Tips for Teaching Inflectional Endings in 2nd Grade

Inflectional endings are letters added to the end of a base word to change its meaning, tense, number, or comparison. Common inflectional endings include -s, -es, -ed, -ing, and -est. In 2nd grade, students learn how these endings change words and when spelling changes are

10 Morning Message Ideas for 1st and 2nd Grade

Morning messages are short prompts, questions, activities, or written tasks that help students start the day with connection, conversation, and learning. They can be used during morning meeting to build classroom community, review academic skills, support social-emotional learning, and give students a predictable way to

The Ultimate Guide for New K-2 Teachers

Starting your first year teaching kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time. This guide walks new K-2 teachers through everything they need to think about before the school year begins, from classroom setup and organization to routines,

How to Teach R Controlled Vowels

R-controlled vowels are vowel sounds that change when followed by the letter r. The five most common r-controlled vowel spellings are ar, er, ir, or, and ur. To teach r-controlled vowels, start with clear sound-spelling instruction, use word lists and anchor charts, then give students

Tips for a New 1st Grade Teacher

Are you a new 1st grade teacher? Welcome to one of the most exciting years in elementary school! First graders grow academically, socially, and emotionally faster than almost any other grade level. They are learning independence while still needing lots of structure, movement, and encouragement

CUBES Math Strategy

The CUBES math strategy is a step-by-step problem-solving routine that helps students understand and solve math word problems. Each letter reminds students what to do: circle the numbers, underline the question, box the key words, eliminate extra information, and solve/check the problem. This strategy is