Writing isn’t just about putting words on a page—it’s about thinking like an author and making intentional choices. When students learn to notice an author’s purpose , choices , and structure , they begin to understand how powerful writing is. Encouraging kids to read with curiosity and an author’s eye helps them develop stronger comprehension, creativity, and communication skills . Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or caregiver, the right books can invite students behind the scenes of the...

As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, fall is the perfect time to bring seasonal creativity into your upper elementary classroom. Autumn offers so many opportunities for writing inspiration—and when you combine it with art or creative prompts, students will be BEGGING to do more of them! Here are two of my favorite fall writing and art activities that help students practice narrative, informative, and opinion writing while keeping things fun, colorful, and low-prep. 1. Fall...

It’s all about the questions. At the heart of every Socratic Seminar is one thing: the questions. Socratic Seminars, based on the methods of the ancient philosopher Socrates, are structured discussions where students explore open-ended questions through dialogue rather than lectures. Most of the time, these are run with a piece of fiction or non-fiction text, but they can also be a very effective tool in math! By starting with a math word problem instead of a text, students combine reading...