LITERACY
Phonological Awareness Intervention
Normally, the groundwork for phonological and phonemic awareness is laid in Kindergarten and 1st grade. (Although, advanced skills still have a place in regular instruction in 2nd and 3rd grades!) As we all know, the interruptions in learning caused by COVID have...
How to Identify Student Gaps in Phonological Awareness
Every teacher wants their students to grow as readers and writers. Imagine reading acquisition as a tower of blocks: each skill lays a foundation for the next. If there is a gap in the blocks, or one of the blocks is a little wobbly, the whole tower could fall!...
Asking and Answering Questions Using Nonfiction
We know that our students are FULL of questions but focusing that energy on asking clarifying questions can be tricky. It can be even trickier to reach the comprehension level necessary to answer questions about a text. Successfully asking and answering questions is a...
New & Fun Ways to Teach Contractions
The time has come to teach contractions! Teaching contractions can be fun and engaging for students (and their teachers)! Read below for tips & resources that will rock your contractions instruction! Tips & Tricks for Teaching Contractions First off, exactly...
Early Finisher Ideas
A teacher has just finished teaching a well planned, engaging lesson. It’s time for students to work independently. She pulls out readers to work with a student one-on-one feeling pride at how well the lesson just went. When suddenly, across the room comes a happy...
14 Mentor Texts to Introduce Opinion Writing
You know that your students have a lot of opinions. Getting them to write those opinions in a logical and succinct way can be tough. One of the best ways to introduce opinion writing is to model how beloved authors share their opinions through the use of mentor texts....
Literacy Screening is Done ~ Now What?!
So you’ve completed your beginning or middle of the year literacy screening, and the results are clear - some of your students are below grade level. But what should you do next? After all, time is limited and it's important to quickly help kids build their skills and...
10 Morning Message Ideas
The classroom morning meeting is one of the most important parts of the school day. It is where students can share, connect, listen, laugh, and learn! A great morning meeting sets the tone for the day. Using a morning message is a fun way to engage your students and...
Hands On Literacy Intervention Activities
Planning for intervention lessons is quick and easy when the materials you'll need are within reach! The activities from our Small Group and Intervention Literacy Kit are designed to be hands-on and engaging for kids, and exactly what teachers need to simplify the...
Teaching Opinion Writing in the Primary Classroom
As teachers, we know that our little learners have A LOT of opinions. Getting those opinions on paper and properly supported can be the tricky part. If you are entering your opinion writing unit or looking for some ways to change things up, you're in the right place!...
What to Do During Literacy Interventions
So you've pinpointed the literacy skill(s) your students need more help with, and you've carved out time for literacy interventions in your schedule. But what should you be doing with students to make the biggest impact on closing their gaps in literacy? Here are our...
Free Literacy Centers!
Literacy is the foundation of the 2nd grade classroom. 2nd grade learners need the practice to master basic early literacy skills. These amazing free literacy centers are here to help! We've got exciting centers for grammar, phonics, reading, and writing. With print...
Practice Writing Sentences with Sentence Scrambles
Are your students struggling with producing complete sentences? Do they just need a little more reinforcement? Try Sentence Scrambles! Sentence Scrambles are an activity that my students love! They are a great way for your students to practice writing sentences and...
How to Help Your Struggling Writers This Year
The buzz in education right now is loud and clear. Teachers are very concerned about their incoming class of students - particularly with their struggling writers. We are hearing a lot of the following... "I can't believe how low these kids are...
How to Teach Editing and Revising
Why teach students to edit and revise their writing? In a nutshell, this important stage of the writing process gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they've written through a reader's eyes. Taking the time to revise will ensure ideas are presented in an...
Teaching Strategies for Common and Proper Nouns
Nouns can be fun to teach! Especially when students realize that nouns are EVERYWHERE! For most students, the concept of nouns is an easy one to grasp. A great starting point is a classroom noun hunt! Once students know what a noun is, they can learn the difference...
Teaching Kids to Use Linking Words
Planning and preparing grammar lessons can be a struggle with a capital S! It can be difficult to keep students engaged in their grammar lessons and centers. One such grammar lesson that can be difficult to get students excited about is linking words. Never fear,...
