Author: Jessica Boschen

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.

Math

Why I Teach Students Multiple Strategies to Solve Math Problems

I am a big proponent of teaching students multiple strategies to solve problems and letting students choose the best strategy that works for them. I love it when students can take…

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Winter | Social Studies

Free Martin Luther King Jr. Ideas for the Classroom

FREE Martin Luther King Jr. Ideas for the elementary classroom! I love teaching about Martin Luther King Jr.: I get to introduce my students to a great person in our nation’s history, and it kicks off our biography units. I always model reading and writing a biography by writing one about Martin Luther King Jr.

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Winter

Classroom Activities After Holiday Break

Ahhh . . . that first week back from the two-week long Holiday Break. Students (and you) have to get up early again, get back into the school routine, and…

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Math

How to Teach a Second Grade Number Line for Addition and Subtraction

If you teach second grade, you know that number lines show up everywhere: in addition, subtraction, place value, and mental math. A strong 2nd grade number line strategy helps students…

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Reading | Fall | Reading Comprehension | Social Studies

Thanksgiving – Making Connections Between a Series of Events

This elementary Thanksgiving unit helps students understand the events leading up to the first Thanksgiving and gives them tools to make connections between those events. By the end of the…

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Writing

How I Teach Informational Writing in Second Grade (Step-by-Step Process)

How do you teach expository writing in your classroom? I wish I could do it throughout the year thematically as we approach different content. We can do that occasionally, but…

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Math | Fall

More Pumpkin Measurement

We did a fun measurement activity on Halloween. We measured pumpkins in both centimeters and inches and figured out which measurement tool is the best for measuring different attributes of pumpkins. Day 2 we reflected on our learning and made some generalizations about measuring objects.

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Fall

Pumpkin Measurement Activity

We started our measurement unit this Fall by measuring the attributes of pumpkins. Students had fun working with their team to explore their pumpkins AND this pumpkin activity made a great introduction to measurement. Get a FREE copy of the student sheets for this pumpkin exploration!

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Math

Two Digit Addition and Subtraction Strategies and Models

Second grade is a very important year where students develop fluency with two-digit addition and subtraction. It is the year that we work on a multitude of addition and subtraction strategies that students can use to solve problems.

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Writing | Fall

Bats Nonfiction Writing Activity & Anchor Chart

October is the perfect time to study and write about creatures that come out at night. Bats, spiders, owls . . . this month is filled with creepy creatures that…

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Reading | Fall

Favorite October Books for the Primary Classroom

Our favorite October picture books for the primary classroom that are engaging, have good pictures and are well received by my students. These are our classroom favorites that I go back to each and every year during the fall season.

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Early Reading

The Importance of Phonemic Awareness in Kindergarten and Preschool

Phonemic awareness is a key component of early literacy development, particularly for preschoolers and kindergarteners. This skill is akin to an auditory playground where children learn to manipulate individual sounds,…

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