How do you teach your students to become proactive readers? A few years ago I started focusing on teaching my students how to read a text based on its genre, and it has made such a difference! Wait. By genre? What does this mean? It means my students know exactly what elements (things) to look for when they pick up a text and identify its genre. Let me give you an example. Here's an anchor chart that displays the important elements of fiction. Those elements are: characters, setting, problem, solution, theme, and summary. Typically … [Read more...] about Small Groups by Genre
One Year Old Toddler Gift Guide
Hello and welcome back! I know it's been a while since I last posted. I'm so excited to share my gift guide to help you shop for the little one in your life! These are all gifts I have requested, have used or are currently using with my one-year old daughter. Don't worry! I made sure to include gifts that can be enjoyed by both, girls AND boys. I also included a variety of gifts that are budget-friendly. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my husband loves to play the ukulele. He's also really good at playing the drums. It's safe to … [Read more...] about One Year Old Toddler Gift Guide
Our (in)Fertility Journey
TRIGGER WARNING: Infertility, Pregnancy Announcement Welcome to my most personal post to date. I was a bit nervous to share our experience on such a public platform, but my fears were quickly overcome by the thought that someone out there might come across this post and not feel alone. Did you know that 10-15% of couples in the US have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant? That is why I decided to post this. For you. For us. IN THE BEGINNING In the beginning, my husband and I agreed that children weren't something that we really … [Read more...] about Our (in)Fertility Journey
El Gift Guide 2020
I've been working hard behind the scenes to bring you this gift guide I've decided to name El Gift Guide 2020! You'll soon start to notice that many of these gift ideas were created by members of the Latinx community. Did you know that Latinxs are the fastest-growing demographic among all US entrepreneurs? ¡Arriba mi gente! Let me stop rambling because I know why you're really here... But before I jump right in, here's the gift guide again (in case you need a visual reminder): 1 First on the list is Gran Cocina Latina, $45 by Maricel … [Read more...] about El Gift Guide 2020
Tips and Advice for Distance Learning
Nervous about going back to school through a computer screen? Are you scared because you don't know what to expect when you meet your students online for the first time? Same! In this blog post I'll share some tips and advice to help you navigate this unique school year. WHAT PROGRAMS AND SUPPLIES DO I USE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING? For student work, we use Google Classroom because it's super easy to assign work to each student. It's also easy for students to navigate. I tried to use other programs last year, but Google Classroom was by far the … [Read more...] about Tips and Advice for Distance Learning
Reading Responses That Work
Writing about reading is one of the best ways to blend the two subjects together. In my opinion, writing should be a huge part of your reading block. There are many ways to get started with reading responses that can be implemented as early as today. Remembering that they only work if you model what the expectation is for each activity and you stay consistent. So, keep reading to learn how three different types of reading responses have worked with my students! STICKY NOTES One way to encourage writing about reading is to give them sticky … [Read more...] about Reading Responses That Work