Blog - Primary Planet

Image of teacher on the computer. Post about collaborative planning in teaching. Text: Easy Teacher Hack: Lesson Planning with your teaching team using google slides.

Easy Teacher Hack: Lesson Planning with Your Teaching Team using Google Slides!

Collaborative Planning Made Easy! Hey there, Teacher Friend! Lesson planning is one of the most critical aspects of teaching, but it’s often time-consuming and stressful—especially when working with a team. Between juggling emails, scattered resources, and trying to stay organized, the process can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Enter Google Slides: a tool that can revolutionize how you approach collaborative planning in teaching. Let’s explore how this idea can simplify your process, solve common problems, and make planning with your team more productive and enjoyable. Problems with Collaborative Planning in Teaching If you’ve ever worked

Story Writing Games Make Narrative Writing Fun and Engaging!

Hey there! Story writing games can transform your students’ narrative writing experience, making it easier, more engaging, and a whole lot of fun. Do your students ever stare at a blank page, wondering how to start their stories? Or maybe they have amazing ideas but struggle to organize them into a clear beginning, middle, and end? It’s a common challenge, but it doesn’t have to be! Let’s explore how story writing games can help make narrative writing easier, more engaging, and a whole lot of fun for your young writers. Plus, I’ll share a resource that transforms storytelling into an

Image of teacher teaching in front of a class. Text: Whole Group

Whole Group Reading Strategies and Phonics Instruction for Early Learners

Hey there, Teacher friend! Whole group reading strategies are essential for building foundational literacy skills in first and second-grade classrooms. Whether you are a new teacher setting up your routines or a veteran educator looking for fresh ideas, effective whole-group phonics instruction can make your lessons engaging and impactful. The Importance of Whole Group Phonics Instruction Whole group phonics instruction allows teachers to introduce and reinforce key phonics skills for developing reading fluency. Teaching all students together ensures everyone gets the same exposure to important concepts, creating a strong foundation for further learning. Whole Group Reading Strategies for Phonics Success

Helping Students Build Strong Foundational Reading Skills

Hey there, Teacher Friend! We know that teaching early readers to decode can be challenging. But, mastering foundational reading skills is vital for students as they build fluency and comprehension. Whether you have been around for a while or are just beginning your teaching journey, finding effective and engaging resources for this learning stage is essential. Supporting Struggling Readers Students often struggle to distinguish between short vowel sounds, such as “a” in “cat” and “e” in “pen.” These subtle differences can be difficult for young learners to grasp, especially when phonics practice feels repetitive or disconnected from meaningful content. Additionally,

Helpful Step by Step Writing Mini-Lessons for Teaching Editing Sentences

Hey there, Teacher Friend! Is it time to teach editing sentences? When it comes to improving student writing, one of the most essential skills is editing. But what is editing, and why do students need to edit their own writing? Editing involves reviewing written work to correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. While it sounds straightforward, many young writers struggle with this skill. Learning to edit not only helps improve the quality of their writing but also teaches students to be reflective and more thoughtful about their work. However, students often find it challenging to look at their own

Effective Writing Warm-Ups: Fun Prewriting Activities For Students

Hey there, teacher friend! Do you struggle to find practical prewriting activities to do with your elementary school kiddos? Getting students to start writing can be a challenge. It often takes time and energy to get them focused and ready to put their ideas on paper. That’s where writing warm-ups come in. Writing warm-ups are short, focused activities designed to get students thinking, brainstorming, and preparing for more structured writing tasks. Whether you’re using them as part of your morning work, whole class writing lessons, or small group writing learning activities, these warm-ups can help students engage their minds and

Image of a thinking teacher. Text: I set up and awesome classroom writing station. Now what?

I Set Up an Awesome Classroom Writing Station! Now What?

