K-6 Literacy Resources for Teachers & Parents
Lorrie Birchall 
Oh, the best laid plans…I was really hoping Poems for Kids: Over 600 poems for teaching poetry terms & poetic devices to children in grades 3-6 was going to be published in March just before National Poetry Month in April, but sometimes projects just take a little bit longer than expected. It’s now June, and …
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here so it’s a wonderful time to sneak some funny limericks into your March language arts curriculum. The best way to teach limericks is to read lots of limerick examples and then try your hand at writing some! So . . . just what is a limerick? A limerick is …
Today ABC books are available in every possible theme from The Dinosaur Alphabet Book to The Construction Alphabet and B is for Ballet: A Dance Alphabet. There’s an alphabet book for every possible interest and theme. But . . . Not all ABC books are created equal for learning how to read. A child’s first exposure …
Read moreWhat are the best alphabet books for learning how to read?
It may be surprising, but learning how to read actually starts with the ears, not the eyes. Hearing and discriminating sounds comes first, before learning alphabet letters. There are five essential components to reading instruction, but at the very foundation is phonological awareness & phonemic awareness. So…what is the difference between phonological awareness & phonemic …
As a literacy interventionist, I spent a lot of time with kids who struggled to read and write. I worked with several kids who had really poor grips which made writing physically more challenging than it needed to be. Unfortunately, once a toddler learns to hold a writing utensil in a certain way and then …
Read moreAvoid a Poor Grip: Break Your Three Year Old’s Crayons
Since my husband and I live in a Southern California beach town, warm summer days are often spent watching the surfers from under our shady canopy. We also regularly watch helicopters patrol right along the coast and we all know what they’re looking for…sharks! The presence of sharks (on occasion) is a reality here, but …
Anna Dewdney was probably best known for her book Llama Llama Red Pajama as well as many other Llama, Llama books. I’ve always felt the marriage of her rhyming text and endearing illustrations was spot on. She sadly passed away in 2016, but left behind an incredible legacy of such wonderful books. Her publisher, Penguin …
Anyone who knows me knows that I love FREE teaching stuff. I’m always on the lookout for fun free teaching resources and I just discovered some awesome summer coloring pages that make the perfect inside activity when things get just a little bit too hot outside. I’m a superfan of Melissa & Doug Educational Toys …
Like everyone, I’ve been spending more time than usual inside this summer due to Covid-19, but I live in a wonderful little coastal town in North County San Diego and it’s still nice to be able to get some fresh air at the beach when it’s a bit less crowded on a week day. One …
It’s always fun to have the opportunity to read an upcoming picture book before it’s released. Little Squirrel by Britta Teckentrup, published by Orca Book Publishers, is a sweet baby & young toddler board book for ages 0-2 that will be widely available October 6, 2020. Since I’m going to be a first-time grandma in …
Read moreBoard Book Review: Little Squirrel by Britta Teckentrup