The holiday frenzy is officially upon us. In the flurry of house-decorating, meal-preparing, and gift-buying, it’s important for us (and the children in our lives) to remember that it’s also a season of gratitude. And while we’re at it, we should note that gratitude is extremely beneficial year-round. Research shows that practicing gratitude improves physical and mental health, self-esteem, and…
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Simple Gratitude Activities for Kids to Use Any Time of Year
Teaching Context Clues: Simple Strategies That Work
Vocabulary has the power to make or break a students’ reading comprehension skills. Of course, we don’t have the resources or the time to teach students every vocabulary word they’ll ever encounter in their reading. Plus, drilling vocabulary words and asking students to memorize long lists is an ineffective approach. So, what can we do to boost vocabulary and reading…
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How to Avoid the Pitfalls That Lead to False Growth Mindset
Avoid the pitfalls that lead to false growth mindset If you’re an educator, you’ve most definitely heard the term “growth mindset.” In fact, the concept has spread far beyond classrooms and schools. It’s even implemented at some companies to foster creativity and productivity. Although the concept is wildly popular, it’s also widely misunderstood. Teachers strongly believe in growth mindset, but…
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Ideas to Help Students Infuse Fancy Vocabulary in Their Writing and Speaking
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure here. Learning high level vocabulary is essential for success in school—and it’s helpful for life success, too. Teaching vocabulary is important because it: boosts reading comprehension improves communication and thinking skills builds academic and social confidence has been linked to occupational success But to reap these benefits, you can’t merely…
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Discover the Hidden Benefits of Teaching Figurative Language
The Benefits of Teaching Figurative Language When we think about teaching reading and writing to children, we might first consider phonics, parts of speech, spelling, and grammar. But we can’t forget to add some color and spice by teaching figurative language, too! What is figurative language? Figurative language is phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to convey…
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