Differentiation doesn’t have to mean hours of extra planning! This post shares five practical, time-saving differentiation strategies that help classroom teachers support individual student needs in literacy without overwhelming prep work. Learn how to use pre-leveled reading passages, sentence starters, vocabulary activities, flexible grouping, and technology to meet diverse student needs efficiently. Plus, get insights from other experienced educators on how they differentiate instruction in engaging and manageable ways.

Feeling overwhelmed by the thought of returning to school after winter break? With just a few simple, high-impact tasks, you can set yourself up for a smooth and stress-free January. From quick pre-break prep to actionable strategies for your first week back, this guide is packed with tips to simplify your classroom reset and help you focus on what matters most: teaching with ease and confidence.

Discover 4 simple reading strategies to re-engage students after winter break! From new book ideas and fun reading challenges to interactive read-alouds and group projects, these classroom tips will help students rebuild their love for reading. Plus, grab free resources to make implementation even easier!

Unlock the secret to keeping your classroom learning-focused during the festive season with our top five strategies. Discover how to blend holiday excitement with educational rigor and keep your students thoroughly engaged. Plus download a free resource that will help you master the holiday teaching challenge!

Students have worked hard this year. They are ready for a break. You are, too. However, you know how important it is to encourage your students to practice their skills over the summer to prevent losing some of what you all worked so hard to achieve this year.

The challenge becomes finding work for your students to do that offers practice and reinforcement, but that they’ll actually enjoy doing. I’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how.

Elevate your ELA curriculum with our guide to integrating test prep into daily lessons for grades 3-6. Discover practical strategies that prepare students for standardized tests without compromising on engagement or learning depth. Transform test prep from a chore into an enriching part of your teaching journey.

Close reading lessons are more effective when teachers use resources specifically designed for close reading practice. Learn how non-fiction seasonal close reading resources allow students to celebrate school holidays while practicing important reading skills.

Close reading helps students gain skills that will help them grow as complete learners. In this blog post, I’m sharing more about why close reading is so important for our students and practical ways teachers can incorporate close reading into our classrooms.

Bring rigor to your Valentine’s Day lessons with a mini-unit on the history of chocolate. Incorporate meaningful and engaging teaching resources during school holidays through thematic nonfiction units that teach important reading skills while students learn about the history of a holiday.

Task cards are incredibly versatile. In fact, they are so versatile that there are probably ways to use task cards you’re not familiar with. Let me share 10 ways to use task cards in your upper elementary classroom.

If you’re not already sold on using task cards in your classroom or if you would like to use them even more effectively, keep reading!

Today I’m going to dive into what task cards are and how they benefit you and your students.

We’ve talked about how students can only become stronger readers by reading. And we’ve talked about how providing students with choice builds enthusiasm for reading as well as reading stamina. And of course, we’ve talked about how traditional reading logs do little to support goals for student reading. See previous blog posts here, here, and here.

If you’ve read the blog posts linked above, you know why I developed a new kind of reading log. And you know what a difference it made with my students. My year-long editable reading logs are available in my TPT store. I have them available for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.

I wanted to walk you through how to use these reading logs. Click below to watch the video. I’ll also take you through the steps below.

Students don’t like traditional reading logs. Neither do parents. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, teachers don’t like them either. Learn what to use instead and how it revolutionized my classroom.

Have you ever told a student he couldn’t choose a particular book to read because it wasn’t the right level for him and seen the light go out of his eyes? I have. Learn what classroom practices kill students’ love of reading and what to do instead.

Teachers need a way to hold students accountable for getting their reading practice in. The result? Reading logs. For reading logs to be successful in your classroom, you need your students to get on board. Here’s how to accomplish that while also getting parents on board.