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Blog - Primary Planet

Image of smartboard with a Sentence a Day Disguise a turkey teacher slide displayed. Text: Disguide a Turkey Class : A fun shared writing Thanksgiving Activity.

Disguise a Turkey Class Book: A Fun Shared Writing Thanksgiving Activity

Hey there, teacher friend, let’s talk about November! You know the stretch I’m talking about—Halloween sugar rush has finally worn off, and now we’re racing toward Thanksgiving break. Kids are buzzing, schedules are all over the place with assemblies, and you’re just trying to squeeze in meaningful writing without losing your mind. Been there. Honestly, I think every teacher has. That’s exactly why I’m always on the hunt for activities that keep students engaged, sneak in real writing practice, and feel fun. Because let’s face it—if you say, “We’re going to write another paragraph today,” you’ll get groans. But if

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Image of phonics comics. Text: How to Use Phonics Comics in Reading Conferences: Engaging Decodable Comics for Early Readers

How to Use Phonics Comics in Reading Conferences: Engaging Decodable Comics for Early Readers

Hey there, teacher friend! You know those one-on-one reading conferences where you’re trying to check a million things at once—decoding, fluency, comprehension—and still keep it short and purposeful? It can be overwhelming. That’s exactly where Phonics Comics (a.k.a. decodable comics) shine. Kids absolutely love the comic format. It feels playful and accessible, but at the same time it’s carefully built on decodable text, so you’re getting the phonics practice they need without the eye rolls or groans. When teachers use these in reading conferences, it instantly shifts the tone. Instead of “another passage,” students lean in because, well, it’s a

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Image of teacher and student using shared writing. Text: Shared Writing: My Favorite Teaching Strategy for Building Confident Writers.

Shared Writing: My Favorite Teaching Strategy for Building Confident Young Writers

Hey there, Teacher Friend! Teaching writing in primary grades can sometimes feel like climbing a mountain in flip-flops. You’re juggling sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and then—just when you think you’ve got it—half the class is distracted by a wiggly tooth or a loose crayon. Honestly, it can be overwhelming. That’s why shared writing is one of my very favorite teaching strategies. It makes the whole writing process more manageable for kids (and teachers!) and turns it into something fun, collaborative, and confidence-boosting. What Is Shared Writing? Shared writing is when the teacher and students work together to create a

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Image of a frustrated child not writing, and a confident child writing. Text: Kickstart Writing Confidence with Quick Writing Warm-Ups

Kickstart Writing Confidence with Daily Writing Logs and Quick Writing Warm-Ups

Hey there, teacher friend! Do you ever feel like getting your students to write — especially at the beginning of the year — is like pulling teeth? I’ve been there. Blank pages, blank stares, and lots of “I don’t know what to write!” It’s frustrating for everyone. That’s where writing logs and writing warm-ups come in. These quick, low-pressure activities are the perfect way to get students writing every day without making it overwhelming. And honestly? The more kids write, the more confident they become. That’s why I created my Daily Quick Writes Writing Logs — to help make writing

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Image of Pick it! Write it! Sentence Building Worksheets. Text: Fun sentence builders worksheets: Build Strong Writers with Pick it! Write it!

Fun Sentence Builders Worksheets: Build Strong Writers with Fun Pick it! Write it!

Hey there Primary Teacher Friends! Pick it! Write it! Sentence builders worksheets are one of the most effective tools for teaching early sentence writing in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. These step-by-step activities give young learners the structure they need to turn ideas into complete sentences—while building confidence and independence along the way. The Struggle Is Real: Common Pain Points in Teaching Sentence Writing If you’ve spent any time in a primary classroom (or teaching at home), you’ve probably seen these scenarios: Each of these hurdles slows the path to fluent, confident writing. The Solution: Build Sentence Skills Step-by-Step

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How to Use Student Partners to Boost Classroom Collaboration and Increase Achievement

How to Use Student Partners to Boost Classroom Collaboration and Increase Achievement

Sometimes, the best ideas come from the kid sitting next to you. I still remember watching two second graders hunched over a whiteboard, completely engrossed in a spelling challenge. One of them tapped out the sounds slowly while the other scribbled with a dry-erase marker, correcting and cheering along the way. That moment stuck with me—not just because it was adorable (which it absolutely was), but because something important was happening: real, meaningful learning through collaboration. That’s what “thinking partners” are all about. And while I may not be in the classroom anymore, I still think about those partnerships. A

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Setting Reading Goals that Matter: Small group tips for reading with a purpose.

Setting Reading Goals That Matter: Small Group Tips for Reading with a Purpose

Let’s talk reading goals (but in a way that makes sense for actual classrooms) Reading goals often sound bigger than they are. I don’t know about you, but when I first heard the phrase “set individual reading goals with your students each week,” my brain immediately flashed to endless checklists, mountains of sticky notes, and me—somehow—keeping track of 24 unique goal paths. That’s a lot. Too much, really. But the more I worked with small groups and thought about what reading goals should be, the more I realized they don’t need to be flashy or overly formal. They just need

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Image of happy kids. Text: Engaging Synonym and Antonym Activities for first and second grade.

Engaging Synonym and Antonym Activities for First and Second Grade

Teaching vocabulary can be surprisingly tricky. I mean, how do you explain that “mad” and “angry” are basically the same—but not always interchangeable? Or that “hot” and “cold” are opposites, except when we’re talking about personalities? Vocabulary is slippery like that. But, when it comes to building strong readers and writers in the primary grades, we can’t ignore it. Introducing synonym and antonym activities in first and second grade can make a noticeable difference in how students comprehend texts and express themselves clearly in writing. And the good news? It doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it shouldn’t be.

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The Secret to Teaching Writing in Kindergarten: How Sentence Building Worksheets Boost Early Writing Skills

The Secret to Teaching Writing in Kindergarten: How Sentence Building Worksheets Boost Early Writing Skills

Teaching writing in kindergarten isn’t easy. If you’re here, you probably already know that. You’ve seen it firsthand—the blank stares, the letter reversals, the “I don’t know what to write” moments. It’s all part of the process. But what if we had a way to ease students into writing without the frustration?A way to build skills step-by-step, while giving young learners the structure and support they need? That’s exactly what I set out to create with my Pick it! Write it! Decodable Sentence Building Worksheets, a printable resource designed to support developing early writing skills in a small group setting.

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Image of teacher teaching in a small writing group with students. TExt: Teaching writing in small groups and what are the other students doing?

Teaching Writing in Small Groups (and What the Other Kids Are Doing While You Do It)

Let’s be honest: the idea of teaching writing in small groups sounds amazing. In theory. The kind of thing you jot down on a PD day with a hopeful little star next to it—right before the real-world questions start swirling. Like:“But how do I fit it in?”“What will the rest of the class be doing?”“Is it even possible to keep it quiet enough to focus?”And the kicker:“Will this actually help my students become better writers, or is it just another thing to manage?” Yep. I’ve had all of those thoughts. Probably more than once. But I’ve also seen—and created—some truly

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Image of a young girl writing. Text: You teach phonics, but are you missing a key step? Hint: It's encoding.

You Teach Phonics… But Are You Missing This Key Step? (Hint: It’s Encoding)

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t always get the spotlight in early literacy instruction—but totally should: encoding. It’s one of those terms that might sound a little technical at first, but once you understand it, it starts to pop up everywhere. And if you’re teaching young students how to read, write, and spell, it’s something worth paying attention to. So, what is it exactly? And why does it matter so much for things like sentence writing and decodable sentences? Let’s dig in. And I promise, no jargon overload. What Is Encoding? In the simplest terms, encoding is the process of

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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

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