🖍️ Do you use color by number/code activities in your classroom? I’ve heard some say they have no educational value, and they’re considered busy work. I completely disagree! These activities can definitely be a great addition to your classroom. You just need to get creative! The most common type of color by number activities go along with math skills. But what other subjects could benefit with these types of worksheets? What if I told you grammar, or even…..reading comprehension?! Have you ever heard of collaborative coloring posters? I’m hooked! Some people use them with positive growth mindset phrases, where students get to color their section however they want. Personally, I enjoy putting an educational component to them. And, they look great as bulletin boards! Keep students engaged in their learning. They’ll be getting LOTS of review of important skills while coloring and having FUN! Here are some examples of activities you can start using in your classroom TODAY! READING COMPREHENSION Use color by number activities to build your students’ comprehension! Each resource has students read a passage and complete several activities to show their understanding of the reading. Presidents’ Day BUNDLE Students read passages about both presidents. There are several…

Third grade isn’t just about memorizing multiplication and division facts, although those are VERY important. Teaching 3rd grade math means you’re introducing and expanding on rounding, fractions, telling time, elapsed time, perimeter, area, quadrilaterals, mass, two-step word problems, subtracting across zeros, and more. Add in the fact you have to DIFFERENTIATE because students are all at different levels, and it can become very overwhelming… for both the teacher and the students! What helps? SPIRAL REVIEW Spiral review doesn’t have to look the same for every activity. It doesn’t have to be something done at a certain time of day. A lot of teachers do a review in the morning to get the day started. That’s a great option. But for me, it’s sprinkling in spiral review all the time. Students MUST understand these basic concepts before moving on to upper grade math. ✨I’ve bundled all of the math resources in my store to help teachers with all of this. Why bundle? Bundles save teachers money! This bundle saves you almost $70! That’s NOT including the $42 saved with the 12 FREE Task Card Review Games! (You’ll see those below.) That means this bundle saves you over $100! What types of…

Let’s face it, giving students only traditional worksheets for guided practice, independent practice, review, and assessments can get BORING — both for the students and you! And while technology in the classroom is important and needed, you may not want every activity to be on the computer. So, what do you do? You think of ways to incorporate some fun activities that will keep students engaged and learning all year! FRAMES My coworkers and I first started using frames when adding depth and complexity to activities for our gifted students. We quickly realized that these frames could be incorporated in so many ways that benefit ALL learners! Frames make GREAT graphic organizers! Want to teach students how to research a topic? Frames are beneficial in helping them gather information. Struggling students can turn in their frame as the final product, while other students could use it to build on something more (ex: writing paragraphs). Let’s go a little more in depth! The four sides of the frame can be used to help explain math problems. This bundle includes frame activities for basic multiplication, fractions, and telling time. By dissecting it, students learn the ‘why’ behind the math problem. This will…

📚 Are you ready for BACK TO SCHOOL? As much as we love our summer break, it’s really hard not to think about the new year that’s creeping up on us. I’m here to make your life easier! Plan ahead, and get ready for an amazing first day, week, and month of school. First off, if you’re new to teaching, this free CHECKLIST might help! It’s just some tips to help you get through your first day. 📋 As you think about the new school year, is your classroom prepared for a substitute? If your answer is no, or you’re not sure, read my post on The Importance of Emergency Sub Plans! During those first few days and weeks of school, you need to make sure you’re keeping students engaged. In addition to establishing the rules and procedures of your classroom, make sure you have some fun activities that students will enjoy working on. I like to have ALL ABOUT ME activities because it’s easy for students to write about what they like. Here are some activities that will help you get through the first few weeks of school, while you’re still trying to establish a routine. Back to School…

Our grade level won a prize from our PTA one time. It was an escape room. A mom got it all set up, and while she had the best of intentions, it was way too hard for the third graders. Add in the fact that the first class that got to experience it ruined it for the other two classes at recess, and it just wasn’t successful. I do think escape rooms and scavenger hunts can be successful activities to add to any classroom. You just have to make sure the puzzles are age appropriate. I’ve taken a few courses to help me put together the best resources I can. I’m having a lot of fun making them, and I plan to make many more in the future. These types of activities work great for reviewing important concepts, practicing reading comprehension, or working on team building skills. They also can be planned as a reward or end of year activity. All you have to do is familiarize yourself with the puzzles, print, and copy. That’s it! See below for some FUN activities you can do with your class today! ✨Most of these Escape Rooms would be best for 3rd-5th grade.…

