It’s almost the end of the school year, which makes me think of both summer writing projects and What I Did This Summer back-to-school projects. Ugh. Those projects result in boring summaries, in my experience. Wouldn’t it be fun to ask students to pick one small moment each week and
Did you know the first Sunday in June is National Cancer Survivors Day? I didn’t, either. But it is. Like just about everyone, my life has been touched by cancer, and an editor friend who is smart and wonderful and compassionate is going through treatment right now. I’m re-sharing this
It’s almost the end of the school year, which feels a little hard to believe! Here’s my end-of-year celebration poem from Stampede, which is now out of print. When I read this with kids, I have them stomp their feet and trumpet loudly, like stampeding elephants, at the end of
Here in Minnesota, the world has gone green! And it’s almost time for us to get out our inflatable kayak and hit the water! Spring is an awesome time to look at plants and bodies of water. Check out A Leaf Can Be… and Water Can Be… and all their
It’s that time of year when many classes and groups are talking about Mother’s and Father’s Day. And many behind-the-scenes conversations happen around what to have students do who don’t have or aren’t in contact with their mom or dad. Or maybe they have two of one or the other.
A while back, I wrote a series of articles about writing poetry. They’re aimed at people who want to write children’s poems, but they’re also very handy for teachers! They’re called Poetic Pursuits, and here’s where you can find them! I cover everything from poetic forms, such as diamantes and
Sometimes it’s fun to focus in on one poetry form or topic for a while. National Poetry Month naturally falls into a 30-day period, but I have some other sets of 30 days’ worth of poems you might find fun. Here are some sets from previous NPM celebrations that are
Maybe you’re reading more poetry with your students these days? If reading poetry aloud has you a bit intimidated, check out my Tips for Reading Poetry Aloud in Your Classroom! This is what I created during National Poetry Month in 2015, but the techniques haven’t changed! Speed, sound effects, discussion—I
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. I used to work as a personal care assistant for young adults with autism, and that impacted my creation of Clover, the main character in Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten. She shares some characteristics with some kids on the spectrum—most notably her sensitivity
A full moon’s coming up on March 28 (the Worm Moon). Here’s a great STEM activity (math model) for your students if you’re teaching in person. It’s from the teaching guide to If You Were the Moon. This is one of loads of activities (across many content areas) in the
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National Poetry Month projects through the years
Small Reads Roundups (poems
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