Early Signs of a Learning Disability - What to Look For in the Early Grades
There is a common misconception that learning disabilities only start to appear and can be tested starting in 3rd grade at the earliest. Here is the problem with that: students with learning disabilities have differences in the structure and function of their brains. This doesn’t happen in 3rd grade. The sooner students can get help for their learning disability, the sooner the issues can be corrected allowing for students to need less specialized instruction in the upper grades. When is it time to ask for help?
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Picture Books That Celebrate Diversity: Great for the Classroom and Home
Below is a list of some of my favorite picture books for elementary school age students as well as books that I own in my own personal library. We read for thirty minutes every night before bed as part of our bedtime routine and some of these books get read multiple times a week as they are family favorites.
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Mom Talk: How to Handle Hectic Mornings
This new year has brought some big changes to this momma’s life. My kiddo went from an in-home daycare where breakfast and lunch were provided, to a preschool where now I must provide breakfast for my toddler before she leaves for school and pack her a nutritious lunch that she wants to eat (and, when she compares it to the other kids, she won’t just throw out).
Read on to see how I manage my mornings on most work days.
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Book Review: Teaching for Deeper Learning
I just finished reading Teaching for Deeper Learning by Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver. It is a teaching book on how to teach so that students thrive and learn at a deep level. Let me tell you, the title lives up to the name. Here are some of my takeaways:
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Our Favorite Black Owned Businesses: Snack Food Edition
We recently wrote a post about supporting Black Owned businesses. We wanted to share some of our favorite Black Owned snack food and beverage companies that we just can’t get enough of right now.
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Easy, Breezy Morning Makeup Routine
I am very efficient in the mornings. I like some quiet, “me time” that does not involve getting ready or doing my hair. I make life easier by preplanning all of my outfits, if not the week before, at least the night before. My clothes are laid out and waiting for me in the morning.
I don’t wear a ton of makeup to work, and I barely wear any on the weekends and on vacation. I am a true believer in the power of a great sunscreen, other than that, I might be wearing a lip balm and some mascara on my days off. When at work, I have a very simple list of my go-to makeup favorites that I return to again and again.
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Digital vs. Paper Reading Comprehension
Now that everything we do with distance learning is online, most of the learning and turning in of work is done digitally. There is, however, a significant body of research to show that when texts become more complex, the brain learns and retains information better when it is on paper. So, note to self, when we go back to in person teaching post COVID, remember to bring back the paper.
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15 Short Stories for Students Who Love Suspense and Plot Twists
We absolutely L-O-V-E using short stories throughout the year to help guide our instruction and to keep our students engaged in their learning. Short stories have also come in handy this year with remote learning. It is pretty much impossible to teach remotely the Core novels that we love to teach. For that reason, we have relied on using even more short stories to enliven our instruction.
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KORA ORGANICS ~ Rose Quartz Heart Facial Gua Sha Review
This stone helps to improve circulation and depuff and sculpt your face through lymphatic drainage . It is great for improving skin firmness and smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.
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Eight Reading Activities Your Students Will Love
Studies show that students do better on assignments that they have voice and choice in creating. We hope that by giving students several options to show their understanding of the book that they are reading (independently, in book clubs, or a whole class novel) that they will shine like the diamonds they are.
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