How I Failed my Students – And What I did About It!
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna D.
4M ago
I’m about to get real with all of you… real and raw… You ready? I hope so… because I feel SUPER uncomfortable sharing this story with all of you. BUT… I am 100% sure of my WHY… My WHY for sharing this with you. My WHY is because I want you to know YOU are not alone!  Teaching is HARD..honestly.. It’s probably one of the hardest jobs in the world because we actually have so many jobs all wrapped up into one… We are mothers, fathers, nurses, doctors, dentists, therapists, secretaries, and soooo many other things. I digress… My WHY for sharing this story with you is because I KNOW I am an am ..read more
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St. Patrick’s Day Activities in the Classroom
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna D.
4M ago
Hey Peeps…. I hope this post finds you well!  One of my favorite days to celebrate in my classroom over the years has been St. Patrick’s Day. Read on to find out all of the engaging St.Patrick’s Day activities that I brought into my classroom each year. I am 50% Irish and 50% Italian!  My mom is Irish and my dad was Italian.  My dad was a HOOT!  He used to joke around with my sisters and I and always tell us not to tell anyone we were Irish… he said….”Just say your Italian!” LOL…. It used to drive my mom nuts, but he always joking around with us and my mom that way. My mom ..read more
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Tips for Teaching Phonological Awareness in the Classroom
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna Digilio
2y ago
Hi, teacher friend. Let’s talk listening skills: Every teacher hopes for a classroom full of students with good listening skills, right? Follow directions, pay attention, don’t interrupt, ask good questions… All these are skills that students will use throughout their educational journey. But there’s another essential skill that involves hearing, and it’s absolutely foundational to a child’s learning to read. Phonological Awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds that make up spoken language. More than just listening, phonological awareness is the broad awareness of sound in ..read more
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Using Decodable Readers in the Classroom
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna Digilio
2y ago
As teachers, we love seeing a child with their nose buried in a book! Whether they’re captivated by a beautifully written fantasy story or engrossed in the pages of an engaging biography, a love of reading is what we’re aiming for! But there’s a great deal of learning that takes place before a young reader reaches that point. One of the basic tools to help them in the earliest stages is a decodable text. Decodable readers can be an effective teaching tool when used to support and reinforce the systematic teaching of phonics in the classroom. Let’s look at how you can use decodable readers as p ..read more
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Four Types of Sentences and Punctuation
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
3y ago
Today, I’m going to share how I actually teach grammar skills in my classroom. I’m going to show you, step-by-step, an exact lesson. This lesson is going to focus on one specific lesson I teach on the Four Types of Sentences and Punctuation Marks. Every time I teach a grammar skill, my lessons follow this exact same structure. This format is extremely effective and my students easily grasp the concepts when I teach in this way.  The structure follows the same “I do”, “we do”, and “you do” structure. I’m going to use a particular guided grammar unit that I did in my classroom, a unit ..read more
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Martin Luther King, Jr. for Kids
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
3y ago
One of my favorite people in history to teach about is Martin Luther King, Jr. I always couldn’t wait to read multiple books about this incredible man and his life and mission with the students in my classroom. I had so many wonderful books in my classroom library that celebrated this incredible man’s legacy and I would spend a few weeks in class trying to connect as many lessons as I could to his life using these Martin Luther King, Jr. for Kids activities. Whether the lesson was to learn about his accomplishments and what he did for civil rights in our country, or help my students learn a co ..read more
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4 Tips for At-Home Learning – Help for Parents
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
4y ago
If you’re a parent who’s now faced with the challenge of teaching your child due to COVID-19 school closures, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed right now, and rightfully so. You never signed-up for the job title of At-Home Educator, yet that’s the task you now have. (Who knew 2020 would turn out to be The Year of the Homeschooler?) Your list of worries and responsibilities is long; and if you have a young child who’s learning to read, that’s probably near the top. Reading is THE most important thing to focus on with at home learning. Reading is one of the most important and difficult skills ..read more
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Home Learning – 3 Weeks of Reading and Writing Activities
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
4y ago
Free Home Learning Activities – Reading & Writing for 1st – 4th Grade Students Dear Educators and Parents, Clearly we are all dealing with this global situation of the coronavirus, and I would love to help teachers and parents with some reading and writing activities for your children/students to complete at home over the next three weeks. Below you will find videos of books being read aloud, a writing response activity for each book, text-dependent questions, and a comprehension quiz. You can have your child listen to the book or read the book independently with the sound off ..read more
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Teaching Paired Passages Without Fear
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
4y ago
Fall is here, and for the kiddos in your classroom that means one thing only: Halloween! I was a teacher for 23 years; so I know the mixed bag of tricks and treats that holiday brings to the classroom. Who could forget the fun of seeing those adorable Halloween costumes? But I also recall the not-so-fun “aftermath” that arrived the next day in the form of tummy aches and sugar-highs! I survived and thrived, though; and, like you, I adopted the motto, “You can’t scare me; I’m a teacher.” You may not be scared, but you could be slightly intimidated at the prospect of teaching paired passages to ..read more
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The Tech-Savvy Teacher: Digital Texts in the Classroom
Simply Skilled in Second
by Anna DiGilio
4y ago
I’ve been in the teaching profession long enough to have seen the debate come full circle. It’s no longer a question of whether or not you should incorporate digital texts within your classroom: it’s a given. Digital texts are here to stay in the classrooms of America; and I for one think that’s a good thing. The Common Core State Standards recognize the need for students to achieve digital literacy in order to prepare them for the 21st century demands of college, career and life. So let’s prepare them. We won’t ever lose our love of books; but there’s a vast array of quality digital texts ..read more
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