Blog - Primary Planet

How to Add Details to Writing Mini-Lessons

How to add details to writing is one of the things that I work on teaching my students ALL YEAR LONG! Read on to get more details (see what I did there…)? How to add details to writing Lesson 1: Sensory Details Objectives: I can add details to my writing. I can add sensory details to my writing. First of all, students need to understand what detail is. A detail is something that you add to your writing to make it easier for your reader to understand, or to make your writing more interesting for your writer. Discuss different types

From Piles to Smiles: Transformative Tips for Elementary Paper Grading

Hey there Teacher Friend! I am so glad you are here. Today, by request, I am talking about paper grading! Such a fun topic right? Here are some ideas for keeping up with paper grading that won’t be overwhelming! *This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something using this link we will receive a very small portion of the sale. The price of the item purchased remains the same whether you use an affiliate link or not. I will only recommend products and resources that I believe will be of value to you, my readers. By using my

Cover image of students writing. Text: Creative Writing Exercises for Your Classroom Writing Center!

3 Fun Creative Writing Exercises for Your April Classroom Writing Center

Hey there Teacher Friends! Let’s zhuzh up your classroom writing center this April with fun creative writing exercises! April is perfect for comics, magnet poetry, and toys! Read on to find some fun new ideas to make your classroom writing center the highlight of your classroom! This post does contain *Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks! Creative Writing Exercises for April #1: Comic Strip Paper! Students LOVE comic strip paper. Writing a comic strip is also a great way to introduce students to writing

Exploring Phonics Small Group Instruction with a Phonics Comic Decodable Reader

Hey there teacher friends! This post is to explore small group instruction for teaching reading using Phonics Comics. Phonics Decodable Readers with Lessons and Activities! We know that small group instruction is beneficial when teaching students how to read and has several benefits. Small group instruction is a more efficient use of teacher and student time. Students have more interaction with their classmates and teachers. It also increases opportunities for students to improve their reading and writing skills. So, what does small group instruction for teaching reading using Phonics Comics look like? Read on and see how you can try

Image of sight words activties: Pop!, Tic Tac Toe, and Bingo. Text: Playful Literacy: Creative Sight Word Activities.

Playful Literacy: 9 +1 Creative Sight Word Activities You’ll Absolutely Love

Fun Sight Word Activities with Sight Word Cards Learning “sight” words is an important part of students learning to read and to read fluently. These sight word activities will make learning sight words more fun and engaging! Students need a lot of practice with their sight words and these sight word activities are the favorites from my classroom. The best part about these fun sight word activities is that you can teach them to your students, and then let them play them independently during your word work time! Other Sight Word Activities Blog Posts You May Enjoy: Need sight word

Image of March Writing Center Refresh ideas. Leprecaun trap poster for how to writing, leprechaun craft, book review bookmarks, and blank newspaper templates.

Transform Your Writing Center with These Quick and Easy March Refresh Tips

Creative Writing Center Activities for March! March is Read Across America Month, so let’s jazz up our writing center with some fun book-related writing activities! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Add Paper: Blank Newspaper Templates When I was a youngster ( a LONG time ago), one of my favorite things to do with my friends was to create and write our own newspaper. We would make a template then each of us would write a story and draw a picture to go with it.

Blog Cover Image children laughing and making valentines. Text: Valentine's Day Vibes. Valentine's Vibes: Creative Writing Activities for Your Classroom Writing Center

Valentine’s Vibes: Creative Writing Activities to Refresh Your Classroom Writing Center

Creative Writing Activities for February! Hey there Teacher Friends! Get ready to breathe some fresh air into your classroom writing center with these fun creative writing activities! Get your students excited about your classroom writing center again! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Add Paper: Creative Writing with Sticker Stories Sticker Stories are the perfect addition to your classroom writing center! Students LOVE stickers (Amazon Affiliate Link). Make this creative writing activity a little more fun by putting 2-4 stickers in a reusable heart container

Unleashing the Power of Books: Getting the Most from Your Classroom Library

Hey there Teacher Friends! Are you ready to embark on a journey through the world of classroom libraries? Buckle up, because we’re about to dive into some exciting tips and tricks to make the most of this treasure trove of knowledge in your classroom. Getting the Most from Your Classroom Library: Keep it Organized! When I first started teaching, I had my students help me organize my classroom library. We decided on organizing by categories. I had a fiction section and a non-fiction section with different colored book bins. I got all of my book bins from Really Good Stuff,

Image of a picture writing prompt being used as a spelling test alternative. Text: 10 Unique ways to test spelling skills. Fun Spelling Test Alternatives.

