Back-to-School Resources that engage your students in meaningful learning and save YOU time.  

Browse below to see some of the back to school resources that will brighten your classroom and get your students off to an amazing start of this new school year.  Return for more resources throughout the school year. 

See More Book Companions

All the book companions for your favorite read alouds for the first week of school. Set the tone of your classroom with children's literature. 

Find your favorite:

One and Only You

Big Al

Chrysanthemum

Red, a Crayon's Story

Giraffes Can't Dance

Enemy Pie

A Bad Case of Stripes

Stick and Stone

click book companions to find the entire list.

There are many more to choose from; be sure to follow 

as all new teaching resources listed are 

50% off for the 

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books

first 24 hours; follow to receive notifications of new listings, sales and updates... 

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September Reading Challenge

Start out your school year with a reading challenge for your students.  Everyone loves a challenge and this is no exception.  Children want to complete every directive... and they do!  Reading Log for September too!

Complete a Reading Interest Survey. Easy to use. Download and print. Find out valuable information to build reading skills in your classroom.  Take a Reading Interest Inventory of your students and learn about their thoughts about reading. This information can help you plan your lessons to reach each student in your classroom and teach them to become lifelong readers.

Once you know your students’ interests, you have an opportunity to find books that they enjoy. If they enjoy reading, they will read more. If they read more, reading achievement will be reaching new heights. Taking time to do Interest Inventories is an investment that will pay dividends later, especially for the struggling readers who might not think they would enjoy reading anything. With the right topic choice based on interest, you might hook every kid onto reading this year!

Reading Survey - Improve Reading Achievement

You're Finally Here

You're Finally Here!  This book is difficult to find and if you do find it, it's very expensive.  It's a great book for the first day of school. If you don't have a copy head over to my youtube channel to hear me read this story.  Then grab the book companion!  Children love this book by Melanie Watt.  and you will love this first day of school read aloud and activity. 

                 

                       Teaching respect everyday!

These classroom posters remind your students of the important classroom behaviors we admire and adhere to... colorful and whimsical clip art with important messages.

Meet the Teacher NightBrochure

Your students create this editable printable brochure for

 "Meet the Teacher Night" or Open House.   There are 3 different styles to choose from... add your own specific information to create a unique brochure for your classroom.  Parents love these! 

Click  TPT store for many teaching resources that save YOU time.   You can find teaching resources for teaching citizenship and respect, classroom management,  and classroom organization!  

Teach literacy and life lessons with children's literature and use my book companions for many favorite books for the first weeks of school.  

Encourage Excellent Hallway Behavior with these bright and colorful posters.  Posters measure 8.5" x 11".  Place them at your doorway and refer to them when lined up and going out to the hallway.  Quick and easy!

Hallway Sign for Excellent Hallway Behavior

Click here  TPT store to browse the many teacher created resources... all with the learner in mind.  You can find teaching resources for teaching citizenship and respect, classroom management,  and classroom organization!  

Teach literacy and life lessons with children's literature and use my book companions for many  favorite books.  

Teacher Toolbox Labels

You may also need some help in organizing all your teaching 'stuff' ... these labels are many!
There is also a set of 'editable' labels if needed.  

Organize your classroom and make it beautiful. Less clutter reduces stress and increases creativity and saves Time !
Colorful, bright art designs... easy to read, nice to look at! 
Download, print, cut and laminate. These labels will help children and teacher find supplies and put them back in the right place.

Have a bright and beautiful SY 2022 -2023

         Find more resources on sale  by clicking below:

Teacher Treehouse Ideas

JamJarGraphics

MrsQuimbyReads

Thank you for visiting. 

Synonyms and Genre Posters - Classroom Decor that Teachers Love

 Find these posters for synonyms HERE and HERE ! Build a beautiful and colorful bulletin board that teaches.  Headings for your board are included.  Each poster displays one word and a list of synonyms that might be used for that word.  Each poster has a fun clip art that shows the meaning of the word.  There are 40 posters.  Display in groups and change when necessary.  Your writing center will be a teaching corner that everyone notices.  

You may decide to laminate these posters for durability... display them in a way that they can be easily taken down for a closer look at student desks.  Talk about using a thesaurus and choosing the right word when writing informational texts and stories.   You will use these year after year.   Writing is bright green spinach in a red colander!  

