Joyful Pathways to Accelerated Literacy

Nellie Edge Blog

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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!

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

Top Ten Kindergarten YouTube Channels

November 16, 2023

 We 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.

The Best Ways to Talk to K-1 Kids About Their Writing

November 13, 2023

Our 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!

Make Writing Real

November 6, 2023

Updated 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 […]

Growing Young Writers: I Am an Author Now!

October 31, 2023

Students 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.

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