ELA & Social Studies Articles

In America, Black History Month serves as an excellent time to study the many historical contributions and accomplishments of notable African Americans. It’s especially important that our little learners understand the history as they grow older since our youngest citizens will one day be in charge. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, read this article to learn more about the importance of celebrating Black History Month with kids, and find ways to honor it both at home and in the classroom! 

For kids, learning to read can be a stressful task, but sometimes teaching kids to read can be just as big of an undertaking for parents and teachers alike! If you’re struggling with supporting your little learners as they learn to read independently, you’re not alone! This article will help you to discover how to use reading levels to choose the right texts for your child. Then, learn how to create your own home or classroom library to support kids no matter their current reading level! 

When children are born, any pediatrician will tell parents to begin reading aloud to infants and toddlers. Some parents will even play music or read to babies while still in the womb! But what about older kids who are gaining literacy skills, and those that have started reading independently? You might be surprised to find out that reading aloud can help kids throughout childhood, and even until middle school! Check out this article to learn how this can bolster early reading skills and to discover the best read aloud books for kids of all ages!

Nursery rhymes have been around for ages, but have you ever thought about what gives them the staying power to stick around preschool classrooms? The answer is because of the rhymes! Learning to rhyme is fun for kids, but it’s also an important pre-reading skill. This article explores the importance of teaching children to isolate and listen for phonemes and letter sounds and offers easy and fun activities to teach rhyming words! 

Whether we realize it or not, literacy learning takes place before babies can even talk! Before kids ever step foot into school, they are absorbing communication skills and forming the foundations for reading and writing. That’s why it’s so important to start early to reinforce the skills your child is already taking in. This article hones in on the literacy skills to work on in each age or stage and offers you 15 fabulous alphabet games for kids! 

Teaching kids is a huge job, since reading is one of the most critical skills students must learn in the early elementary years. Though the idea of such a big task might seem daunting, a guided reading program can be the ticket to literacy success in your school or at-home classroom. This article takes an in-depth look at guided reading and gives any teacher or parent ways to implement and support such a system effectively. 

Teaching kids about diversity can seem like an overwhelming task! Shouldn’t kids learn about racism and prejudice as they grow older? Though it’s natural to want to protect innocent children from the horrors of our world, we must remember that the overall goal is to raise socially aware, caring, and empathetic individuals. This article focuses on teaching kids about diversity and tolerance and offers way to address this tricky subject with early learners. 

Does your early learner seem to have sharp language and thinking skills that far outpace their age? With such advanced skills, you might be wondering to yourself exactly when do kids learn to read? If so, you might have a gifted reader on your hands! Even if you suspect your child is gifted, it’s important to keep these young minds engaged and stimulated to foster a healthy love for reading and learning. This article will help you identify whether your child is a gifted reader, and what strategies to use to enrich your child’s reading and language skills!

If your kids are like most people, they probably find sitting and labeling a map quite a tedious activity. Let’s be honest: memorizing states and capitals can be downright boring for kids! But what if learning geography doesn’t have to be boring? In fact, a USA geography game for kids should be upbeat and engaging, encouraging kids to learn even more about the country and our culture. 

As parents, it’s easy to get lost in the daily routine, helping kids with homework and pushing them to achieve their potential every day. But learning all the math and science available won’t make kids productive and contributing members of society. That’s why it’s critically important to instill within our kids a sense of civics and community. This article takes a look at teaching citizenship to elementary students, and will give you 6 great ideas to use with your child.