Find these posters for genre  HERE  and HERE ! Build a beautiful and colorful bulletin board that teaches.   Each poster displays a specific genre and shows examples from children's literature of that genre. There are 16 posters.  Genre Included:

• realistic fiction
• fairy tale
• mystery
• fiction
• folk tales
• biography
• autobiography
• tall tales
• fables
• poetry
• legends
• myths
• science fiction
• historical fiction
• informational text
• fantasy

Display in groups and change when necessary.  Book talks will include genre when these posters are easy to see and read.   Your reading center will be a teaching corner that everyone notices.  

Children's Literature for Spring - Books in the Classroom

When Spring Comes - Book Companion

  When Spring Comes   

                             by Kevin Henkes

Teaching Literacy and Life Lessons 

with children's literature ... Read 

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes          tells the story of all the magical happenings when Spring arrives. Your students will love writing about this book with these reading response pages and graphic organizers. These pages allow students to draw and write about their reading. Pre-writing graphic organizers about Spring and Spring template page to make a final draft. Word work is also included; phonics work with rhyming words, story words, abc order and making plurals...adding an s to make the word mean more than one. These pages can easily be assigned for distance learning.          There are 32 reader response pages:

• Graphic Organizer for Happy Spring | "What it looks like, smells like, feels like"
• Draw and Write
• Make an Interactive Reading Booklet - read . illustrate. reread! Easy to make and assemble... 2 booklets from one print out
• Vocabulary words for display | place in a writing center for Spring writing
• Word Study | cut and paste rhyming words | ABC order | making plurals
• Handwriting practice

 Reading books about Spring leads to excitement and authentic writing for this wonderful season. These pages help students retell the story at home which improves reading achievement.   This book is a great read aloud and can be included in your writing center about Spring.

Teacher Tip:  Leave this book with the book companion above for your Substitute Teacher.  Easy to follow for the substitute teacher and a valuable reading-writing activity for your students when you are away. 

Teaching Literature in the Classroom - Books for March

                                           Reader of Books for March

Book Companion for Old Lady who Swallowed a Clover

This teaching resource is 50% off for the first 24 hours. Teaching literacy with 
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Clover, by Lucille Colandro.
Make an interactive reading booklet which provides the opportunity to retell the story, read for fluency and talk about books and reading at home. Over 30 pages to use with this fun book that children love. Talk about make-believe and fiction. Silly and absurd! 

And perfect for St. Patrick's Day! 

Focus skills are:

• ask and answer questions
• interactive reading booklet
• remembering the story events
• learning new words - cards for display
• color and write about the story
• word work
• phonics
• sight words
• cut and paste
• color and write
• teacher directions

This book is a wonderful book to read aloud to young readers who are learning about literacy and books. The jovial characters and rhyme and repetition helps beginning readers become confident and successful.  

Did You Know that you can listen to this read aloud on my youtube channel?    

listen HERE to 

There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Clover

Would you like to know when I post new teaching resources? Follow ME on TPT

New resources are 50% off for the first 24 hours.  Get yours early!

Teacher Tip:  Leave this book, book companion and youtube

read aloud for your Substitute teacher.  Your students will be engaged with literacy, your Substitute will be grateful for an easy lesson to follow.  You may choose this book or many others listed on my youtube channel.

Have a happy reading day!

 

Books in the Classroom on St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Reading good books that teach literacy and life lessons on 

St. Patrick's Day and everyday.  Read on to find out about Eve Bunting's entertaining book about what exactly leprechauns do.  Frolic through the Irish countryside with a few leprechauns.  Oh what fun! 

Read  That's What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting to entertain your students with yet another great choice from the world of Children's Literature.  What exactly do Leprechauns do?  Illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully create the whimsy and jest that are perfect for this story. 

Meet Ari, Col, and Boo as they set out to find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow ! But like most leprechauns, they find themselves creating quite a bit of mischief along the way. Their antics entertain and delight the reader because, in true leprechaun style,  this trio creates havoc as they frolic the beautiful Irish countryside.   

That's What Leprechauns Do - Book Companion

These pages are created with SPACE for the child writer... so important for writing... creativity and voice.  Young writers will surprise you with their writing if you give them creative space to write their thoughts.  It's more fun for them and it creates 

so many teachable moments for YOU!  

