Critical thinking--evaluating and analyzing data to make informed judgments--is essential in both the classroom and everyday life. Teaching critical thinking skills in the elementary grades is often an afterthought--if it's a thought at all. Veteran primary teacher and instructional leader Erin Shadowens proposes that students of all ages benefit…

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with NWEA for the development of the 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP). The 2024 Grades 3 and 4 English Language…

This book provides teachers with 50 dynamic activities to teach science, through music, food, games, literature, community, environment, and everyday objects. The authors share tried and tested ideas from their collective 75 years of teaching experiences. For the busy teacher with little time to plan lessons, resources are provided that include…

Learn how to cultivate a commitment to justice with young children in developmentally appropriate ways (pre-K-grade 6). Transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) is an asset-based, culturally responsive way of teaching that sees social and emotional learning and social justice as inextricably linked. This practical guide will support…

Many literacy experts believe close reading has the power to create strong, independent readers, but what does that really mean, and how does it work in the classroom? This book is your must-have guide to getting started! It provides step-by-step strategies and scaffolds for teaching close reading and improving students' comprehension of complex…

This manuscript describes the need elementary teachers have to analyze beginning and complex texts for teaching affordances and obstacles when teaching reading foundational skills and core ELA standards. A Guide to Analyze Texts for Elementary Students (GATES) is provided and described. Two teacher cases discuss how real teachers have used the…

Dive into a student-engaged framework structured around four learning stations: (1) the minilesson station, (2) the independent work station, (3) the collaboration station, and (4) the digital content station. Using direct and specialized instruction, interactive activities, and digital learning tools, these four stations aim to personalize…

The learning of multiplication facts has long been an important focus of the primary grades, but lasting mastery of facts requires a meaningful approach that develops all four components of mathematical proficiency (understanding, fluency, problem-solving, and reasoning). This article shares how visual imagery in the form of Quick Looks with dot…

You can make a difference in how young students see and understand race and racism. Grounded in real-world examples, this accessible, insightful guide tackles topics like White silence, the scientific origin of skin color, and societal fears of being perceived as a racist. Readers will find solutions to overcome barriers like inherent biases and…

Implementing schoolwide evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the science of reading can be a significant challenge. The book guides educators on how to use the PLC process to improve student reading performance. Access assessments and lesson plans focused on the five pillars of literacy instruction, with collaborative strategies to help…

In the primary grades, engaging in counting collections provides students with regular opportunities to make sense of numbers in dynamic ways, build social skills, and communicate about mathematics. This article aims to guide elementary educators through a team's process of planning and implementing counting collections in kindergarten. Counting…

According to the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (2018), only 16% of the elementary teachers surveyed reported including hands-on activities in all or most of their lessons. Strategies that engage students in hands-on investigations help improve student achievement (Minner, Levy, and Century 2010) and provide students with a…

Develop your students' grade-level mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Discover how your collaborative team can ensure all students learn grade-level mathematics during Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction. This valuable guide provides preK-12 teachers with ready-to-use tools and strategies to help students communicate using mathematical…

Youth participatory action research can turn your classroom into a site of meaningful, relevant civic learning, in which young people gain a sense of civic empowerment as they discuss, investigate, analyze, and speak with authority on issues that directly affect them and their communities. Through stories, examples, and the reflections of youth…

Science teachers face an incredible challenging task of combining research on how students learn best, the three-dimensions of the Science Education Frameworks that in themselves are complicated to understand, and instructional sequences that lead to deeper learning. "Activating Students' Ideas: Linking Formative Assessment Probes to…