Reorganizing Your Literacy Block for Success in the New Year!

Somehow, the routines and expectations we set at the beginning of the year seem to go right out the window during December. The interruptions, changes of routine, and excitement of the upcoming days off can leave us to pick our battles as we work to ensure that the weeks leading up to the holiday break are fun for our students without causing ourselves to feel overwhelmed. Returning from the long holiday break is the perfect time to get your literacy block back on track! Learn how to revamp your literacy block to ensure that the second half of the school year is productive and stress-free!

Molly WheatleyDecember 28, 2024Daily 5, Literacy stations, literacy, Reading StationsComment

How to Incorporate Handwriting Instruction in the Classroom Daily

Every minute of the day is accounted for because there’s so much to fit in! And because time is so tight, if a lesson takes more time than I planned or our students come in 5 minutes late from recess, somethings gotta give…And it usually ends up being handwriting practice. But it’s not a lost cause! By finding creative and manageable ways to incorporate handwriting instruction into your daily classroom routine, it is possible to enhance your literacy outcomes without overloading your day.

Molly WheatleyDecember 21, 2024Handwriting, Literacy stations, literacy, Daily 5Comment

Keep Students Engaged During the Holidays: A Guide to Surviving December in the Classroom

December - by far - has to be the most challenging month as a teacher. This time of year is BUSY! There’s also so much going on! Practices for holiday performances, special events and projects, and don’t forget about the holiday party! With the upcoming break, students seem more unmotivated than ever. So how do you keep your students motivated during the holiday season without overwhelming yourself? Let’s explore some ways to reignite your student’s motivation and engagement to help you survive December with your sanity intact!

Molly WheatleyDecember 14, 2024Holidays, Daily 5, Literacy stationsComment

How to Use Elf on the Shelf in the Classroom for Engaging Holiday Writing Activities

I love adding a little thematic flair to my Daily 5 activities. With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to add a little holiday cheer to your literacy block. What’s my favorite way to add some Christmas spirit to my writing centers? Elf on the Shelf! With some careful planning and purposeful activities this holiday tradition can be productive and fun for both you and your students!

Molly WheatleyDecember 7, 2024Daily 5, Holidays, Literacy stations, literacyComment

Strategies to Master Daily 5 Expectations with Whole Brain Teaching

Mastering how to clearly explain expectations - and ensuring students actually follow them - is the key to a well-managed classroom, especially during independent work time (the heart of the Daily 5 framework!). However, getting students to stick to expectations without feeling like you're constantly nagging can be tricky. When I incorporated Whole Brain Teaching strategies, everything shifted for the better…

Molly WheatleyNovember 30, 2024Daily 5, Classroom management, Classroom expectations, Literacy stations, literacyComment

How to Make the Daily 5 Work in Your Fifth-Grade Classroom: Tips for Implementation Success

To be honest, when I switched to fifth grade, I was a bit skeptical about bringing my daily 5 practices with me. Would it be to “elementary” for my fifth-graders? Would I have their buy-in? Utilizing the Daily 5 to structure my literacy block for my fifth graders was the BEST decision I could have made for my students! With a few simple tweaks, the Daily 5 not only boosted my students' independence but also helped me cover the curriculum with ease. Want to know how I made it work? Read on to learn my secrets!

Molly WheatleyNovember 23, 2024Daily 5, Reading Stations, Fifth grade, Literacy stations, Classroom managementComment

Top Tips for Successfully Implementing the Daily 5 in Kindergarten

Struggling to keep your kindergarteners engaged while building strong literacy skills? Organizing an effective literacy block can feel impossible with so many moving parts—and with such short attention spans! Discover how implementing the Daily 5 framework can transform your kindergarten classroom. Learn how to build literacy skills, foster independence, and create a smooth, efficient literacy block that works!

Molly WheatleyNovember 16, 2024Daily 5, kindergarten readiness, literacy, Literacy stationsComment

Best Activity for Morning Meeting in the Classroom

Finding the right morning meeting activity can make or break your day. Being ill-prepared or choosing the “wrong” activity can easily derail your day, sort of like that feeling when you “get up on the wrong side of the bed”. Whether your district provides you with Morning Meeting activities for your classroom or you make it up as you go, creating consistency is important. That’s why I love having an activity that I can use every day that fits into a routine without being boring. This activity has to grab your student’s attention, spark conversation, and keep students engaged all day long. That’s where cute, baby animals come in!

Molly WheatleyNovember 9, 2024Elementary teacher, Baby animals, Morning routine, Morning meetingComment

Transform Your Fifth Grade Classroom with the Daily 5 Framework

Did you know the Daily 5 isn’t just for younger students? When I introduced the Daily 5 in fifth grade, my students loved the balance of independence and choice it gave them, which is exactly what upper elementary classrooms need. The Daily 5 in upper elementary classrooms helps cover all literacy goals while keeping students engaged, organized, and allowing me to run small groups without constant interruptions. Curious about how it works? Check out the full blog!

Molly WheatleyNovember 2, 2024Daily 5, Literacy stations, Elementary teacher, Reading Stations, Guided readingComment

Book Clubs in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Wanna know what I enjoy most about teaching fifth graders? Book Clubs! I know, I’m a bit of a Daily 5 junkie, but Book Clubs help me build strong relationships with my students while still teaching the content I need to cover. But choosing books for upper elementary Book Clubs can be a challenge, which is my I’m sharing my favorite books for upper elementary Book Clubs. These book recommendations are ones my students LOVE, and yours will, too!

Molly WheatleyOctober 26, 2024Daily 5, literacy, Literacy stations, Classroom managementComment

Get Involved

Get to Know Us