Jessica shares her passion for teaching and education on What I Have Learned. Jessica has 16 years of elementary teaching experience and currently homeschools her two middle school boys. She enjoys scaffolding learning for students, focusing on helping our most challenging learners achieve success in all academic areas.
Building math fluency in elementary school takes more than timed tests and drill sheets. Students need daily exposure to numbers, low-stakes practice that builds confidence, and activities that make the…
As teachers, the ongoing balancing act of managing academic demands and social-emotional learning can be tricky. We know that it is beneficial for our students to engage in activities that…
Orthographic mapping is an effective and widely used technique for teaching children how to read. This powerful method helps students recognize and remember the written representation of spoken words, which…
The Science of Reading is the body of research that explains how children become proficient readers. It draws on decades of work from cognitive science, linguistics, and education research, and…
Animal reports are one of my favorite ways to teach research, note-taking, organization, and structured writing all at once. Students love choosing their own animal, and teachers appreciate how naturally…
Indoor recess doesn’t always need to be loud or high-energy. On rainy days—or any day when students need a quieter reset—calm indoor recess games give kids a chance to relax,…
Indoor recess doesn’t have to mean quiet games and restless students. When kids miss outdoor time, they need active indoor recess games that get them standing, moving, and burning off…
February is a month full of lovely possibilities! From heart-shaped sharing to festive math games, these February activities for school are sure to get your students excited about learning during…
It’s January, and that means a fresh start to the year! For teachers, that often means trying out new activities and lessons in the classroom. We asked some of our…
Celebrate the New Year in your elementary classroom with these fun and educational activities! Kids will explore two fascinating reading passages. One New Year reading passage is about the history…
Elementary school is a critical time for teaching students how to write effectively. One of the most important types of writing to teach in elementary school is informational writing. Here…
December can feel like a sprint to the finish line: full of student excitement and very little focus. These Christmas classroom ideas give you options for bringing the season into…