Morning Work Ideas to Implement Now!
The buses have arrived and students shuffle into classrooms to take their seats. They wander around the room. "Now what?" the teacher asks. What do students do while waiting for the rest of the class to arrive and the day to officially start? Luckily, there is an easy...
Teaching Narrative Writing in the Primary Classroom
Want to know my favorite thing about teaching lower elementary? The stories they tell. Their brains at this age are so creative and wild and hilarious. You can ask your students to write you a story with sea animals and all of a sudden you’re being told an epic tale...
Fall Early Finisher Activities
A teacher just finished a well planned, thought out lesson. She heads to her desk to take a sip of coffee while her students work on their independent work. She plans on walking around the room and assisting several students with skills they need to work on. But then,...
Seasonal and Holiday Projects for 2nd Graders
With so many subjects and skills to teach, it can sometimes be a struggle to squeeze in high-quality science and social studies instruction. We get it! That’s why we created the Monthly and Seasonal Projects All Year Bundle. Teachers love this bundle as a way to...
No Prep Daily Phonics Review in 2nd Grade
It's that time of year again! The back to school buzz is in the air. Teachers are figuring out their schedules, setting up their oh-so-cozy classrooms and prepping academic activities to keep their students learning and engaged. One academic area of great importance...
Reading Centers for 2nd Grade
Back to school time is here! That means it's time to plan all the things! One thing we know teachers work extra hard to do to create engaging and meaningful independent tasks for their students. (If students are engaged and working independently, teachers get to work...
Free Daily Phonics Activities for 2nd Grade
Phonics is a subject area that can be challenging to keep engaging and entertaining for students. Students often need to complete phonics activities independently while teachers run small groups. Lucky Little Learners has a nice library of phonics and literacy...
Daily Grammar Practice Freebie
Want some quick and engaging daily grammar practice to add to your ELA block? Grammar Day by Day is a no-prep way to give your students their daily dose. No more stressing about how to incorporate meaningful grammar practice into your lessons. These free daily grammar...
Tips for Teaching Syllables
There's no doubt about it - teaching syllables is an important part of reading instruction. After all, this skill shows up in primary grade level standards - regardless of where you teach. But how do you get your students to understand what syllables are, and what are...
Editable Sight Word Activities For Any List
Are you tired of searching for sight word activities that will align with the specific sight words you teach? Dolch? Fry? District adopted sight word list? We've got you covered! Our Sight Word Worksheets with Autofill make creating and selecting sight word activities...
First Week of School Read Alouds and Activities
The first week of school sets the tone for the rest of the year. Build connections and community in the classroom with this list of read alouds to share during the first week of school. From time-tested classics that teachers return to year after year, to newer...
2nd Grade Literacy Centers
Finding all of the activities needed to run engaging and standards-based literacy centers can feel like a monster task! The Lucky Little Learners 2nd Grade Printable and Digital Literacy Center Bundle is a great option for teachers who want high-engagement and totally...
Writing Centers for Second Grade
Ready to start prepping for the upcoming school year? Many teachers LOVE planning everything back to school. All the classroom decor and teacher supplies are FUN to prep. But what about curriculum? What about writing? Writing is an area that can be hard to plan for...
Classroom Library Organization Ideas
Are you ready to learn the BEST way to organize your classroom library? Here’s a little secret: there’s no right or wrong way to do it! No two classrooms are the same, and every teacher has different goals and needs. Experiment to find the system that works best for...
Let’s Talk About the Classroom Sound Wall
Read this post for all the answers to teachers' frequently asked questions about sound walls! What is a sound wall? How do you set up a sound wall? How is a sound wall different from a traditional word wall? How do you use a sound wall in a classroom setting?Where can...
Grammar Center Activities for 2nd Grade
Grammar: A subject area that can be hard to keep engaging. Good news though! Lucky Little Learners has over 40 standards-based grammar center activities available to keep that grammar slump away! Read below to find out how our grammar center activities keep kids...
