Whether teaching online or in-person, there are many benefits of integrating games and activities in the ESL classroom. Our panel of ELT experts will discuss strategies to maximize those benefits. Games are known to increase engagement in both children and adults, but there are many other benefits to consider. From introducing new … Read more
From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Subscribe to the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. You know that teacher down the hall—the one with boundless energy who seems to make everything look effortless? Josh Korb wants you to know something: you don’t have to be that teacher to make … Read more
Welcome to the final day of Appvent 2024. I couldn’t let this last day pass without highlighting something I emphasise year after year: the importance that educators play in every decision made about the use of technology in schools. So as has become the tradition, there is no app, platform or tool on the final … Read more
Dramatic play centers are a great way to foster language development, imagination and creativity. Creating dramatic play centers can be simple or elaborate. It all depends on how much time effort and money you want to put into it. No matter what you create, the outcome is worth it. The grocery store dramatic play center … Read more
A lot! In fact, names are one of the first ways that children are exposed to letters and sounds! Name practice activities can be an engaging and easy way to teach children letter recognition while at the same time helping them work on the important skills of recognizing and writing their own name. It’s important … Read more
A resource I have been working on this year is ‘growth mindset ludo’. As students move around the board, they land on various reflection questions about fixed and growth mindsets to help them identify the patterns in their own thinking. After all, it is reflection that helps us learn from our mistakes and improve. … Read more
If you teach primary grades in October, you know it’s a busy month. We have many topics that thematically are exciting for the kids. However, finding a 30 minute block of time between required subjects and pacing guides can be a tight squeeze. October starts with fire safety and pumpkins. If you toss in bats, … Read more
I have been doing a lot of thinking about homework recently. Homework is a divisive topic. Teachers generally don’t like homework because it creates more work, more follow-up, more opportunities for students to not complete something so a sanction would have to be applied, more marking to add to the pile. Parents think that homework … Read more
Write. Share. Give. Out by me the weather is warmer, school has just let out, and the summer spreads before me like a picnic blanket. Today I’ll share a bit of inspiration for the poets out there, rooted in the tradition of Margaret Wise Brown’s The Important Book: The important thingabout a poemis that you … Read more
A Conversion Chart For Reading Level Measurement Tools by TeachThought Staff If you’ve used AR (Accelerated Reader) as a reading motivation tool to set goals and track progress, you’re undoubtedly aware of its ability to assess general reading levels as well. The problem is, measuring reading level is really outside of its sweet spot as … Read more