Do you find it hard to teach students writing? ✔️ Do you expect students to know how to write a paragraph when they enter your classroom? ✔️ Have you been told to differentiate for students, but you’re not sure how to do it? ✔️ LOOK NO FURTHER! 😊 For years I taught 3rd grade. Each year the students came to us knowing less and less about how to write proper sentences. When I started my first year in 3rd grade, we were able to work with the students on writing multiple paragraphs. After several years, we had to work on teaching them how to write a complete sentence. I knew I had to change the way I taught writing, so I decided to focus on teaching students how to write a GOOD 5 sentence paragraph and about paragraph structure using the following guide: But what do you do if some students can write a paragraph and others can’t? You differentiate❗ At first, all students will write on the same topic, but you can differentiate how they get to the final draft. Some students will need sentence frames to help organize their five sentences. Others will get to the point where…

📓 How do you feel about research reports in your classroom? Does the thought of teaching students how to research and complete a project seem daunting? It doesn’t have to be! Get students excited about researching a topic and completing FUN activities. Below you’ll see three projects that are perfect for helping students understand how to research. The activities included are great for DIFFERENTIATION, where students who struggle will still be able to feel successful in the process. Your students who need a challenge will also benefit! Animal Research Project – Outline, Written Report, & Google Slides™ Teach your students how to write a research report with an outline! Students complete graphic organizers for an animal research project with fun extension ideas, including a Google Slides™ project, pennant/banner, speech, & poster. Students will learn how to fill out an outline before writing a 4 paragraph final draft report. All of the extension activities use this same outline! What’s Included? Planets of the Solar System Research Project Help students research the planets of the solar system! Fun Google Slides™ project included! Graphic organizers guide your students to find specific facts. This is a fun research project where students display these facts…

Let’s face it, the last few weeks of school can be chaotic! Everyone’s ready for summer break, but as the teacher you still have to plan everyday to keep the students engaged. You need SEVERAL end of the year activities! What type of activities are best? A lot of teachers love giving activities where students reflect on the school year and what they learned. Memory books are a great idea. I especially love keeping their beginning of the year memory book so they can compare how much they changed throughout the school year. Keeping students engaged will lead to fewer behavior issues at the end of the year. This packet is great for early finishers. It could also be sent home as a summer packet. Another great option is using flipbooks. These don’t take as much time as a memory book, but they can still be a fun keepsake! Have you ever done an Escape Room with your students? These are sure to get students excited for summer! Your students will enjoy this Amusement Park Escape Room. There’s a secret mission to get students hooked and 8 printable puzzles for students to complete to crack the code. Blast Off To……

❄️ What is the hardest time of the school year? For me, it’s January, February, and March. There’s so much going on August through December. There’s the anticipation of back to school, starting fresh and looking forward to the year ahead. Then there’s fall and all the upcoming holidays. In April and May, summer’s on the horizon. The days are getting longer again, and students are getting antsy. But January, February, and March… these seem to drag out the longest. You know the next break is spring break, but that seems so far away. If you’re feeling it as a teacher, just imagine how your students feel. Let’s go through some activities that will help keep your students engaged. JANUARY — You’re just back from winter break, it’s cold outside, and it can be tough to get the kids excited about school again. These activities can be spread throughout the whole month. This New Year’s resolution writing resource includes FOUR fun goals activities to start off New Year’s in January. Create a Happy New Year bulletin board with the pennants and football that students make. Get your students engaged right away when you return from break! (Updated every year!) This…

❄️As a teacher, I know I don’t need to tell you about the weeks leading up to winter break! And the few days before, it can seem like a lost cause trying to get students engaged in any learning. It’s not just the days before the break, but the days you go back in January can be just as hard. Do you like to do holiday activities whole group? Maybe you set up centers with parents helping students. How about giving some work that students can complete individually? I know one of the hardest things I’ve dealt with in my classroom is having work for early finishers! Keep reading if you want to see some AMAZING resources that can be added to your lesson plans TODAY! Below you’ll see activities for Christmas, but you’ll also see a lot that are winter-theme and work well for the new year. These resources are perfect for reviewing important math, grammar, and writing skills. MATH — These activities were made with key 3rd grade math skills. If you need differentiation for your 2nd graders who excel in math, these could be a great addition to meet their needs. If you teach 4th grade or…