Phonics is the back bone of almost all reading instruction. As a teacher of young primary students, we spend countless hours of the school year teaching phonics skills. We've come up with some fun phonics activities and resources you can add to your large phonics instruction toolbox. Letter ... Read More
13 Inexpensive Ornament Ideas for the Classroom
It's that time of year!! The holiday season has once again quickly snuck up on us and some of you may still be looking for ornament ideas and/or parent gift idea. Have no fear, this post is full of fun ideas to send your kiddos home with ornaments that are sure to delight. Step 1 - Start with ... Read More
Story Elements and Retelling
Story Elements and Retell Story elements are the five components that make up a story. They are the characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution. These elements keep the story running smoothly and allow the action to develop in a logical way that the reader can follow. Retelling involves ... Read More
No Prep Phonics Booklets
You're in! We will notify you when we release our NO-PREP Interactive Phonics Booklets!! At Education to the Core, we provide done-for-you curriculum that is simple, fun, and effective! We want you to be the very best teacher you can be, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. In ... Read More
10 GREAT Activities to Teach Main Idea and Details
The main idea is defined as the central point or big picture of a story or informational text. The details are those statements that support (go along with) the main idea. Main idea and details are important in all types of texts (literature and informational), as well as in writing. The ... Read More
Guided Reading Groups in 5 Simple Steps
It is hard enough planning for whole group reading block and small group centers/stations. We now also incorporate guided reading groups to differentiate and meet the needs of students in our class at their level. It is hard to plan for these groups and get them in daily while monitoring students ... Read More
Teaching: 26 Things You Didn’t Learn in College
For some of us, our education courses are fresh in our minds, for others it has been awhile. No matter how long ago you graduated, there are definitely some real-life classroom experiences we've had that were NOT taught in college. We asked our group of colleagues what they wish they'd known ... Read More
Once Upon a STEM: Volume 2
Your students are in LOVE with our Once Upon a STEM challenges, but you have a huge dilemma... there is no way that you have enough for the school year! Well, I have HUGE news for you! We have created another set of 10 STEM challenges!  Introducing "Once Upon a STEM Volume 2" Constructing ... Read More
The BEST Engagement Strategies for Whole Group Instruction
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." ~ Benjamin Franklin Engaging students in their learning has become an integral part of instruction. The more we can involve students in our lessons, the more likely they are to retain the information being taught. Here ... Read More
What is “Once Upon a STEM?”
STEM curriculum has come to the front of education with the adoption of Common Core standards. Our new goal is to create problem solvers that are willing to "dig deeper". Students today need to tackle challenges and be willing to "think outside of the box". With these new requirements comes ... Read More
Implementing Literacy Centers in the Primary Classroom
You've purchased our fabulous years worth of literacy centers, but now what to do with all of those hands-on activities?! Implementing literacy centers into your reading block takes some planning and preparation, but once you get into a routine that works, they become an integral part of your daily ... Read More
Teaching Emergent Writers: 10 Strategies for Student Success
Teaching the writing process to emergent writers is one of my most favorite activities to do each school year. The growth that is seen from learning how to form letters of the alphabet to writing complete sentences and stories is amazing.  In this blog post, I will share with you how I teach ... Read More
