Unleashing the power of context clues empowers students to unlock the meaning of words as they read! Sometimes it seems pointless to explicitly teach context clues to students since most of them will go through life with a computer in their hand, in their ear, or at their fingertips that

Get to know your students and start discussing characterization with this WE ARE activity for Upper Elementary. Characterization is one of those topics that we have to continue to grow on throughout the school year. We start by teaching about different character traits, and then we grow on them and

Kick off the school year with this list of September holiday activities and ideas! September is an interesting month. On the one hand, it is all about new beginnings, as many US schools are returning to school after Labor Day festivities commence. For others, they are already two weeks into

Sometimes learning, reviewing, and practicing classroom procedures can seem overly redundant and unnecessary, but as most elementary teachers will tell you, you can’t go over them enough. Classroom procedures are the skeleton of the classroom experience and environment. When students know how to find supplies, when they are allowed to

Get a jump-start on back-to-school planning with these 10 first week of school ideas and activities for upper elementary. #1 | All About Me in 6 Pictures Activity Build classroom community, get to know your students, and give them a chance to decide who they will be this year with

Get to know students with this All About Me in 6 Pictures activity during back-to-school time. The first several weeks of school are probably the most important for building community, setting expectations, and helping students establish their roles in the classroom. During those first couple weeks, teachers spend time getting

Let these August holiday activities and ideas help you as you decide how you will start the year with your students. Teaching in August is like teaching with magnifying glasses on. You are focused and zeroed in on each and every move your students make. August is a month of

Look at your classroom from all angles with this ultimate list of must-have classroom procedures to teach in upper elementary! Classroom procedures are the bread and butter for creating a safe and comfortable classroom environment. Having solid, defined classroom procedures and spending time reviewing and practicing those procedures can benefit

Let’s explore 7 fun activities for practicing the different parts of speech in upper elementary. Parts of speech are just one of those things that keep showing up again and again in ELA education, starting as young as 1st grade and continuing through high school.  The sooner students grasp the

Up-level how you teach grammar with these Grammar Game Shows that get students excited about mastering their grammar rules. Let’s get totally honest with ourselves here; grammar worksheets and lessons can get super tedious. It isn’t fun for students to get worksheets that look the same each day and have