Literacy Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Whimsy Workshop Teaching

Poetry: Interactive Activities

December 24, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching Leave a Comment

We LOVE poetry in our class – reading it, writing it, rearranging it, and reciting it!
Below are some of the many ways we use poetry for literacy in my classroom.

Why Is Poetry So Useful For Literacy?

1.Poetry can be thematic, informational, and funny. The funnier it is, the more my students like to stand up and recite it to the class for a good laugh!

2.Passages can be short so as to not overwhelm early readers.

3.Poetry encourages repeated reading; the rhythm makes [Read More…]

Christmas Kindness Around The World

October 22, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching 4 Comments

Above all, I strive to make my classroom a place where students feel safe, appreciated and respected just as they are.
My classroom banner says simply: “Be Kind. Work Hard.”
These ideas are reinforced all year long, but there are some special ways that we spread kindness in December for Christmas.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Each year we take the month of December to really focus on Random Acts of Kindness and caring for each other. If possible, I enjoy getting families involved. A few [Read More…]

Number Bridge No-Prep Math Game – Bright Ideas October

October 18, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching Leave a Comment

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite no-prep ideas for math or spelling.
All you need is paper and crayons.
I call it Number Bridge.

This simple game can be adapted to any grade level, but here are the basic rules to play for my little ones.

That’s all there is to it!
This is great practice while making the number board themselves, and more practice creating the bridges. Each student will have a uniquely different board, and it’s a great tool for [Read More…]

Phonics Strategies and Ideas

October 13, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching 2 Comments

Phonics: Classroom Practice

Much of our phonics instruction comes from our daily practice. Most of the activities are embedded into PLAY. Apart from some direct full class and small group lessons (including guided reading lessons), most of our phonics practice takes place through game boards, sorting, word building and creative writing.
Here are some specific ways to find phonics practice happening in our classroom.

PHONICS BOARD GAMES

The easiest to prep, and a big class favorite through the whole year is phonics game boards.
I have [Read More…]

Games for Math and Phonics

October 11, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching 3 Comments

Using games and game boards for phonics instruction is now an integral part of my teaching.
It’s old school, it’s not original, but it’s just so reliable and engaging that I keep going back to it year after year. If you’re not using game boards like these ones, for phonics and math, consider it a no-prep present to yourself!

Board games are one of the very best ways to practice math every day in a fun way. My students quickly become independent [Read More…]

Strategies for Teaching New Concepts To Anxious Students

September 11, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching 12 Comments

When introducing a new topic of learning, especially in math, I notice the anxiety levels in some students rise significantly. The more anxious students in my class begin to fidget and look uncomfortable when they see something unfamiliar because it falls outside of their comfort zone for known success.

These students are afraid to try and fail; since school is all about introducing new concepts and embracing the learning process, this is quite a problem. Here are some strategies I use in [Read More…]

Pasta Word Work Ideas

August 16, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching Leave a Comment

I am always collecting and sharing word work ideas for my classroom, and if it’s no prep, then even better! Today I’m sharing a simple, inexpensive way to practice hands-on literacy with little ones.
All you need is dried pasta!

Have you ever tried using pasta in your literacy centers?
This is an old idea that I’ve been using for 20 years, and here’s what I use:

dried spaghetti
curved macaroni
dried ABC pasta

With younger students, we simply build capital letters with spaghetti, [Read More…]

Animated Stories for Social Skills

July 28, 2015 by Whimsy Workshop Teaching 1 Comment

I’ve recently started to incorporate online read-aloud stories to my daily routine, and discovered there are so many great books online out there!

Howard Wigglebottom Stories
My favorite find in the last year is the site dedicated to the Howard Wigglebottom stories. These cute animations focus on character building, social and emotional development, and lots of other essential ingredients for the primary classroom.
And guess what? They are all animated on one website! We use one story each morning as a springboard for [Read More…]