sprinkletoppedteacher

2nd grade is a hectic year in the math department! From fractions to 3D shapes, 2nd graders have a lot of basic math concepts to get down. This not only ensures they meet their standards, but serves as the foundation of great math skills for years and years to come! One of the trickiest concepts that 2nd graders struggle with are graphing and data. Students don’t just need to build their graphs, but they need to analyze them and take down their observations. Younger students always struggle a little[...]

Raise your hand if you’ve struggled with keeping students engaged during grammar lessons… Everyone’s hands up? Yup, we’ve all been there. Younger kids begin verbalizing grammar skills before they even realize it, but it can be hard to get and keep them interested while they are learning about it in class. I mean, I wouldn’t want to sit down and listen to someone drone on and on about grammar specifics either, and younger students are notoriously restless! However, key grammar skills including[...]

When students reach the 2nd grade, they reach a new standard of learning geometry. 2nd grade geometry is fun because students are learning how shapes fit into the world around them. Shapes are everywhere, and it’s always rewarding to see my 2nd graders begin to connect their math lessons to their surroundings. However, your average 2D and 3D shape worksheets aren’t very enjoyable, and definitely aren’t engaging. Geometry is a hands-on kind of lesson, especially when students are introduced to 3D[...]

2nd grade is a super important year for building math skills! Everything gets a little more complex, from word problems to graphing skills. At the 2nd grade level, students are still young but their attention spans are beginning to broaden. Even so, it can be a tad difficult to hold their focus while we cover all of the math standards we need to hit! Since math does get more advanced in 2nd grade, us teachers need all the help we can get when it comes to making sure our students know their stuff. We ar[...]

2nd grade teachers know that teaching money and coins to students can be tricky, to say the least! While 2nd graders are already building a solid foundation of math skills, joining those abilities with the concept of money can get a little overwhelming for both students and teachers. That’s because money takes the math that younger students already know a step further. For example, counting money requires a lot of addition and subtraction in their heads, aka mental math. Another reason is that adding[...]

Raise your hand if you’re a Type A kind of teacher! Well, when you’re trying to keep an elementary classroom in reasonable shape, you kind of have to get a tad Type A with it. Kids can be a little (or a lot) chaotic, so it’s up to us and our powers of organization to maintain order! I know I can’t be the only one who geeks out a little for great organization. School supply season signifies the coming days in the classroom, but I can’t help but get excited for all the new patterns, folders, an[...]

Summer is finally here, and I know that teachers everywhere are celebrating a well-deserved break from the classroom!  At the end of the school year, it’s always emotional to say goodbyes. Even so, the warmer months also signify our time to rest up, rejuvenate, and prepare for a whole new year of fun with a new bunch of students! I know I can’t be the only one who starts to plan their activities for the year ahead well before the summer clock runs out and school begins again. Once the end of s[...]

Hey teachers! Looking for free autism awareness activities for kids? I’ve got an AMAZING freebie for you! Lessons about diversity and acceptance of others are so important in the classroom, especially in elementary school. When students are taught about what it means to respect one another, no matter what their differences are, they become more well-rounded individuals. I believe that students are never too young to learn about love, respect, and kindness! It’s not only beneficial to their behav[...]

Hey teachers! Looking for a comprehensive 1st grade ELA resource to cover tons of important reading and writing skills? Need to make sure your 1st graders meet their ELA standards and are prepared for district testing? I’ve got just the thing for you! 1st grade ELA learning is super important for students. It’s the age where they are getting familiar with the building blocks that serve as the foundation to critical reading and writing skills. These concepts will pave the way for future success in Engl[...]

If there’s one thing I am all about when it comes to activities in the classroom, it’s hands-on learning. Younger kids are always more engaged and more likely to absorb what we’re teaching them when they have something to keep their little hands busy and their brains active! When we teach basic addition and subtraction, kids can get bored quickly. And I honestly can’t blame them! As fundamental and necessary as those skills are, it’s a little more difficult to get them excited about learning the[...]