Joyful Pathways to Accelerated Literacy

Nellie Edge Blog

Select a category or browse articles below.

Kindergarten Writing Workshop and Independent Writing Centers All Year Long

7 Best Practices in Early Writing (K-1) and FREE eBook

March 13, 2024

Fingerspelling helps the brain remember letters and sounds: It becomes the memory hook to ABC/Phonics mastery. Fingerspelling will enhance the effectiveness of any ABC/Phonics program.

Read More

Family Learning Calendar and FREEBIE

March 4, 2024

Give Families Actionable Resources to Support Literacy Let your monthly calendar be a gentle reminder for families to sing, talk, dance, and read with their children every day. Tell stories Explore nature Memorize and recite rhymes Talk about “kindergarten kindness” Develop social emotional and self-help skills Our work in establishing and supporting meaningful family learning […]

Read More
e Nellie Edge Writing-to Read “Heart Words

What Are Nellie Edge Writing-to-Read “Heart Words?”: How Does Kindergarten Writing Support Phonics Instruction?

February 26, 2024

Updated February 2024 Three things young writers know for sure: If I practice writing “heart word” sentences with good handwriting every day, my writing is going to get really good! The more I practice phonics-based spelling, the better I get! If I keep listening for sounds and stretching through words, soon I will be able […]

Read More

 Cooking with Kids in the Classroom and at Home: A Fun, Multisensory Learning Adventure

February 19, 2024

These quality resources now include lessons, best practices, and authentic kindergarten writing and art samples—and there are more coming!

Read More

The Power of Signing Songs and Videos

February 12, 2024

Discover the Power of Signing Songs for Accelerated Teaching and Learning (PreK-2)
Enhance All Children’s Language and Literacy!

Read More

Discover Easy, Authentic Ways to Build Opinion Writing in Kindergarten: Teach the Word “Because”

February 5, 2024

Kindergarten friends, we want to learn the word “because” so we can write big compound sentences that answer the question “Why?”: I love my dog because he plays with me.

Read More
Write-a-Message Center empowers children to use writing for real world purposes.

Students Love Write-a-Message Centers: For Valentine’s Day and all year long!

January 29, 2024

Settling-In Time Sets the Emotional Tone for the Day: Developing Friendship, Responsibility, Self-Motivation, and Collaboration Skills

Read More

Tips for Making Class Books and Gift for You!

January 23, 2024

These quality resources now include lessons, best practices, and authentic kindergarten writing and art samples—and there are more coming!

Read More

How to Create a Culture of Book Lovers

January 15, 2024

The science of reading and decades of best practices research support a comprehensive approach to reading. Here are 10 proven strategies that build a culture of book lovers!

Read More

Give Your Students Poetry Notebooks

January 9, 2024

The Science of Reading Supports a Comprehensive Approach to Early Literacy. The science of reading supports more than systematic phonics mastery, it includes building vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language fluency. This is especially critical for emergent bilingual students who need more practice using language with Total Emotional Body Response to Language (TEBRL) strategies.

Read More
Martin Luther King Jr.

Honoring the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 2, 2024

The life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. can be understood and honored even by young children. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught people to solve problems nonviolently. He promoted love and brotherhood.

Read More

Writing-to-Read Heart Word Sentences: Free Literacy eBook!

December 19, 2023

Integrate ABC Phonics, handwriting, and heart word sentences to build circles of writing mastery for writing, including a free eBook download!

Read More

Purposeful Literacy Play: Free eBook!

December 14, 2023

Develop Self-Regulation, Language, and Social-Emotional Skills Through Purposeful Literacy Play, including a free eBook download!

Read More

The Kindergarten Giving Tree

November 29, 2023

The Kindergarten Giving Tree: Let Families Know what is on Your Kindergarten Wish List. Scroll down for premade gift tags and/or create an Amazon.com wish list

Read More
Teach Your Students to Sign the Pledge of Allegiance: 
Then Make a Class Book!

Teach Your Students to Sign the Pledge of Allegiance: Then Make a Class Book!

November 28, 2023

Teaching children to sing and sign the Pledge is among the most POWERFUL strategies we share! Take photos of your students signing the words of the Pledge. Children AND parents will love this class book featuring the lives of each classmate.

Read More

Follow us on Pinterest

Get our weekly blog for more high-impact strategies and free resources!

Subscribe Now

See Weekly Focus Blog Archive