The best way to differentiate learning for all students is to incorporate small group instruction. This enables the teacher to tailor each lesson to meet students at their developmental level. While it does require a little more work, it’s so worth it! I’ve tried to make it a little easier
When I first taught the letters to my oldest daughter, we focused on the letter names. That’s what preschoolers are supposed to learn, right? Well, I’ve come to realize that letter names really don’t matter. When it comes to reading, we only need letter sounds, which is why I think
I used to think that letter formation should come later on – after learning all of the letters. But the more I research it, the more important I find that learning how letters are formed and tracing is such an integral part of learning letters. Tying in the motion of
When I began this journey over two years ago, my only goal was to make learning fun for my eldest daughter. She was three at the time, and like most toddlers, had a thirst for knowledge. Unfortunately, also like most toddlers, she had the attention span of a gnat. I
Whenever we visited my dad’s family in Michigan, the red barn stood out like a majestic symbol on my grandparents’ property. A run-down tractor, tools, some cobwebs, but full of the memories of generations that have stepped into it. I remember playing hide-and-seek with my cousins, sitting in a circle
I remember the first teacher that really captured my attention. It actually wasn’t until I was in college and my professor had us sort alien cards according to various attributes that I realized there is a different way to teach and learn, and it is fascinating. This was also the
Every fall, when the crabapples had fallen from the tree, begun to rot and smell, and turned into a big, squishy mess, we were given the dreaded task of cleaning it up. While these crabapple trees were the best for climbing, this was definitely the downfall (like literally, of the
As we peel into our apple math activities, I figured I would share some interesting apple facts involving numbers. There are 7,500 varieties of apples grown worldwide, and 2,500 of those types are grown in the United States. It takes about 2 pounds of apples to make an apple pie,
It is on my bucket list to go to an apple orchard and pluck apples right from the tree. So, of course, my husband, who helps me pursue all of my dreams, planned a family trip to the apple farm. Now, I am usually the planner. I’ve planned trips to
Looking for some fun and engaging pond books for preschoolers? You’ll love these great picks! From stories about frogs and ducks to informational books about the animals that live in ponds, your little one is sure to find something they enjoy. So dive on in and explore these must-read pond
The weather is getting warmer here in Colorado, and we have been taking daily walks right after dinner. The other day, we discovered a pond in our neighborhood filled with goslings, ducklings, and frogs, and it has become a favorite spot for my girls. Ever since we discovered the pond,
Sensory play is always a big splash in our house, especially when paired with a pond theme. Water, water beads, play dough – need I say more? Water play alone engages my little ones for an hour straight, taking their imaginations from the pond to a waterfall and a tornado.
I am a former elementary school teacher and reading specialist, now stay-at-home-mom to my two beautiful, charismatic girls, Addison and Aria.
I’ve created engaging preschool learning activities grouped into themes to make it easy for you to implement teaching with play with your little learners, too!