10 Unique Ways to Test Spelling Skills: Fun Spelling Test Alternatives

Hey there my amazing educator friends! Today I want to share some fun spelling test alternatives to help you assess your student’s spelling skills! Spelling Test Alternatives to Assess Spelling Skills 1. Label it!: Find or create an image with parts your students can label using words from the patterns you are studying. 2. Spelling Skills Race: Similar to the traditional spelling bee. Teams get a point for each letter that is correct when spelling a word. The team with the most points wins! 3. Word Hunt: Provide a passage and let students circle or highlight words in the word

Explore the World of STEM: Exciting STEM Day Ideas for Primary Learners

Hey there Teacher Friends! Today, I’m beyond excited to share some out-of-this-world tips on how to host a STEM-tastic day in your classroom. Get ready for a super fun day filled with curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning with these fun STEM day ideas! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. What is STEM/STEAM? STEM/STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The A in STEAM is for Art. These types of hands-on learning opportunities give your students time to explore a problem and come up with ways

Seasonal Sparkle: Easy Ways to Update Your Student Writing Center this December

If I can guess, your student writing center is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but, with just a few easy tweaks, you can make your student writing center your student’s favorite spot in the room during December! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. December Student Writing Center Refresh Add Paper: List Writing Paper Tis the season for making lists! I love teaching list writing! Lists are so super handy, aren’t they? I would be lost without my bullet journal, which really

Text: Classroom Management: Classroom Collaboration without all the drama! Image of a boy and girl lab partners.

Boost Classroom Collaboration with 4 Fun and Simple Ways to Pick Partners

We all know that classroom collaboration is important, but does this happen to you: “Okay, friends, pick a partner and we will get started”. ~Chaos ensues.~ Does this sound like your classroom? I love having students work with a partner or a small group, but the drama involved sometimes puts me over the edge. Here are some fun ways for your students to pick partners without all the drama that worked for me (at least we hope!) Classroom Collaboration There are many benefits to students working collaboratively. Improved interpersonal communication skills, improved social skills, enhanced problem-solving abilities, students are more

Procedural Writing for Kids with a writing Graphic Organizer!

Procedural Writing for Kids: Mini-Lesson with a Cool Writing Graphic Organizer

Procedural Writing or How-To Writing is always a favorite writing type. Students love to feel like experts and procedural writing gives them the chance to show off their expertise! In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using writing graphic organizers in the classroom and show you how to leverage them to improve your students’ how-to writing abilities. This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! Why Use Graphic Organizers to Teach Writing? Prewriting is an important part of the writing process!

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How to Add Details to Writing Mini-Lessons

From Piles to Smiles: Transformative Tips for Elementary Paper Grading

3 Fun Creative Writing Exercises for Your April Classroom Writing Center

Exploring Phonics Small Group Instruction with a Phonics Comic Decodable Reader

Playful Literacy: 9 +1 Creative Sight Word Activities You’ll Absolutely Love

Transform Your Writing Center with These Quick and Easy March Refresh Tips

Valentine’s Vibes: Creative Writing Activities to Refresh Your Classroom Writing Center

Unleashing the Power of Books: Getting the Most from Your Classroom Library

10 Unique Ways to Test Spelling Skills: Fun Spelling Test Alternatives

Explore the World of STEM: Exciting STEM Day Ideas for Primary Learners

Boost Classroom Collaboration with 4 Fun and Simple Ways to Pick Partners

Procedural Writing for Kids: Mini-Lesson with a Cool Writing Graphic Organizer

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