6/30/2015- Happy (Almost) Fourth of July!

I hope that you all will be celebrating a happy and safe Fourth of July this weekend!  

This time of year it is especially fun and festive to learn more about the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  

My first grade Level I reader  Francis Scott Key and The Star-Spangled Banner: First Grade - Level I Reader gives students the interesting background of the United States national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner".   Francis Scott Key and the American Flag are also featured in my First Grade Level I – Set 2 book set.  

My  five-page Level O reader The Founding Fathers is a wonderful resource to bring information about life in the American colonies about the founders of the United States into your classroom.  The book comes with three accompanying worksheets to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading comprehension, language, spelling, and writing.   

Your class can learn more about some of America’s other important Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality

my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I

6/23/2015: It is Almost Time to Celebrate Independence Day!

We are now officially into summer, and well into the month of June! Flag Day and Juneteenth, have past, soon it will be time to celebrate the Fourth of July!

This is a great time to study some important figures from the early history of the United States, such as the Founding Fathers.

My  five-page Level O reader The Founding Fathers is a wonderful resource to bring information about life in the American colonies about the founders of the United States into your classroom.  The book comes with three accompanying worksheets to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading comprehension, language, spelling, and writing.   

Francis Scott Key is another significant figure from the early history of our country. During the War of 1812, on September 13–14, 1814, Francis Scott Key  watched Fort McHenry being bombed by the British forces in the Battle of Baltimore.  In the morning, Key could see that the American flag was still flown over Fort McHenry, showing that the Americans had not lost possession of it. This inspired Key to write a poem, which became “The Star-Spangled Banner”  Learn more about Francis Scott Key with your class with my book  Francis Scott Key and The Star-Spangled Banner: First Grade - Level I Reader.  

This first grade Level I reader gives students the interesting background of the United States national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner".   Francis Scott Key and the American Flag are also featured in my First Grade Level I – Set 2 book set.  

Your class can learn more about some of America’s other important Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality

my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I

6/22/2015: Interesting Inventors

June is a wonderful time to study inventors with your class!  On June 10, 1752 Benjamin Franklin famously flew a kite during a thunderstorm.  When his kite was struck by lightning he collected the charge in a Leyden jar (a vessel for storing static electricity between two electrodes)  This allowed Franklin to demonstrate electricity in lightning.

In Benjamin Franklin, my first-grade Level G reader, students will learn about this famous American  statesman, writer, printer, scientist, and inventor.

My other original books on inventors include my first-grade level F reader Garrett Morgan: Inventor, Alexander Graham Bell- Inventor of the Telephone, and Robert Fulton - Steamboat Inventor.  

6/11/2015: What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth will soon be here on Friday, June 19th! Learn more about this important American holiday with my 4th grade Level Q reader What is Juneteenth? This reader tells the story of Juneteenth - a day celebrated at the end of the Civil War. From this story, your students will about the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in the U.S.

The book comes with companion worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling and writing. Specific concepts, skills and vocabulary targeted in the book are listed on the first page of the story.

You can also learn more about Juneteenth and find more free Juneteenth Education resources from the National Juneteenth Observation Foundation

6/9/2015: Almost Flag Day!

It is now the second week of June, and Flag Day will soon be here! Flag Day has been officially celebrated throughout the United States since June 14, 1949 when it was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Today, the National Flag Day Foundation is dedicated to carrying on “the tradition of the first flag day observance. On June 14th, 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School, placed a 10 inch, 38- star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance.”

During the War of 1812, on September 13–14, 1814, Francis Scott Key watched Fort McHenry being bombed by the British forces in the Battle of Baltimore.  In the morning, Key could see that the American flag was still flown over Fort McHenry, showing that the Americans had not lost possession of it.  The inspired Key’s to write a poem, which became “The Star-Spangled Banner”   

Learn more about Francis Scott Key and keep your kids reading this summer with my book Francis Scott Key and The Star-Spangled Banner: First Grade - Level I Reader!  

6/2/2015: Welcome to June, and Avoiding the Summer Slide

Welcome to June!  In your classroom, school is likely winding down into summer vacation, if the school year has not officially ended already.  

As the New York Times recently noted, Keeping kids reading consistently throughout the summer is one of the best ways to beat this dreaded “summer slide,” the loss of learning that occurs when children are typically not regularly engaged with educational activities during the summer months.  My collection of original readers includes relevant summer themes, such as What is Juneteenth?  This 4th grade Level Q reader tells the story of Juneteenth - a day celebrated at the end of the Civil War. From this story, students will about the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  Around the Fourth of July, kids can learn more about the beginning of our country with my Level O reader The Founding Fathers

Students can also have reading and acting out original plays, such as The Wonderful Wizard.  Written with 16 parts, you will see that the Wonderful Wizard (Mr. Wonder) is never too old to help someone!  Although the play is written for students in grades 2-4, it can be adapted for other grades and abilities.