I read aloud a variety of picture books and chapter books to students to develop listening comprehension, vocabulary knowledge and model reading fluency and practices.

I regularly assess students' literacy skills in order to determine their areas of strength and challenges based on both grade level standards and individual development.

I work with students based on reading assessment data to target their areas of need. Students may vary in their needs across phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension intervention.

I regularly engage students in phonics instruction and activities such as word work to build and strengthen decoding skills.

I lead small group reading to work with learners on target skills. Learners are able to receive differentiated support within the classroom and within the small group to meet their individual needs.

Students are given choice in independent reading material to engage in reading on a daily basis.

I modeled the how-to writing process through an interactive writing workshop with students before they tried the skill independently.

The photo is from an informational writing assignment my first graders completed as part of a cross curricular unit on Bats.

The hamburger writing organizer helps students break down their paragraph into a main idea, details and conclusion. I would meet with students one-on-one to discuss their draft, support as needed, then guide them in using their graphic organizer to complete a final draft.

I use journals daily for writing, so that I can assess students' writing development over time. Journals are a space where students are encouraged to try their best and not stress if there are mistakes.

The use of addition and subtraction number bonds and charts with real life objects help student solve math problems and make real world connections.

I often use manipulatives in math class to allow students hands on experience and differentiated levels of support. Place value hundreds, tens, and ones manipulatives were used frequently in my first grade classroom.

My preschool students practiced writing, reading, and building our number of the week.

First graders built 2D and 3D shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows.

Mealworm - Pupa - Beetle

The above photos are from a science inquiry unit I facilitated with my first grade class. Students were broken into small groups. Each group was assigned a terrarium with meal worms. Students worked together to make observations, predictions and apply knowledge of living things.

I utilize interactive journals with my students to increase engagement, documentation of learning, and retention of knowledge.

Students use push pins to trace the outline of a picture by pressing the pin into each circular space used to outline.

Tweezers can be used to practice picking up materials.

Brain flakes can be used to make structures or practice patterns for math class.

Students can use play doh to build their weekly sight words.