January 2019

First and foremost after years of saying I am going to get to it, I FINALLY made an email list and I can't wait to start sharing some of my favorite books and other content with you all that way. You can sign up for it by clicking HERE!

Second, Brooke and I have heard you loud and clear. You wanted Kindergarten Storybook STEM after seeing how well our bundle has worked with first and second graders.

We are taking some of your favorite books AND throwing in some new ones.... and coming up with the perfect STEM and Literacy activities for your Kindergartners.

We completely understand that your students need clear and easy to manage STEM that ties into your science standards. For example check out a few things from The Napping House and The Mitten:

We also took the this opportunity to REALLY hit home those ELA standards in an engaging way.

And because once you guys tried one, that you would want more, we completed SEVEN at once! You can grab Volume One Bundle or The Whole Set.

Here are links to the books we used in Volume One:

AND...if you made it all the way, then you get a reward! Here is one of our units for free in Brooke's store:

Thank you all for popping in <3

First, let me apologize for my disappearance from this blog space. Second, let me welcome you into the second semester of your school year....the time of year when the lightbulbs start to go off, the routines get mastered, and you truly fall in love with those sweet children in your classroom. Well, lets cross our fingers and toes that that's what is happening in your rooms right now. Amy and I just recently uploaded our February Unit for First Grade Rooted in Reading, and I could not be more in LOVE. These are not your typical February books and I think your kids will love the change of pace! I want to give you some insight into this unit so you can see detailed descriptions of the four books and then images from the preview that show you everything inside the units!

1. Cloudette- Much like the Little Engine that Could, Cloudette wonders her value because she is so small. She can't do the BIG cloud things like a massive storm or creating a lake from a torrential downpour. She understands that everyone thinks she is cute, but she wants to be so much more. Tom Litchenheld's humor and attention to detail is what I crave in a picture book. It makes it enjoyable for the grown-up too!

2. The Big Bed- If you have never read Bunmi Laditan's blog The Honest Toddler, you are seriously missing out on some full belly laughs. Bunmi has a way of connecting to adults and finding the humor in our sometimes hostage situation with children that is so refreshing. When I heard she was coming out with a picture book I immediately purchased it. I could not be more THRILLED with her end result. She packed her main character with so much voice and personality that you can't help but love her. The daughter's persistence and well-thought-out plan also makes for the perfect mentor text for persuasive writing as well. If you do nothing else today, find this book and read it!

3. The Radiant Child- Anybody else a podcast listener? I am a Podcast enthusiast and this morning I listened to the same sentence about ten times. The sentence was "Creativity was how I share my soul with the world." In a time when teachers have to fight tooth in nail to keep arts education in place that meant so much to me. It is so important that our students see examples of real life artists. The real life story of Jean Michel Basquiat is brilliant because it is so different than the ones our students are probably accustomed to hearing. And if you need a way to hook them, because well money talks, share with them that one of Basquiat's paintings was recently bought for 110 million dollars!

4. The Koala Who Could- Growth Mindset is all the rage in education and for all the right reasons. Students need to learn to persevere when things are tough. Even as a 34 year old woman I have to remind myself not to quit (like when I can't remember my password for the thousandth time). Students need to know that tremendous growth happens when we are uncomfortable and take risks!