Are you worried if your child is ready for kindergarten? As a mom to three boys and a former teacher, I know that it's common to wonder if your child is ready for kindergarten. It's such a big milestone and exciting time for your child! I've talked with many parents who ask me these questions... "How do I know if my child is ready for kindergarten?" and "What does my child need to know before going to kindergarten?" They want a checklist and I totally get that! (And if you scroll down, … [Read more...]
Christmas in July Giveaways
We're nearing the end of July, which means it's Back to School season! I'm one of those people who loves summer and wished it lasted a bit longer, but I do also think Back to School season is exciting! Every July and December, I love to host giveaways. It's a fun way to give back to you all and say thank you for reading my blog and for all your support. This year, I will be hosting 5 days of giveaways from July 21-25th. Every day there will be a new giveaway. All of the details will be on … [Read more...]
Elmer’s Gue Slime
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my disclosure policy for more details. Are your kids crazy for slime like mine are?! Last week alone, we played with 8 different slimes! We made four of them, but we also tried Elmer's Pre-Made Slime called Gue. Yep, you read that right. It's called GUE...not Glue. đ If you want to know if it's worth it, the short answer is YES! It really is amazing and probably the best pre-made slime I've ever tried. We've been … [Read more...]
15 Ways to Use Pop It Fidget Toys for Learning
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. To read more about these links, please see my disclosure policy. Have you heard of Pop It fidget toys? They are so popular right now! My boys love them and they are excellent fidgets! Did you know Pop Its are great learning tools? There are so many ways you can use it either in the classroom or at home for learning. Today I'm excited to share 15 fun ideas! What Is a Pop It? Before I share the ideas, let's talk about what a Pop It is! … [Read more...]
An Easy Fireworks Craft
Here's a quick, fun craft to try for the 4th of July! These salt and glue fireworks are easy and so fun for kids. You can make salt fireworks with just black paper, water, food coloring, dropper, glue, and salt. To begin, draw some fireworks with glue on black paper. Before the glue dries, pour salt on top. You could even have your little one do this. Then brush off the remaining salt. Next, fill some jars with water and add food coloring. Have your child fill a dropper with colored … [Read more...]
Why is Phonological Awareness so Important?
In the last few years, itâs become really clear that phonological awareness skills are important for reading success. But if youâre anything like me, you didnât learn about it in your teacher preparation classes. The importance of phonological awareness really hit home for me in the fall when my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. She could read okay, but she could not spell simple words like âfixâ as a 2nd grader. When the neuropsychologist presented the results, we found my … [Read more...]
Sight Word Reader for the Word ‘Like”
One of the most requested sight word reader booklets is for the word 'like.' Today I'm excited to share this free printable with you! This booklet is about gardening and all the things the main character likes about gardening. The booklet uses sight words and other simple words for the sentences. It is a bit repetitive, which is good for beginning readers! They can also use the pictures for context clues and to help them read the sentences. I recommend using a marker to … [Read more...]
Father’s Day Letter – Free Printable
Father's Day is just around the corner! If you're looking for an easy and meaningful idea, check out this free Father's Day Letter printable! Some of us wonât be able to see loved ones for Father's Day this year, such as grandparents, so sending them something in the mail is the next best thing! I created this Father's Day letter for children to fill out for a father, grandfather or someone special in their life. You can have your child fill in the blanks and sign it at the bottom. … [Read more...]
Last Day of School Questionnaire
Hooray for the last day of school! Every year, I have my kids fill in a simple questionnaire at the beginning of the year and then we do it again on the last day of school. It's so fun to read their answers! You can find the first day of school questionnaires here. Today I'm sharing the same questionnaire for the end of a school year. These questionnaires are for preschool through fifth grade. You can download the questionnaires by clicking the links below! Last Day of … [Read more...]
Sight Word Reader for the Word “Get”
Are you ready for another sight word reader? Today's word is "get" and the short story is about choosing a pet. Before reading this story, make sure to introduce the word "should" to the child. This may not be a sight word they are familiar with, but it is in almost every sentence. This book includes simple sentences that are repetitive. It's designed for beginning readers and will help with building confidence with reading. I love using these little stories to practice sight words! … [Read more...]