Close reading is a great way to get students to dig in and analyze a text. Close reading, when done right, allows for rich discussion and reflection while growing your students as critical, analytical readers. On this post, I will share close reading tips and strategies to help you implement this reading strategy into your instruction. Close Reading Tips and ... Read More
Free 4th and 5th Grade Reading Sorts
Using sorts as part of instruction or practice is one of my (and my students') favorite reading activities. I feel like you can never have enough hands-on activities and they are honestly few and far between when it comes to upper elementary reading. This post will share some FREE reading sorts for 4th and 5th grade with ideas for implementing them in your ... Read More
Free Reading Review Mini-Booklets for 4th and 5th Grade
It seems like I am always on the hunt for new ways to review reading skills with my students. And especially ways that are engaging and don't involve reading a ton of lengthy passages or worse...stapled worksheets that don't excite or engage my students. One of my new favorite ways to review is through reading review mini-booklets. Keep reading to get all of the details ... Read More
End of Year Celebration Ideas and Activities (4th and 5th Graders)
Getting through those last few weeks of school can be challenging. Students are ready to be done and teachers are just as ready for a (much needed) break. Incorporating fun end of year celebration activities into those weeks can be a lifesaver (and work really as behavior incentives)! Here are a few of my favorite end of year celebration ideas that work really well with ... Read More
Solar Oven Project with Free Printables
The end of the year and making solar ovens seem to go hand and hand. The sun is shining, students are excited for summer break, and we need to pull out the stops to keep them engaged and learning. Enter...the solar oven project! This post will share the materials and directions to have your students make their own solar oven projects, including lots of free printables to ... Read More
Graduation Song Ideas for Elementary
Graduation season is upon us and with it comes the quest for graduation song ideas. From the sentimental to the upbeat, graduation songs for kids can cement memories and remind students of how much they’ve accomplished. Here are 20 popular graduation songs for elementary school ceremonies! For more ideas for graduation ceremonies for 5th graders, click here to see our ... Read More
Paper Clip STEM Challenge (Free Printables)
STEM challenges that involve few supplies and encourage lots of creativity are my favorite to incorporate into the classroom. This paper clip STEM challenge fits those characteristics perfectly! It also works well as an independent, partner, or team challenge. This post breaks down the steps for implementing this simple STEM activity into your classroom (with FREE ... Read More
End of Year Read Alouds for 3rd-5th Grade
Even upper elementary students love read alouds, and especially at the end of the year. The end of the year is a great time to read short picture books as most of the time your novels or class read alouds have been wrapped up. This post will share three of my favorite end of the year read alouds for 3rd-5th graders (with free printable activities). Note: Depending on ... Read More
Making Ice Cream in a Bag (Free Printables)
One of my favorite end of the year activities is definitely making ice cream in a bag. This student-approved end of year activity can also double as an end of the year celebration. And, use the FREE reading passage included in the download to integrate this into literacy, making this activity admin approved as well! Ice Cream in a Bag - Materials Needed Amount ... Read More
STEM Activities with Pencils
STEM activities using pencils are easy to prep and implement for back to school and end of the year challenges. This post will share three of my favorite stem activities with pencils, including free printables to help you execute these activities in your classroom. Pencil Stem Challenges- Materials These are the materials needed for all of the STEM activities shared ... Read More
FREE End of the Year Activities for 4th and 5th Grade
I always love having quick no-prep activities on hand during those final two weeks of school for those random minutes in between all.the.things going on. I've already shared my go-to end of year math activities and end of year literacy activities, but this post will also share some freebies that are not subject-specific (and one that is math, but is a new freebie). A ... Read More
End of Year Reflection Activity (Free!)
As the year winds down, I always love having my students reflect and share their thoughts about the year. In a similar way as my reading interest inventory questions, I take a slightly different approach to my students' end of year reflection. This post will share the reflection questions and some different ways to implement them in your classroom to help your students ... Read More