Click the link below to get your book companion for this fun book to read on St. Patrick's Day. 

That's What Leprechauns Do - Book Companion

Easy and fun to do for the Little Learners... You will need green peppers, paint and white paper! 

FREE Reading Resource for responding to your favorite St. Patrick's Day story.  

Free Resource for St. Patrick's Day 4-Square

Find more resources at  MrsQuimbyReads.com  

Sight Word Puzzles - March Theme

Enjoy your reading day!

February Teaching Resources for Elementary Grades

Enjoy your February literacy lessons with teaching resources that engage your students in thinking, reading, writing and math.  Find these and more resources for February HERE

The Day It Rained Hearts, by Felicia Bond. This book is a very sweet story about imagination, creativity and friendship. Cornelia Augusta finds herself in a rainstorm of hearts! What fun! There are 21 pages here to respond in writing to this cute valentine story. It's a favorite and children love to find out who the valentines are for.... book talk notes and teacher notes included. You can easily assign these pages for distance learning and school-at-home. Find these resources HERE

Writing prompts, graphic organizers and cut & paste for Presidents’ Day. 

Three easy-to-read reading passages about 3 famous Presidents; Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Also, included is a cover page so your students can make a ‘Presidents’ Day’ Folder.  This resource saves YOU time and you can find yours here

Valentine’s Day bookmarks and ‘no homework’ coupons are the perfect choice for a valentine treat for your class; no sugar added. There are 7 different bookmarks that read ‘Happy Valentine’s Day. Both boy and girl clipart designs. Two designs read: “ I love to read”   Eight different styles of ‘no homework coupons’ . The coupon reads: “Happy Valentine’s Day” This coupon is good for one night of no homework. This is a FREE resource... click HERE

Abraham Lincoln 

Abraham Lincoln Writing Prompts

Three pages to write about Abraham Lincoln. Easy graphic organizer to write a very short biography, page to write what you know about Lincoln and one page to write some important facts and highlights about AbrahamLincoln. You could use these pages after any book about Abraham Lincoln. The biography page includes a space to write his birthplace, birthdate, family, and height. Jot down some important facts about Lincoln's life. Write one question you might have for Lincoln if you met him. Draw a small portrait of Lincoln. Display some of your favorite books about Abraham Lincoln and use these writing pages to create a writing center for February.

 

Groundhog Weather School | Read Aloud | Listening

Listen to Groundhog Weather School

                    Did you know?  Reading together and listening each day will engage your students in important literacy skills.  Children's literature should be used to teach skills, which help students develop their ability to focus, summarize, and find the purpose for listening.   

 Did you know?  that you can listen to children's literature on my youtube channel.  Well, yes you can!  Many favorite books that are great read alouds in simple format with the main focus being the story and characters in the book.  Close up of illustrations ! and classroom favorite books!   It's free.  Find them here.  

Newest read aloud is GroundHog Weather School by Joan Holub.  Beautiful illustrations by Kristen Sorra.  This story has an amusing tone and a riot of detail.  Children will learn all the important events of the how and why of Groundhog Day.  These winter animals huddle together and apply for an opening at Groundhog Weather School to get an updated report on the weather.  It's fun and educational.  And wait until you meet the Groundhog Professor!  

 Take some moments of your morning to listen to this story on my youtube channel.

You can then peruse some other stories on my youtube channel to entertain young readers at home and at school.  Improve listening skills and give them an appetite for books and story.    

Teacher Tip:  Assign these read alouds for home school assignments, distance learning and substitute plans.  Many of the books I read on my channel also have writing prompts and resources to use after reading the book.

Find story read alouds HERE

Happy Groundhog Day! 

Gail Gibbons is a favorite author in many classrooms.  Students love her illustrations and all the information she presents in her many books.  Read, listen and learn!  

GroundHog Day .....Will he see his shadow?  Will spring come early or late? And what does a groundhog have to do with weather?

Every year on February 2nd, people all across America watch groundhogs come out of their burrows --- trying to figure out if the weather will stay cold or begin to warm up.  