Hey there, teacher friend! You did it! Your classroom writing station is set up, and it looks magnificent! The supplies are organized, anchor charts are posted, and the space is inviting for your students. But now you might ask yourself, What do I do with this excellent writing space? Creating an engaging, dynamic classroom writing station is only the first step. The real challenge is maintaining its usefulness throughout the year, keeping students excited and productive during writing time. I Have a Great Writing Space, But Now What? A common frustration many teachers face is figuring out how to make

Active Critical Thinking Cooperative Learning Activities Your Students Won’t Hate

Hey there, teacher friend! Welcome Back! We all want our students to develop strong critical thinking skills while learning to work well with others. These skills are essential for life beyond the classroom, but how do we encourage these skills during the daily hustle of classroom management, lesson planning, and curriculum goals? It’s not just about group work—it’s about meaningful interaction and engagement. So, how can we foster a collaborative environment where students practice these skills regularly without losing instructional time? It’s no secret that teachers face tight schedules, overcrowded curricula, and students with diverse learning needs. You’re already juggling

How to Create a Powerful Vocabulary Builder with Personal Student Glossaries

Hey there, teacher friend! Are you looking for a fun Vocabulary Builder for your kiddos? Helping your students build a strong vocabulary is like giving them a key that unlocks many doors to new ideas, stories, and adventures. Building a strong vocabulary also improves reading comprehension. But how do we make vocabulary learning engaging and meaningful? Enter the Personal Student Glossary—a fun vocabulary builder for your word study! What is a Personal Student Glossary? A personal student glossary is a place for your students to keep their new words and definitions. Imagine each student having a unique book where they

5 More Fun Activities for Teaching Writing in Small Groups

Hey there! Welcome to part 2 of Fun Activities for Teaching Writing in Small Groups! Part 1 is here. Teaching Writing In Small Groups If…Then This post is organized by topics you may want to try in your small group writing instruction. Check them out for some super fun ideas for teaching writing in small groups! If students need practice with descriptive writing, Then try these fun writing activities for teaching in small groups: If students are learning to write narratives, Then: If students are working on sequencing and logical order in writing, Then try these fun small writing group

5 Fun Small Group Writing Activities to Boost Elementary Students’ Skills

Why teach writing in small groups? We all know the benefits of teaching writing in small groups: more one-on-one time with the teacher, easier tailoring to students’ needs, increased engagement, building student confidence, and honestly, teaching in a small group is fun! Read on for fun small group writing activities to boost your students’ writing skills! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate Links. If you purchase something through these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much! Small Group Writing Activities If…Then Scenarios: As a teacher, I loved teaching writing in small groups!

Super Sentence Writing: Step-by-Step Mini-lessons for Primary Students

What is sentence writing? How do you teach writing a sentence to your primary students? Hey there, teacher friend! Good questions. Read on for step-by-step mini-lessons you can use in your primary classroom to teach your students how to write a complete sentence! Sentence Writing Mini-Lesson 1: What is a complete sentence? (Monday) Now that your students are starting to write more, this is the time to teach writing a complete sentence. Start by defining a complete sentence: A complete sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. Complete sentences have a subject (who the sentence is

Free Resource Library

Reading

Writing

Classroom Management

Math

Digital

STEM

Other

Easy Teacher Hack: Lesson Planning with Your Teaching Team using Google Slides!

Story Writing Games Make Narrative Writing Fun and Engaging!

Whole Group Reading Strategies and Phonics Instruction for Early Learners

Helping Students Build Strong Foundational Reading Skills

Helpful Step by Step Writing Mini-Lessons for Teaching Editing Sentences

Effective Writing Warm-Ups: Fun Prewriting Activities For Students

I Set Up an Awesome Classroom Writing Station! Now What?

Active Critical Thinking Cooperative Learning Activities Your Students Won’t Hate

How to Create a Powerful Vocabulary Builder with Personal Student Glossaries

5 More Fun Activities for Teaching Writing in Small Groups

5 Fun Small Group Writing Activities to Boost Elementary Students’ Skills

Super Sentence Writing: Step-by-Step Mini-lessons for Primary Students

Look who's Teaching Happy!

Join the Freebie Planet!