8 picture books on sustainability and environment
There’s a limited amount of time in schools, so it makes sense to make links between curriculum areas where you can. Here’s 8 picture story books you can use as …
Writers and Their Notebooks: Katrina Germein
I get loads of questions from teachers about the best way to use writer’s notebooks in the classroom. Some of those questions include: Should they be full of gorgeous art …
3 Tips for selecting decodable texts
In my last blog post I shared three shifts I’ve had in my thinking when it comes to the use of decodable texts in the early reading classroom. (Click here …
Decodable Texts- Yay or Nay?
Should you use decodable texts in the reading classroom? Are all decodable texts useful? Will they automatically improve reading? Which ‘side’ are you on? Are ‘sides’ even helpful? I’ve been …
8 books about Australia’s Stolen Generations
National Sorry Day occurs on May 26 every year in Australia. On this day in 1997, a report called Bringing Them Home was tabled in Parliament. It recommended that the Prime Minister …
5 FAQs about Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
In this post I’ll be answering 5 of the most frequently asked questions I received after my previous post titled, ‘What is Phonological Awareness and why does it matter? Let’s …
NAPLAN vs the 6+1 Writing Traits
“Will teaching my students about the traits improve their NAPLAN writing score?” It’s fast approaching NAPLAN season here in Australia, so the mad rush of ‘test prep’, ‘NAPLAN sprints’ and …
5 options for non-verbal cues to use in the classroom
In Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming, she mentions a motto she and Barrack used when dealing with the low acts of the opposition: “When they go low, we go high.” When …
Writers And Their Notebooks: Jaclyn Moriarty
A few years ago I started a research project. I wanted to learn more about how published authors REALLY used their writer’s notebooks so I could help teachers and students …
9 books to celebrate International Women’s Day
A quick look at the Australian calendar will tell you that the month of March is all about celebrating, commemorating, and talking all things women. In addition to being Australian …