Blog - Primary Planet

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

10 Easy and Effective Classroom Strategies to Engage Reluctant Writers

What is a reluctant writer? It is a student who, for whatever reason, is hesitant to write. Every year, we all have had at least one student, if not more, who disliked or had trouble writing. Read on for some strategies to get even your most reluctant writer writing! This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks. Are you more of a visual auditory learner? Check out the video of this post here: Reluctant Writer Strategy #1: Talk In my experience, reluctant writers

Icebreakers: Fun and Effective Getting to Know You Activities for the First Week of School

What is an icebreaker? How do you get to know your students? What fun ways can my students get to know each other during the first week of school? This post has some fun ideas to help you build your classroom community starting on the first day of school! An icebreaker is an activity to get people (students) talking in order to get to know each other better. Breaking the ice gets the awkward part over with so you can get to the real conversation. This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links, I

Blog Post cover image of child's drawing with text: Fun Back to School Ideas for Teachers!

What do you do on the first day of school? 16 Fun Back-to-School Ideas for Teachers!

Hey there, teacher friends. Welcome back! This is a little Back-to-School Ideas blog post round-up for all your back-to-school needs. From planning ideas to setting up your classroom, you will find some great ideas for preparing your new students! Back to School Ideas: Before School Starts If you are anything like me, I started planning for back-to-school in the summer. I would start looking for ideas and pinning them to my Back-to-School Ideas Pinterest Board. Here are some other ways that I would start getting ready for back to school: Setting Up Your Classroom for Back-to-School I am a total

7 + 1 Fun Activities to Easily Improve Student Writing Fluency

Hey there Teacher Friends! Welcome back! Have you heard the term “writing fluency” a lot lately? I have, and wanted to share some fun writing fluency activities with you. Writing fluency is the writer’s ability to quickly and easily write down their thoughts for someone else to read. There is a lot that goes into writing fluency. Knowing what you want to write, what letters you need, and how to make those letters, grammar, and punctuation…. is a LOT! But, you can help your students improve their writing fluency daily in just a short amount of time. Are you more

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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

10 Easy and Effective Classroom Strategies to Engage Reluctant Writers

Icebreakers: Fun and Effective Getting to Know You Activities for the First Week of School

What do you do on the first day of school? 16 Fun Back-to-School Ideas for Teachers!

7 + 1 Fun Activities to Easily Improve Student Writing Fluency

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