Use these free printable Parts of a Book Poster & Worksheet to teach your pre-readers about book awareness and concepts of print.

What is amaranth and its nutritional benefits? Plus, how to use and cook amaranth if you want to eat it.

Recently we've received a lot of emails asking us how we financially supported our travels since we decided to take the plunge to live a life of travel in

Pierwszy dzień w szkole spędza sen z powiek nie tylko uczniom. Nauczyciele po pierwsze opłakują ;) powrót do pracy, a po drugie bardzo często zastanawiają się, czym wypełnić pierwsze zajęcia. Przyg…

So, yesterday I showed you how I got my angle studies kicked off with my students–how I solidified understanding of “right angle”. We had lots left to accomplish–so I’ll try to share some of the different lessons and activities we did over the next days! Tip 1: If you can get your hands on thin […]

A grignoter à l'apéro ou devant un film... Ces frites de polenta sont un délice !

Awesome illustration of the PARA organizing method I teach from @Silly_Strokes, who is part of cohort 14

Aujourd'hui, j'aimerais vous faire part de l'avancée de mes réflexions sur la gestion des comportements dans la classe. Lors de ...

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Learn about plants with this 80 page botany lesson for kids! Information, worksheets, experiments, and more for elementary age!

Boys like bugs. This I know is true. When my oldest son was in preschool, I discovered the book Bugtown Boogie at our local library. After renewing it that first time, and checking it multiple times thereafter, I finally broke down and bought it. (I was starting to feel guilty that we were denying other kids the joy of reading this amazing book!) The story is about a boy who stumbles on a bug’s dance club. It describes a myriad of insects and how they shake it to the buggy-wuggy beat. The book’s rhyming text is lyrical and after a few readings, we started to sing the “chorus.” The book starts: I was strollin’ on home through the woods the other night, When I saw something a-flashin’ – it was shinin’ mighty bright! It was blinkin’ and a-winkin’ near the bottom of the tree, So I scurried on over just to see what I could see. To say that Warren Hanson’s masterpiece is one my most favorite children’s books is an understatement. It’s the kind of book you give as a gift, you are glad your child asks you to read over and over, and reminds you how magical the world seemed when you were young. When I pulled it out to read with this activity, my son was thrilled (he hasn't tired of this book even after two years)! We also read a great non-fiction book from The Cat in the Hat Learning Library – On Beyond Bugs by Tish Rabe. It’s cleverly written and filled with fun facts about all kinds of insects. After we’d finished reading, I gave my son a die and two pages of bug body parts. Download a 2-page PDF of bug bodies and parts here. First I had him pick the bug body of his choice, cut it out, and glue it to another piece of paper. Then he rolled the die to determine what he’d add to the picture. If he rolled a three, he could add a leg. I left it up to him whether his creation was an insect or spider (i.e. 6 or 8 legs). Every time he rolled a four, he added more spots, a two meant he had to keep building his bug’s habitat (first, he added clouds, then a tree – his bug was flying!). He used examples from the sheet I made to help him know what to draw and how many of each (the number of body parts is noted above the die on the ‘parts’ page). My son’s buggy creation may be the very first winged spider! I love his creativity!

WHY ART? - What can art do in a student's life? Here's a quick fact poster/handout. Original artwork size 8.x5x11. Can be scaled down or enlarged for multiple sizes or digital display. I like to have it not only on display for students but as a handout for parents. This is our 3rd version since it's...

Learn how to sew a zipper with these 6 helpful tips. Sewing in a zipper will be easy on your next sewing project.

This Roll-A-Kandinsky art lesson will help you learn all about Wassily Kandinsky and the Expressionist movement he was a part of. You'll also make your own Kandinsky-style art using the free printable and a pair of dice to guide you in which colorful elements to add.

Transform your child's room into a wild safari adventure with Zoo Animal Wall Decals! These decals feature beloved zoo animals from Africa, making it perfect for kids who love to explore and have fun. These high-quality decals feel like wallpaper and are perfect for nursery wall decor. DETAIL Made of the highest quality removable vinyl. Free application tool & Step-by-step instruction. Matte vinyl looks painted once it is applied. The adhesive will not damage the wall. The decals can be applied to a lightly textured wall. Made in the USA. SIZE Item No: 91385 Dimensions: Animals measure from 3.5” to 8.5" height(approx.)Palm tree measure from 4.5" height(approx.)** Overall width can be changed by where each part applies Product Type: 100% Removable wall decal Origin: USA

Check out our cheap home projects that will allow you to make a big difference in how your home operates. These simple projects can be done in a weekend and cost less than a dinner out.

Some ideas for teaching plot elements to help students recall stories in sequential order, summarize stories, and understand theme.

This extra fluffy, dairy free pancakes recipe is so easy to make with egg and almond milk. It can easily be made gluten free and vegan with a few simple swaps.

This blackwork embroidery tutorial will teach you the basic blackwork stitches.

This Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant is delicious, filling, and healthy. This vegetarian dinner is loaded with veggies and topped with bubbly cheese.

Before having my third (and FINAL!) child and finding that I no longer have time to brush my hair let alone do anything else, I used to ru...

This crispy Shredded Tofu recipe is not only easy to make but also versatile for a variety of dishes! With just 9 ingredients and the choice of either pan-frying or baking, this shredded tofu recipe guarantees a healthy and protein-packed addition to your meals.

Welcome to the Free Resource Library for Montessori, early childhood and lower elementary teachers, parents and educators! I am thrilled to provide you with a curated selection of free printables. […]

A free Social Studies worksheet on early humans during the Paleolithic era. Printable PDF and answer key or easy-to assign Google Forms quiz.

9-patch scrap quilt, nine patch quilt, quilt top

The human body is made up of many different parts, and each one has its role to play. Every single facet of the human body is really incredible, and each one of these aspects are controlled

Guest Blog Post By Sam Bradford During my student teaching, I tried to observe as many different teachers as possible. All grade levels, all subjects--my goal was to find the teachers whose classes the students put a little extra pep in their step to get to. Then, with my own eyes and ears, I tried to figure out what made those classes successful. I’ll never forget the way one teacher used a quote wall, and how it single-handedly built community, created an engaging atmosphere, and solidified important concepts. I’ve spent the last thirteen years experimenting with the concept, and I’d like to share my findings with you. As with any powerful educational tool, the concept is simple and the technology is simpler. All you need is a whiteboard, a marker, and human beings. Here’s the idea: the teacher sets aside a portion of wall space for interesting quotes that students say in class over the course of the year. You get to determine what “interesting” means. When the moment happens, you allow the student to write the quote on the board and sign their name. As the year progresses, the space slowly fills with quotes. It seems like such a trifling concept, doesn’t it? I think it’s often the trifling concepts that make the difference between classes students tolerate versus classes that allow students to thrive. Let’s examine a sample of what’s at play with such a concept. First of all, not to get too Paulo Freire on you, but it democratizes the classroom by giving students a voice. It’s not the teacher’s words that go on the wall; it’s theirs. Their words have the power to adorn the classroom. Think about buildings with other people’s quotes on the walls. They are often important places, right? Places of worship, courthouses, state capitals. Shouldn’t classrooms be as important as those other spaces? And what if your words were that worthy to be immortalized in an important place? Furthermore, it encourages students to be clever. They now have an incentive to sound smart, to experiment with wordplay, to be original, to think, to get a laugh out of their peers and teacher. There is so much social cache, even with twelfth graders, to be the one who gets to go to the board and write their quote. There’s a subtle sub-point here as well: notice that I wrote “get a laugh out of their peers and teacher.” We’re always going to have students who act out for attention (I was that student), but a quote wall creates a structured environment for that acting out to happen in a productive way that’s on the teacher’s terms. The student who struggles with, as my fifth-grade report card stated, “attention-seeking antics,” is no longer saying funny things in spite of you. They’re saying things to get on the wall, and that will inevitably change what subjects and language they give their efforts to in order to get that attention. It also encourages spontaneity and being in the moment--that’s both for you and for them. You never know when that quote will come. You’ll never guess what question will receive the pithy answer. The effect is that it rouses both teacher and student from “going through the motions.” You will be shocked at how students will so eloquently capture a concept, and with the quote on the wall, it reinforces it for everybody. Most importantly, quote walls wake us up to celebrate little joys and remember that we’re in the presence of human beings, and human beings are marvelous, infinitely interesting things. If you’re sold on the concept, which I hope you are, here are some tips and tricks I’ve found over the years: At the end of the year or semester (or whenever you run out of space), type up the quotes and print them out, posting them off to the side as a time-stamped Wall of Fame. I have gotten traction with students over this--reading the things their peers said last semester. I have a “quote of the week,” which is usually something inspiring I get from what we’ve read or, frankly, from the internet. Daily would be too much--a weekly quote I can commit to. To me, teaching is kind of like troll fishing--you throw out as many lines of connection as possible, and wait and hope that something resonates with someone. I rarely, if ever, mention the quote, but I have had student feedback that said “I always looked forward to seeing what the new quote of the week would be.” You get to set the standard for a good quote. I teach in high school, where sarcasm works effectively for some of my colleagues. My style is more on the Mr. Rogers side of the spectrum, so the quotes I allow never involve putting another person down, no matter how artfully done. Once the year settles in, the students sometimes petition for other students, which, to me, further democratizes the classroom. I love it when I hear a student say, “Oh, Mr. Bradford, that quote should definitely go on the wall!” As long as it’s appropriate (see point above), I don’t have a problem with it. You can use the quote wall as an internal equity diagnostic: are you favoring one section over another? One gender over another? As you’re planning for the new year, set aside some space on your wall. See what happens! Related Blog Posts After 12 Years of Teaching, I've Found That Norms are Better Than Rules. This is Why. Hey, English Teachers, I Planned Your First Week Back To School