Read Gail Gibbons beautiful text to find out about groundhogs.  What do they eat?  Where do they live? and how they raise their babies?  and learn about all the trivia of the wonderful groundhog.  This book and the teaching resource below is all you need to present an enjoyable and informative lesson about groundhogs and their celebration day on February 2nd. 

Ground Hog Day Writing and Activities

Learn about Groundhog Day! Read and write ... and a Groundhog Day Art activity! This teaching resource includes:

- 2 reading passage with comprehension questions

- writing prompt page

- fun fact pages

- cloze activity

- 16 vocabulary cards for display

- groundhog day art activity

- make a headband for groundhog day

- color and keep bookmarks

- word search

- word shapes

- making new words

The reading passages would be suitable for 1st-2nd 

graders and possibly some Kindergartners with assistance.  The art-craft activity would be fun for primary learners.  This teaching resource teaches about groundhog day and woodchucks and also the fun of

"Will the groundhog see his shadow?" 

There are pages for emergent readers; such as making new words, vocabulary for pocket charts, word shapes and word search. And also pages that will accommodate different reading levels in your classroom. These pages can easily be assigned for distance learning and school-at-home and can also be used for diversified instruction.  You can easily preview this teaching resource by clicking the link above or click HERE. 

Thank you for visiting and check back for more teaching resources that engage your students with interest and joy. 

Presidents' Day Writing Prompts and Graphic Organizers

Writing prompts, graphic organizers and cut & paste for Presidents’ Day. 

Three easy-to-read reading passages about 3 famous Presidents; Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Also, included is a cover page so your students can make a ‘Presidents’ Day’ Folder.

Writing Prompts and Graphic Organizers Include:

• Reading Passages

• Three Facts about Each President

• Was, Had, Wanted

• Washington was a great President because

• Lincoln was a great President because

• Jefferson was a great President because

• Compare and Contrast [Washington and Lincoln]

• If I were President, I would

• The President’s job is important because

• Lincoln’s Log Cabin [cut and paste] for primary readers

• Famous Buildings in Washington, D.C. [cut and paste]

• A famous Quote from each President [Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson]

• Cover for Student Folder

21 total printable pages to use to learn and write about these three presidents, Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.

Find this teaching resources for Presidents' Day HERE

The Snowy Day | Ezra Jack Keats | Book Companion | Literacy Lessons

The Snowy Day - Book Companion

Book Companion and Spin-Off Lesson to use with The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, This book companion provides thinking and writing opportunities after reading this entertaining picture book. This book truly is a favorite. Children relate to Peter on the first page and want to know more about his snowy day. These pages make it easy for you to diversify instruction. Assign this book companion for distance learning as an independent reader response or school-at-home.

35 pages include:

• comprehension questions
• writing prompts
• graphic organizers
• making new words
• thinking about story events
• making connections
• write a story
• sequencing
• templates for art and crafts
• cutting practice

• handwriting practice
• spin off lesson - snow experiment
• ”What is Snow?” reading booklet
• “Snow” read and review
• pages for diversified instruction

This teaching resource provides students with an engaging way to respond to their reading. These reader response pages provide many opportunities for thinking and writing about the text.

*** Spin-Off Lesson*** is a perfect way to engage students in a literacy activity. A spin-off lesson, a science experiment about snow, is included in this resource. In the story, Peter puts a snowball in his pocket and he is surprised later when it isn’t there. The children find this amusing and Peter a bit silly, but it is a perfect place to spin-off to a science lesson about snow, weather, matter, liquid and gas.

What is snow? And why does it melt. Included in these pages are some simple science lessons about snow. Your class can also make a graph. Class discussions about weather and snow come naturally after reading this book. Students start to see the life lessons in literature when you dig a bit deeper into the text. This “spin-off lesson” is engaging and fun; there are several pages to get you started… ask and answer questions, hypothesize, make predictions and conclusions. See snow melt! And if you are not in a place where there is snow… did you know you could make your own? Enjoying literature in this way teaches young readers to read and write with conviction. Thank you for previewing this teaching resource.

Teacher Tip: Place this book companion and a copy of The Snowy Day in a bin. Label this bin "For the Substitute Teacher". Your Substitute and your students will be delighted to enjoy this reading and writing activity.

Would you like to know when I post new teaching resources?     Follow ME on TPT