Books and Giggles
December is always jam-packed, especially for teachers. From attending special events, wrangling gifts, to decorating at school and at home… there’s always something to throw us off our normal routines! Of course, I love it all, but it can also be so overwhelming! Add in the kids’ pre-Santa excitement, and you know you’re going to…
Inside: a list of low-effort, high-payoff things for teachers to do in the summer and a free printable bucket list that goes with the list. Summer is finally here, and you’re ready for a well-deserved break. At the same time, it’s hard not to think about starting fresh again in the fall. Personally, I always…
Inside: we step you through how to teach preschoolers to write their name, with an emphasis on making it fun and engaging while also developing early literacy skills. Teaching preschoolers to read and write their names is a smart way to get them interested in the alphabet. Kids love anything to do with their very…
Inside: These social-emotional activities for preschoolers can be used all in one lesson or pulled into your own SEL lesson. Today’s post comes from guest writer Audra Jensen. Audra is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, Special Education teacher, and published author on the subject of autism. She has an adult son with autism and has dedicated…
Inside: This post helps parents and caregivers understand when it’s best to teach sight words. We also review which early literacy skills children should master before jumping into sight words. We spent a lot of time working on sight words when my own children were small. Yes, we played games and made the experience playful….
These ideas for teaching social emotional learning virtually can help you reach your students during remote learning. I’ve geared this post to preschool and kindergarten, but elementary teachers may also find some useful SEL resources too. Last spring I sent out a little survey to my newsletter subscribers asking about how things were going with…
Inside: If you’re going to teach sight words virtually this year, these fun ideas will help you get started. We’re starting the school year online this year, and a huge percentage of parents here have chosen to have our kids do school 100% virtually for the first couple months. That’s what my family is doing….
Inside: Sight Words vs Phonics – which should kids focus on as they learn to read? This post will help parents and caregivers navigate helping their children learn to read. What ‘Sight Words’ Means A sight word is a word that doesn’t follow normal spelling patterns. These are words like come, who, or said….
Inside: Every student should feel included at school. However, inclusion goes beyond the classroom, and it really begins with the teacher’s influence. This article will discuss an overview of how to promote inclusiveness at school. It’s mid-year re-boot time, and one thing you might like to think about is making sure that your classroom and…
Inside: 10 Back to School bulletin boards based on picture books, perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades. If you’re reading this in the middle of getting your classroom ready, and meet-the-teacher is two days away, and you’re already SO stressed out — stop and take a deep breath. I’ve got 10 different back to…
Are you ready for the end of the school year? These tips can help you keep your students focused ’til the end. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking…
Today I’m pausing to share some of my favorite teacher shirts. I designed a few of them, and the rest I collected here because I love them. I hope you do too! (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for…
When you have one child who likes reading aloud, and another who likes reading in complete silence, you need a solution. In this post I’m sharing a picture book and a tool that can help – a paper towel roll turned silent reading tube that amplifies little reader’s whispers as they read to themselves. (Books and…
A book exchange party is a fun activity for kids at the holidays. You can do one as part of a classroom holiday celebration, with a scout troop, or for a play group. You can even throw a Christmas book exchange party at home just for friends. I love the unwritten message of giving books as…