Homeschooling is on the rise in the United States, with the number of homeschooled students increasing by 3 percent yearly. Some people are drawn to homeschooling because they want to give their children a religious or alternative education. Others choose to homeschool because they want more control over their children’s learning. Some parents even decide to homeschool because their children have special needs that can’t be met in a traditional school setting. But there are many shocking things about homeschooling I’ve recorded below that you may not know…so stay tuned! Affiliate links are used in this article. 10. Homeschoolers Teach Themselves Homeschoolers are increasingly teaching themselves, with little to no help from parents or teachers. Self-directed learning is on the...
When I first heard about reader’s theater, I thought surely that was something for a drama class. Over the years though, I have really come to enjoy it and seen many benefits by using it in our classroom. One of the most obvious reasons? My students love it and are always begging to read! I love that reader’s theater brings my students together as readers, and that they gain reading skills far beyond fluency. Here’s how to use reader’s theater scripts in your upper elementary classroom and some tips for getting started if you’re brand new to it. What is Reader’s Theater? In reader's theater, students orally read aloud a part in a play. It can be done as a...
Thanksgiving Reading Comprehension You Will Want to Try This Year On the lookout for Thanksgiving reading comprehension? I got you covered! This set of 5 Thanksgiving reading passages will keep your students focused and engaged during the holiday season. Oh- these Thanksgiving reading passages are also color by numbers! What could be better, right?! We often see math done in a color by number format, but a reading passage with a color by number is something unique that will definitely grab your students’ attention. Keep reading to learn all about these Thanksgiving reading comprehension worksheets! Want a FREE Thanksgiving multiplication activity?! You will love this Thanksgiving digital mystery pixel art. As students answer multiplication problems, a mystery Thanksgiving picture appears....
Zoom took the world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video chat application quickly became the go-to way for businesses and organizations to hold meetings and chat with staff while they were stuck at home. While Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype, and other platforms used to be popular, Zoom has quickly taken over that mantle as the most used video calling application. As well as being a fantastic video conferencing tool, Zoom also gives your colleagues an insight into your home office setup. For some, this isn’t the most thrilling view, especially if you’re crammed into a small room or area of your home that isn’t that well decorated. Thankfully Zoom has you covered with hundreds of different funny Zoom...
Every teacher knows that one of the best ways to improve students’ reading skills is to make reading response a daily activity. In fact, students should be writing to respond to text multiple times a day – but it can be hard to fit it into your already packed schedule. If you really want to increase the time your students spend writing about the reading – consider these three ways you can include it in your school day. Warm-Ups or Morning Work Morning work can be a great opportunity for students to engage with a piece of text, whether it be a paragraph or something longer. For example, if you’re working on the main idea, you can display a paragraph...
