I tried this a few years ago and it has been so helpful in running my class smoothly. 

1. Make sure you number your students 

2. Assign 2 numbers a week as class helpers to complete ALL of the jobs you need done 

3. Go in numerical order each week assigning new numbers.

Click here to get your own copy

Class Coupons & Positive Notes Home

Incentives for students that are free are HUGE for teachers. I love to pass coupons out for holidays and general freebies. 

You can change the rewards to include rewards that fit your own needs.

Snag your own copy here.

Positive Notes Home

It's important to make a positive connection with families ASAP. I use this pre-typed note to help make it easier. 

The goal is to ALWAYS send a positive note home with every child in the first week of school. That way when you make a correction, you have already made positive contact with the families. I try to write 6-7 a day in the first week.

Get a copy here.

🍎 Teaching students how to record and upload videos can be tedious. They need tons of support. 

Here is a quick tutorial you can share with students with visual supports. 

Click here to make your own copy of these slides.

you can use this feature for students to record and insert video reflections of their work into Google Slides, Docs, etc. 

🍎 student safety is the #1 priority. I keep mini rosters, schedules allergies/medication lists, and emergency contacts with me at all times. 

I use this slide deck and print 16 per page. Then I laminate them, hole punch, and clip onto my lanyard.

Click here to make your own copy of these slides.

I can't rave enough about the research behind The Knowledge Gap in students. 

Resources and Tools are on the Knowledge Matters Campaign Website 

The Book: The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and How to Fix it is full of research and practical tools.

2.3.2025 

Supporting struggling readers can be challenging because learning to read encompasses many different things. (see my post above on how you learn to read). 

You must screen students with reading difficulties to know where they need help. These are some of my favorite screeners to use - many are from LETRS. The International Dyslexia Association accredits LETRS professional learning and aligns with their Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. 

I shared my favorite resources for getting Kindergarten ready here. These are great resources to support reading interventions for students beyond kinder.

I shared Chip Wood's Yardsticks book as a must-read in the Books Section of the blog. Here is a PDF checklist I use as a screener for meeting milestones.