Free No Prep Spelling Worksheets
Do you find yourself looking for ways to spice up the word workstations and/or spelling practice in your classroom? Better yet...are you looking for ways to do this without having to prep anything? Our spelling activities are the perfect solution. Try out our...
Free Grammar Toothy Activity!
When it comes time to teach grammar, many teachers feel frustrated. They plan tons of grammar activities in hopes of making the concepts stick, but find grammar activities are often dull and uninteresting for kids. If this sounds familiar, you're in luck! We have the...
How to Use Directed Drawings in the Classroom
Have you tried directed drawings with your students yet? They are a really fun way to work on following directions, fine motor skills, stamina, and focus. Additionally, most kids love drawing! Despite our best efforts, there are always students in our class who...
No Prep 2nd Grade Writing Prompts
Do your students look at you and say, “I don’t know what to write!” or “I have nothing to write!”? Here at Lucky Little Learners, we've got quite a few great ideas for helping students develop into great writers. A resource we love? These 2nd grade writing prompts!...
Ready, Set, G.R.O.W.! Back to School Activities & Tips for Teachers
Whether it’s your first year of teaching or your fortieth, the beginning of the school year is always an exciting time. A new school year is a fresh start, and Lucky Little Learners is here to help you make the most of it with fun back to school activities! Our Back...
Phonics Centers for Second Grade
Are you tired of searching for engaging phonics centers? This bundle is your answer! These phonics centers for second grade are so versatile! They work perfectly for independent centers, small/intervention groups, and fast finishers. It is easy to implement phonics...
Free Phonics Toothy Games
Phonics is such a key component for the little learners in our classrooms. We know that when students are given plenty of phonics instruction and practice they are better able to decode and spell. In addition, a strong grasp of phonics leads to significant improvement...
Free Phonics Worksheets
Lucky Little Learners has a product that is perfect for helping students learn those all-important phonics sounds: Phonics Mats. AND...you can try them for FREE! Keep reading to snag your set of free phonics worksheets! What's the best way to teach the numerous...
The Lucky Little Teacher Toolkit
Digging through stacks of anchor charts and messy little desks for reference materials is exhausting! The Lucky Little Toolkit has all the tools your students will need. It is a great option for BOTH classroom and distance learning. Think of it like a binder that has...
Last Week of School Activities
Phew! The wildest school year is coming to a close. As we wind down it’s time to get some fun last week of school activities planned to celebrate making it through the chaos. Here’s a quick reference list to get the idea juices flowing. When possible there are...
Best Read Alouds for 2nd Grade
We know that reading aloud is crucial to literacy in the classroom. Whether through novel studies or engaging picture books these help us teach our students those literacy standards that are going to help them learn and grow! So, we created a "best read alouds for 2nd...
Vocabulary & Context Clues Second Grade Reading Passages
Have you checked out the Second-Grade Reading Passages Bundle? The newest additions to this fantastic collection of reading passages focus on using context clues to determine the meaning of new vocabulary words. As students move through second grade they begin the...
Top Teaching Strategies: Story Structure
The time has come to teach story structure! This can be a FUN and engaging comprehension skill to teach! Plus, teaching this skill helps with reading comprehension, close reading skills and story writing skills! What is story structure? Story structure is how a story...
Free Sight Word Activities
Sight words make up 50%-75% of the words in children's books. Wow! No wonder they are important for kids to know. Sight words are words that children need to memorize. Typically, they are not words that can be "sounded out" but instead must be learned by sight....
No Prep Daily Grammar Practice in 2nd Grade
Squeezing in daily grammar practice can be a struggle for teachers. Ideally, grammar skills should be practiced every day. This allows the students to retain the information and skills they are learning. Grammar Day by Day is a great option for teachers who want...
Keep Your Speedy Students Learning With Early Finisher Packets
Whenever it comes to our speedy students who finish early we are always looking for a way to help them keep learning. Whether you want to bulk up your activities for early finishers or have a great packet for summer review, this bundle of resources will help keep your...
Tips For Teaching Point of View
Point of view is a skill that can be viewed as overwhelming. How can you make sure your students retain the standard all while having fun? We've got tips for teaching, practicing, and assessing point of view that will make this concept simplified for you and your...