Supporting First Grade Math Students with Defining Attributes
It is almost comical how often a first grader will insist a triangle is not a triangle simply because it is pointing a different way or colored bright red instead of blue. Students get hung up on what I call the flavor of the shape rather than its structure. They see... read more
Teaching First Graders How to Be Kind Online
Last week, a student walked up to my desk, worried because they saw something mean in a group chat. It is a common situation now even for first graders who are just starting to interact with digital platforms. I started looking for a resource that treats online... read more
Supporting 1st Grade Speaking and Listening Skills in English Language Arts
It happens every time we ask for a group discussion: two or three students talk over one another, while another few retreat entirely into their own thoughts. It is a natural impulse for six-year-olds to want to get their idea out first, or simply to tune out when... read more
Helping First Graders Connect Workers to Daily Needs
First graders often assume that the items they use every day just appear on shelves or that jobs are limited to what they see at the grocery store. It is a common misconception that work is only about money or specific uniforms. When we sit down to teach first grade... read more