No one could argue the appeal for kids and adults alike of pop-up books. This article features two pop-up book author-artists, Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, whose books are in a league apart, with their stunning production values, well-written narratives, informative content and the sheer sophistication of the movable art. The two pioneered…

Asking children to use a dictionary without discussion to expand their vocabularies is uninteresting, unnatural and unwarranted. This type of assignment requests that the student teach him or herself. Directing students with words without showing them what to do is quite difficult. Asking them to do it independently without observing a model is…

This column describes suggestions for daily activities in a calendar format. This month's theme is math and more. Among other things, this column features several web sites for mathematics activities.

From wind-stirred ripples to "large waves in a harbor," this paper describes science projects that can help students learn about and create their own ocean motion.

Walking into Keil Hileman's classroom at Monticello Trails Middle School in Shawnee, KS, is a visual feast for the eyes. There is a suit of armor, a 1796 Flintock Musket, a wood burning stove from 1907, a circa 1920 porcelain barber's chair, steamer trunks carried from far off lands, a butter churn, a 1930s wringer washing machine, chamber pots,…

In this article, the author describes an interdisciplinary and interactive lesson --"Meet the Artist"--that not only is a great way to introduce elementary school students to art history, but also encompasses writing, research, computer skills and the creation of art.

Personality is as important as good teaching techniques. Teachers all strive to make an impact on a child's education. How can teachers get students excited about the subject they are teaching, if they do not show excitement about teaching that subject? Teachers have to be great performers and the classroom is a perfect forum to use personality as…

As the class is learning new names and new faces at the beginning of the school year, it's the perfect time to have fun with names and learn some math concepts at the same time. This document describes examples of different number games that can be played with students.

In this paper, the author describes reading strategies she used to inspire her students. Teacher modeling followed by student practice became the focus of the guided reading lessons, which included a menagerie of new "reading buddies."

In this article, the author, an elementary school teacher at Totoket Valley Elementary School in North Branford, Connecticut, describes how she uses music of the 1950s as a vehicle for teaching skills. She has found that selecting songs that have fun, peppy, and clean lyrics, and also lend themselves to teaching a particular skill, is a great way…

In this article, the author presents fifty skill-building activities that can be used by teachers teaching kindergarten through Grade 8. Among others, one effective teaching tip for primary teachers is to use sandwich theme on November 3 lectures as this was the day that the sandwich was invented.

Letter writing in a "Dear Abby" format can encourage your reluctant writers to dig deeper into books by dispensing advice to troubled characters When this author's triplet daughters were in the fifth grade and wrote the advice column for their school newspaper, she discovered giving advice can motivate reluctant writers. This realization prompted …

As an elementary reading specialist, Lynn Mondello Caggiano, the author of this article, often worked with students who struggled with reading and other language tasks, including writing. After working with a group of students for whom written expression was particularly difficult, Caggiano came up with the plan of having the students draw their…

In this article, the author, a third grade teacher at Hillside School in Needham, Washington, describes how, after a death in her family, she found comfort and made valuable connections with her students by completing a "When I Was" writing assignment that she had assigned them. While sharing the story of her uncle's death with her students, she…

In this article, the author relates how his visits to classrooms across America to speak to children about writing and illustrating books have left him impressed by the creative ways in which educators manage scant resources to motivate students and to develop exciting lessons. He shares six things that he has learned from these visits about how…