class. A big hit this year were my stools. We have the ones below from IKEA and them I made these bucket seats. They allow my students to move about the classroom and work in small groups. They also love The Buddy Bulb! Watch the video below to find out more about The Buddy Bulb and my reading cart. Even in Math we try to follow a theme with our centers. I have found by doing this my students stay engaged with the topic and skills we are working on longer. But if you really want good resources than you are going to love this amazing deal over at Educents! I have teamed up with 17 other amazing sellers to load your classrooms with 27 outstanding resources for writing! Plus you can get 10% off with the code below! My products included will surely be loved by your students and YOU! You are going to love my close reading bookmarks. They really help students zone in on important information in a text. Your students will be able to follow the step by step bookmarks easily. I have them made for my small groups but also place them in my reading nook and listening center. When students feel comfortable reading complex materials on their own they are so much more confident when they speak and write about a book. Adding details to their writing to support their thinking has been a tough skill this year so I am ever grateful that my students are practicing identifying details in our close reads. Fairy tales in one of my favorite reading and writing units in 2nd grade. I love teaching the elements with great literature but them allowing them to write their own fairy tales choosing their elements. My Once Upon a Time is a must have! It walks your class through the elements. My kiddos love the Guess That Fairy Tale game! This book below will walk your students through the elements of a fairy tale and how the author uses those elements to develop the tale. My packet is the perfect supplement to this book. There are corresponding pages to support ideas in the book. Your kiddos will be over the moon when they get to start writing their own. For a limited time it is $29.99 from Educents which is over 71% off! It also includes these other great products so there is sure to things you love! (They even have $10 off for first time customers… so it can be even cheaper if you have never bought anything from Educents!) I truly believe that setting up your classroom and providing materials is very important but inspiring your learning is the only way to light the fire to learn. I leave you with a class favorite of ours from Teacher Tipster! Add this QR code for your students to scan to watch the video in your writing center!

Teaching children how to write letters can be a fun experience. Even though traditional letter writing has taken a backseat to other popular forms of electronic correspondence, such as emails and texts, it's still an important skill children need to practice. Here are some ways to make it exciting!