Setting up and organizing your classroom at the start of the year can come with some mixed emotions. From excitement to absolute overwhelm. I’ve been teaching for over ten years, and I’ve never taught in the same classroom for more than a year. (Yeah, it’s just as miserable as it
Over the last few years, there have been some shifts in how we teach reading, and reading best practices. I wish I’d known more about the importance of phonological awareness, French decodable readers, etc. and less about the 3-cueing system 10 years ago. Teaching reading is one of the hardest
Teaching rhyming words in French might seem like fun and games, but it’s actually an essential skill to learn in first grade or when learning a second language! Rhyming is a part of phonological awareness, which allows students to break down and manipulate words. Teaching French rhyming words is essential
When you think about summer, you might feel a wave of relief or perhaps even some desperation! However, not all of our students feel the same way. They might feel sad or anxious about the upcoming change and being out of school. When selecting French books for the end of
If you ever dread teaching writing units, you aren’t alone! Writing is one of those subjects that can be hard to explain. You know good writing when you see it, but explaining it is a whole other issue. Luckily, there are writing activities for students that make introducing French descriptive
Patterning is one of those skills that seem really basic, but can have a big payoff for students! Patterning in Kindergarten helps students make predictions, make connections, and establish critical thinking skills. Patterns are not only a part of our daily life, but are seen in math, language, and more.
Looking to build your students’ number recognition in French? What better way than with number games and activities! Number recognition is a really important skill for students, so we want to practice and reinforce it in a number of ways. Here are a few French math activities for kindergarten to
When it comes to science units, nothing is better than reinforcing concepts with engaging air and water experiments! That’s why I wanted to share a few experiments you could use with your air and water in the environment unit. These science experiments require limited materials and can be completed in
For years, schools have been using GB+ and levelled readers, but it’s time that we move away from that and towards using best practices, based on science. I have been doing a lot of workshops, and one thing I’ve learned is about the importance of acquiring French phonological awareness skills
We all know that books can be powerful tools! Not only are they fun, but they can reinforce phonics skills, grammar, syntax, and more. But books don’t just fit into your literacy lessons. They can be a great addition to your science lessons! I wanted to specifically share some French
Practicing and learning French vocabulary can get dull, especially when using vocab cards. Over time, we default to the same activities and exercises with students, which can wear our students (and ourselves) down. By keeping activities fresh and new in the classroom, we can challenge students in new ways and
In 2022, coding was added to the Ontario Science Curriculum. If you’re like me, you found the prospect daunting! I’d never taught coding before, and I’d definitely never learned to code. It was completely new. I did a lot of research on how to teach coding, and I played around
Alphabet recognition is a big goal for kindergarten students, and it takes lots of practice before students master it. That means coming up with tons of creative activities and exercises to challenge students’ alphabet recognition! I want to share French alphabet activity ideas that are easy to set up and
Chances are you’ve heard of, and may even have, a word wall! These common teaching tools can help students become familiar with words and develop a stronger vocabulary. But for primary students, word walls miss a key feature we want our students to master: spelling patterns and sounds. That’s why
Writing is probably one of the most challenging subjects to teach, and the same applies to teaching French writing! Luckily, there are some resources and tools you can use to help your beginner French students begin writing in French. Orthographic Mapping Orthographic mapping involves creating relationships between phonemes (sounds) and
