Month: April 2021

by Hudda Ibrahim In true Covid-kindergarten fashion, I logged onto my morning meeting zoom from my kitchen table at 8:30 on a Wednesday morning. My class and I were quarantined and therefore spent many a day learning via zoom. A year ago, the idea of teaching while quarantined from my kitchen table was completely overwhelming… Continue reading What Color is My Hijab?

Once again, Gaia Cornwall delights readers with a Jabari, grit-filled adventure. Jabari has his heart set on inventing a flying machine that will fly all the way across his yard. As Jabari begins his creation, he draws on the problem solving and creativity of engineers and scientists of the past. Quickly, his confidence is squashed… Continue reading Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall

Certain books fly out of the classroom library and into the hands of readers, and I love how these books change as the first graders grow. Right now, a few series baskets are empty, and I need to “quarantine” the books overnight so that other readers can have them ASAP. The Hello, Hedgehog series is… Continue reading Series that Fly off my Classroom Shelves

My family loves camping. During camping season weekends couldn’t come fast enough. We would load up our travel trailer and just go. Recently, there have been a few books published about camping that my students and I have just loved and made so many connections too. Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate is one of those… Continue reading Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

Written by Silvia Lopez and Illustrated by Pablo Pino Many of us remember reading the Japanese folktale, Tikki Tikki Tembo when we were younger. Pacho Nacho is a slide-splitting story about what’s in a name, that mirrors this classic tale. Cuban-born author, Silvia Lopez brings humor to this story of family, community, and the importance… Continue reading Pacho Nacho

I am always on the lookout for great chapter books to share with children who have progressed beyond early readers, but are not yet ready for the sophistication and length of middle grade novels. Too Small Tola is a chapter book divided into three stories that tell about Tola and her life living in Lagos,… Continue reading Too Small Tola by Atinuke and illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

Kindness is a Kite String by Michelle Schaub is a must have for National Poetry Month. Read on to find out why. Figurative language is a powerful writing tool and Kindnes Is a Kite String flows with similes and metaphors. Sure, you could hand out a boring worksheet that drills the differences between similes and… Continue reading Kindness Is a Kite String: The Uplifting Power of Empathy

This week, my first graders said goodbye to a classmate who moved away. For these children, moving in and out of communities is part of their lives as they are children of military families. They know how it feels to be new, and they know what it means to start over. When a child leaves,… Continue reading Being a Military Child

The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca by Amanda Abler I’ve got a second-grade class full of animal lovers this year, so I knew I’d need to share The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca with them when it crossed my desk. In text by Amanda Abler… Continue reading The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca

Looking for a lovely read aloud for elementary students? The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat is a perfect fit. The five ramble shamble children live together in a ramble shamble house. When they see a proper house in a storybook, they ponder whether their home needs changes. The changes they make don’t turn out… Continue reading The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat

My Thoughts Are Like Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness By Georgia Heard Last month, I taught my distance learning first graders a unit on writing poetry. When thinking about where to begin, I went back to my roots, where I really learned about poetry myself. Over ten years ago, when I was a third grade teacher,… Continue reading My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness By Georgia Heard

This book should be in every classroom. That was the first thought that went through my head when I read it. From the cover with the girl in the football jersey and helmet and the boy sipping tea, this book takes stereotypes of what boys do and what girls do and points out that stereotypes… Continue reading Except When They Don’t by Laura Gehl

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall From the first page, Sophie Blackall's If You Come to Earth draws you in. Written as a travelogue for celestial visitors, this book is not my usual recommendation, but is indeed a treasure in my conferring bag. You may know Sophie Blackall as a picture book illustrator.… Continue reading If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall

This wonderful book tells the story of a big happy family who eat a big lunch together every day and enjoy each other’s company. The warm colors and creative perspectives (overhead, up close, from afar) of the pictures kept our readers eager to turn the pages to see what was next.The book has a terrific,… Continue reading Let’s Eat! Written by Ana Zamorano – Illustrated by Julie Vivas

I sit down on the couch to write my post for Thursday.  Guilt is the feeling inside of me, as I know it has been a few weeks since I’ve written.  The words don’t come.  I know my topic - writing about the different ways I’ve tried to give students more choice and ownership during… Continue reading A Surprise at my Kitchen Door

While attending a Diversity training by Dr. Kalise Wornum, she mentioned a book Ouch! Moments by Michael Genhart. Dr. Wornum recommended this book specifically for helping young students understand microaggressions. With everything going on in the news, I felt this was the perfect time to address this with my students. This book describes the different… Continue reading Ouch! Moments: When Words Are Used in Hurtful Ways

written by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk So begins Equal Shot, a new nonfiction book that tells the story of why and how Title IX was passed. It also introduces readers to the four amazing women who fought for a law that would mandate equal opportunities for boys and girls in school and end… Continue reading An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America

On Monday, we welcome our cohorts to school as a unified class. Over the past six months, kindergartners in Cohorts A and B have learned about each other, shared their joys, and collaborated on projects through letters. To say that they are excited to greet each other in person on next week is an understatement.… Continue reading A Little Spot of Teamwork by Diane Alber