5 Ways Creating a Memory Book Improves Writing Skills

1.  As soon as you introduce your students to a 'memory booklet' project. They are interested.  It is about them and their days in your classroom. They start talking! [as if you needed that] .  However, talking is an essential pre-writing skill. 
2.  A memory book is an authentic writing skill so your students engage quickly and easily.  It isn't exactly an assignment to write but rather an activity that children find interesting.  There is room for creativity.
3.  They write!  Writing improves the skill of writing.  Their thoughts and ideas start to build on the page.  They encode the words. They write!
4.  They share their pages with other writers.  We all know when we reread our writing and get feedback, it leads to revising and editing.  This writing skill is essential to good writing.
5.  Providing adequate time for students to write is one essential element of an effective writing instruction program.  This activity allows you to give your students the opportunity to show what they have learned in writing this year in your classroom.

Find your memory book pages HERE. 

Summertime Reading

 About Honeybees

Learn about bees, their life cycle, their work, and how they help the many beautiful flowers in nature.
Children can read about bees in the Early Science Readers.   These booklets set the stage for learners to explore, think and find out about bees.  Interactive booklets will engage young readers in decoding and encoding new words about an interesting topic.  This teaching resource allows the teacher to integrate subjects, diversify instruction and bring interesting reading into their classroom.

Find bookmarks like the one to the left are designed to invite children to engage and begin this thematic unit on bees.    Or you may wish to use them for an incentive award after completing all the tasks in this unit.
This teaching resource about honeybees includes three interactive reading booklets. "Amazing Bees" includes 2 versions [one easy reader and one with more text for those that can].  This allows the teacher to diversify instruction easily.  Students are able to read, think, write and color to create their  own unique booklet about bees.  They will read and reread these booklets.

Your students will learn about

Teaching Life Lessons with Children's Literature

Reach high! Reach high up!  Up to the top!  To Life Lessons! It is the very reason we read.  Open a children's book and open a window to the world of wisdom. Bringing the literary world to your students in the early years nourishes them in ways that they will hunger for more pages of worldly advice and admirable characters as they grow older. Talented authors teach life lessons that apply to childhood years and reach out to grown-up life, too.

Reading children's literature should be a hallmarked place in your plan book because that practice alone goes straight to the heart of why we teach reading and writing.  

Why did the author write the book? What is his message? How does this book's message make us smarter? How does this book's lesson make us a more caring and kind person?   What does the book teach?

Select a time during your day that is dedicated to reading and talking about good books.  Find, establish and create a comfortable book corner or space. Young children are happy to sit on a carpet; older students do better in a circle of chairs.  Center stage is the book.  After a short while, you will find that your students look forward to

Teacher Weekly Lesson Planner - Update

Pass the word! Tell Your Friends!  Update for 

SY 2018-2019 Editable Teacher Binder 

is now available at my TPT Store.  There are over 200 pages... 35 cover styles and designs, weekly planners, calendars, monthly newsletter templates, important forms for classroom management, grading sheets. 

 Everything, everything you need to stay organized and ready for the many tasks at school.
FREE UPDATES FOR LIFE  

BONUS                       FREE Substitute Teacher Notebook      
This is a $10.00 teaching resource [34 pages] and it's yours FREE when you purchase the SY 2018-2019 Editable Teacher Binder

If you purchased this teacher binder last year, thank you!, and be sure to get your FREE update for the upcoming school year. 

[I know, I know... you haven't even finished this school year]  however,  I have had some requests about the update as some teachers want to leisurely build their teacher binder over the summer.  Great idea! and I happy to tell you it's ready.

Thank you again for checking in at MrsQuimbyReads.com.  The blog and website for teaching and teachers without ads and pop ups.  A minimalist style of blogging.

Enjoy Spring! and all that it brings!
MrsQuimbyReads.com 

7 Earth Day Activities and Snacks for the Primary Classroom

This Earth Day craft was super easy to do and really quite pretty in person. It uses materials from your recycling bin and scrap paper box and gives you a chance to chat about Earth Day with your artist as they create.  So easy to make, all you need is paper, crayons and a paper punch. See more about how to make this planet earth over at            No Time for Flash Cards. 

1.  Recycle   Here is a wonderful chance to talk about recycling and re-purposing AND using paper from your scrap box.   Students can make cards, books, bookmarks, and creative art projects.  See what ideas your students have about recycling and re-purposing right in the classroom.  

 2.  Make an Earth Day Snack that is Healthy and fun to make. 

Gather these healthy food items: celery, cherry tomatoes, kiwi, grapes, apple slices, peanut butter, oranges, etc.  Talk about the different bugs and insects that live in the earth.  How do they help the earth? How do they help us?  What size are they? What colors? What work do they do? After your class discussion, start to make your little creatures with the food items for snack.  More questions: Is this a healthy snack? Why do you think so? Why should we eat healthy?    You might wish to make this wonderful Earth Day Tree Snack. Use pretzels for the trunk and branches. Heart shape cucumber slices for the leaves and one tomato heart. 

3.  Plant some wheat grass.  Students learn about living things

6 Questions You Need to Ask Before Assigning Homework

Recently, educators and parents are thinking of adopting a "No homework!" policy for elementary school students.  I vote YES! 

It's time to rethink activity for small children.   Their bodies are growing and most would agree that part of that important growing means exercising, especially the large muscles.  Legs and arms. 

Running, hopping, skipping, jumping, climbing... 

 After school is a good time for physical activity needed for growing bodies. Parents who encourage their children to be active, understand and know that play is important to children. If children