Whimsy Workshop Teaching

Teacher Clip Art, Literary Resources, Classroom Ideas

Phonics Centers for Back To School

by 2 Comments

When do you start teaching phonics?
There are so many things going on at the start of a new school year!
We are getting to know new personalities, watching them interact with each other, and at the same time, we are taking notes and assessing abilities.
One of the first things I set up are my EASY and independent literacy centers.
 

 
These take very little explanation, and students can happily work on literacy skills while I use valuable time to assess their abilities before moving [Read More…]

Secret Sentences for Phonics Fun!

by Leave a Comment

One of the most engaging activities in my classroom over the last 20+ year has been Secret Sentences. Students LOVE to solve a secret mystery, and even better when they are practicing their letter sound knowledge at the same time!
WHERE TO BEGIN: SIMPLE WORDS
We begin with simple words. We use word tiles, scrabble tiles, or homemade tiles with n

As shown, student place tiles to match the FIRST SOUND of each little picture. They can also use dry erase marker on [Read More…]

Teaching Social Skills: Growth Mindset Classroom

by Leave a Comment

 
Welcome to the Social Skills Ideas Bank!
 
The Social Skills Idea Bank is a series of related posts, each dedicated to sharing strategies for teaching a particular social skill.
As teachers, our strength lies in sharing our ideas, experiences and strategies!
This is a growing list, and you are invited to contribute in the comments section. We hope you will, because there’s nothing like a good idea shared between teachers to make our jobs easier.
This post is about simple ways to guide students to growth [Read More…]

Animal Writing Flap Books

by 4 Comments

Do your students love animal research projects?
It’s a great way to introduce non-fiction writing, and it can be a source of pride for students who feel very “grown up” because they are doing research! However, this enthusiasm can be dampened if emergent writers are not supported with reading materials at their level, and so long as the information sources are not too overwhelming.
 

 
This is why differentiating your non-fiction materials for emergent writers is so important.
Here are some tips for implementing your [Read More…]

Story Writing Ideas

by 6 Comments

 
We reserve  time each day for story writing.
There are so many ways to encourage students to write, even when they are just at the emergent level.
 

 
Two things that I focus on the most in my primary classroom are:
-Students feel confident in their ability to express ideas through writing.
-Students have the opportunity to share their written ideas in a supportive environment.
 

 

Explore Different Kinds of Writing
 
Many students have no strategies for finding a topic, so we spend time discussing different forms of writing and [Read More…]

Integrating Math Writing Art and Science

by 5 Comments

 

 
I am constantly trying to find new ways to integrate different subject areas in my classroom. We have LOTS of activities that integrate math, art and writing, but because it’s that time of year to start studying life cycles, we’ve now incorporated science into the mix! Here’s how we do it:
 
 

 
Our caterpillars arrived last week and my students are completely engaged in learning about their life cycle. We used color by numbers templates to create the round life cycle pictures [Read More…]

Drawing as a Writing Prompt

by 10 Comments

 

 
Directed Drawing is a fun and engaging way to integrate art and writing.
Here are some ways that I use art in my classroom to encourage more writing!
 

 

WRITING COMPLIMENTS
 
After your whole class directed drawing lessons, invite students to do a “gallery walk” around the room to see other students’ work. Then, leave a post-it note beside each picture and assign secret partners. Students study their partner’s drawing and write a compliment on the post-it note. Students love to return to their [Read More…]

Differentiation In Writing Lessons

by Leave a Comment

 
How do you handle differentiation when it comes to non-fiction writing?

 
Over the last 20 years, I’ve learned that when teaching in my multi-age classroom, differentiation is a MUST.  There are many different ways to accomplish this, and I have found that getting this right can make students feel very successful, which makes it a big deal!
 

 
 
MODIFY THE CONTENT
When we are working on non-fiction, for example, I offer students information in many different ways. I prefer to allow them to choose the materials [Read More…]

About Me Writing Template

by Leave a Comment

This year I will be using this cute All About Me writing template with my new students!
 

 
It’s not too overwhelming for my reluctant writers, and it’s a great way to get to know them. I find this format is more engaging for my emergent writers. The only rule I have is that they must complete some writing before they can color. And they WANT to color all the cute pictures very badly!
It is also allowing me to collect valuable information about [Read More…]

Reluctant Writers: Tech Solutions

by Leave a Comment

10 Apps for Encouraging Reluctant Writers

Do you have ipads in your classroom this year? Are you looking for ways to encourage your reluctant writers? I am always on the lookout for fun new activities for my young writers.
 

Each year, I have students in my class who just LOVE to write. When I ask them to write one sentence, they write five. If I give them a few scraps of paper, they’ll staple it and create their own fully illustrated [Read More…]

Click to receive a FREE never-ending sight word game board!