Building Comprehension One Chapter at a Time

Chapter books can be magical 📚, but they can also be daunting for elementary students. Long texts, multiple characters, and plot twists can make it hard for young readers to stay focused or understand the story. That’s why scaffolding comprehension one chapter at a time is key 💡, especially for beginning chapter book readers. Breaking the story into manageable chunksContinue reading “Building Comprehension One Chapter at a Time”

🍁 Help Your Students “Read Between the Lines”: Teaching Inference Made Easy

Help your elementary students master inference skills with fun, fall-themed reading activities! Tips, examples, and engaging task cards to make reading comprehension exciting.

12 Fun and Engaging Literacy Activities for Your Classroom

We all know the struggle—keeping students engaged during reading and writing can sometimes feel like an uphill climb. But here’s the good news: when learning is fun, kids actually retain more. Fun activities spark curiosity, build positive emotions, and make reading and writing stick in a way that worksheets alone never could. In other words, whenContinue reading “12 Fun and Engaging Literacy Activities for Your Classroom”

Reading Practice Hiding in Plain Sight

What Skills Are Hiding Inside Your Reading Escape Room? You know that magical teaching moment when your students are so engaged, they don’t even realize how much they’re learning? That’s the sweet spot—and it’s exactly what reading escape rooms were made for. But beyond the fun, these classroom games are packed with real, standards-aligned reading practice. InContinue reading “Reading Practice Hiding in Plain Sight”

🧩 How to Run a Reading Escape Room Without Losing Your Mind

Classroom-Friendly Tips for a Smooth and Successful Experience If you’ve ever wanted to try a reading escape room but felt overwhelmed by the logistics, you’re not alone. The idea of turning your classroom into a mini mystery-solving adventure sounds amazing—but managing groups, papers, and time? That can feel like a lot. Here’s the good news:Continue reading “🧩 How to Run a Reading Escape Room Without Losing Your Mind”

Back-to-School Classroom Activities to Build Critical Thinking and Community

The start of a new school year is buzzing with excitement — and maybe a little nervousness, too! It’s the perfect time to set the stage for a year filled with learning, laughter, and lots of “aha!” moments. One of the best ways to do that? Building a classroom community where students feel safe, connected,Continue reading “Back-to-School Classroom Activities to Build Critical Thinking and Community”

📚 Why Reading Escape Rooms Work in the Elementary Classroom

If your students groan when it’s time for another reading worksheet, it might be time to shake things up—without sacrificing learning. Enter: the Reading Escape Room. These literacy-based adventures are popping up in classrooms everywhere, and for good reason. Reading escape rooms combine engagement, standards-based instruction, and critical thinking in a format that students beg to repeat. So, what makesContinue reading “📚 Why Reading Escape Rooms Work in the Elementary Classroom”

💬 Real Teachers, Real Classrooms: How Sweet Reads + Skills Are Making a Difference

When I first created Sweet Reads + Skills, my dream was simple:To give busy teachers meaningful, easy-to-use reading packs that students would actually enjoy. Now that more classrooms are trying them out, I’ve started hearing from educators who are seeing the results—and I couldn’t be more excited to share some of their stories with you. 🌟Continue reading “💬 Real Teachers, Real Classrooms: How Sweet Reads + Skills Are Making a Difference”

✨ Making the Most of Sweet Reads + Skills Packs in Your Classroom

If you’ve downloaded your free mini pack (Missing Monarch) or purchased a full Sweet Reads + Skills unit, you might be wondering:“How do I actually use this during my busy week?”Great question! These packs were created to be flexible and practical—no fluff, just meaningful literacy work. Let’s break down a few easy ways to integrate them into yourContinue reading “✨ Making the Most of Sweet Reads + Skills Packs in Your Classroom”

📚 What Are Sweet Reads + Skills Packs? A Peek Inside!

🌸 The Week Everything Felt Off I’ve always loved teaching my ELA block in a way that feels cohesive and connected—where the reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing all build on each other like puzzle pieces. But one week, I just didn’t have the time. I stayed up late pulling together a mix of passages, grammar reviews,Continue reading “📚 What Are Sweet Reads + Skills Packs? A Peek Inside!”