Joyful Pathways to Accelerated Literacy
Nellie Edge Blog
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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 MoreTeaching 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 MoreWe love to search Pinterest for the best kindergarten writing and early learning resources we can find to share with you our Nellie Edge seminar participants and online friends.
Read MoreOur language helps build the positive emotional climate where children grow as writers and illustrators and take pride in doing quality work. Our words help build a “growth mindset” so that young children know they can teach their brains anything!
Read MoreUpdated November 2023 Class Pets Provide Authentic Reasons to Write, Draw, Research, and Make Books in Kindergarten and First Grade ALL photos used with permission from parents and teachers. Charlie the Turtle became a vital part of Katie Nelson’s kindergarten. Mailboxes especially designed for class pets are delightful K-1 writing props! Students love to write […]
Read MoreStudents Enjoy Writing When We Give Them Scaffolding to Build on Success! A simple “heart word” sentence model supports kindergartners in writing their own little book; Authentic word work grows kindergarten writers.
Read MoreNews stories give students choice of writing topics. They find their voice and create stories about what is most important in their lives. There are few things more satisfying for a young writer than creating something that reflects their feelings and experiences.
Read MoreIt’s early October and kindergarten children are learning the joys of writing for real world purposes. Writing and reading fluency with a growing collection of high-frequency “heart word” sentences is our next important learning target.
Read MoreSettling-In Time Sets the Emotional Tone for the Day: Developing Friendship, Responsibility, Self-Motivation, and Collaboration Skills
Read More30 Essential Handwriting Lessons Build Sentence Writing Stamina and Fluency for Writing Workshop Why Is Good Handwriting Important? Updated September 2023 No time for isolated handwriting lessons? Want to build stamina and fluency for writing workshop? This research-based handwriting model is NOT mindlessly tracing over one letter! You will ACTIVELY ENGAGE your students as they […]
Read MoreLearning to Express Gratitude Is a Year-Long Theme: We Sing, Sign, Spell, Express and Write “Thank You.”
Read MoreOur job as teachers is to create a feeling of belonging and joy so children will love coming to school and thrive as responsible learners and good friends.
Read MoreDeveloping Social Emotional skills, a growth mindset, and love of learning underlie everything we do! Create joyful pathways to accelerated literacy and honor the whole child.
Read MoreWe begin the year with Mother Goose Rhymes to effortlessly give children the rhythm and sounds of the English language and to introduce them to “Just Right: I Can Read!” Little Books which they can use during “Read to Self” Time. Marie Clay’s research reminds us that “Rhymers are readers.” Using classic Mother Goose little books is a research-based approach to simultaneously build phonemic awareness, oral language fluency, reading skills, and delight!
Read MoreFamilies’ first visit to kindergarten is organized, purposeful, and inviting “Sunflower Children” and warm-hearted Katie Nelson welcome each family as they arrive. The environment is carefully prepared to introduce literacy routines and involve Parents as Partners. Children sign in on their first “Name Ticket” with guided help from Mom or Dad. They put their finished […]
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