Read about alternate worlds, aliens and spaceships, and science-fiction inventions! You’ll get all that and more in the new 2019 science fiction chapter books I’m sharing with you today. Get Hooked on a New Science Fiction Chapter Book Greystone Secrets: The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix Exciting from the first page to the last! Why […]
Imagination Soup
Picture Books to Teach Similes and Metaphors
Read aloud picture books to exemplify how writers use smilies and metaphors to convey meaning. Use these mentor texts to teach similes and metaphors in your writing workshop. Picture Books to Teach Similes and Metaphors Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr Lyrical, evocative language captures a quiet winter evening when the little […]
Found Poetry with Recycled Magazines
Reuse your old magazines and create found poetry from the words and phrases you discover on their pages. Found poetry takes kids on a treasure hunt for wonderful words and phrases. Then, they will use those words and phrases to find a poem; to write a “found” poem by collaging together something in a new, poetic way. […]
Word Collection Jars
Our word collection started when JJ’s teacher read aloud Donavan’s Word Jar to her class. JJ wanted to start a word collection jar at home. Of course, I was happy to oblige! Find a Jar We found jars and labeled them. One of these days, we may get fancier and decorate the jars but we wanted to […]
Why the Slackline is My Kids’ Favorite Backyard Activity
One summer we bought a Slackers slackline for the girls thinking core strength would be good for everyone. What I didn’t plan on was it being so much FUN and it being the kids’ favorite backyard activity for months and months and months. Slackline for Kids The slackline stretches between two trees like a tightrope but is stretchy and bouncy. You […]
New Picture Books for Young Naturalists (2019)
I love discovering more nature-themed picture books I can use with my kids or in the classroom. Plus, these are just in time for spring Earth Day celebrations. Introduce your young naturalists to bees, animal sounds, seashells, worms, and more! New Picture Books for Young Naturalists (2019) Who Is Sleeping? A Lift-the-Flap Book by Petr […]
Daily Poetry Activities for Kids
For National Poetry Month or any time of the year, read poetry daily to your kids. It doesn’t have to be poetry specifically written for kids either. Unfortunately, my kids weren’t excited about the whole poem a day idea of mine. At all. So first, I found poems they would like and second, found poems they […]