Christmas Classroom Ideas

Are you looking for some classroom ideas to help you celebrate Christmas over these last few weeks of school? I have collated 9 of the best hands-on Christmas classroom ideas for your kindergarten or preschool classroom.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle20 December 2021christmas, kindergarten, prep, preschool, hands-on learning, play based, play based learning, play based classroom Comment

Teaching Rhyming Words

If you are wondering why you need to be teaching rhyming words in Preschool or Kindergarten and how to effectively teach the skill of rhyming to your students, this blog post is for you.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle8 November 2021rhyme, rhyming words, word families, literacy, kindergarten, preschool, grade 1, hands-on learning, teachingComment

Piaget and Play Based Learning

Piaget’s theories of cognitive development have influenced our modern play pedagogies. See how Piaget and play based learning go hand-in-hand and how his theories reinforce the idea that children learn through play. Discover some practical play-based learning ideas for your classroom.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle11 October 2021play based, play based learning, play based classroom, piaget, early childhood, early years, hands-on learning Comments

Why Teach Science in Early Childhood

Do you feel Science is just one more thing to add on to your already crammed curriculum? Are you thinking “Why Teach Science in Early Childhood?” Find out why you need early childhood science education in your classroom and how you are probably already teaching it.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle27 September 2021early childhood, science, teaching science, early childhood science, inquiry, inquiry skills, early years science, kindergarten science, preschool science, first grade science, grade one science, grade 1 science, Australian curriculum, play based learningComment

43 Rhyming Activities for Kindergarten

Discover 43 hands-on rhyming activities to help you teach rhyming and word families to your kindergarten and preschool children. These educational rhyming games and hands-on activities are an effective and fun way to teach rhyming words. Perfect for your literacy lessons and centers.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle8 July 2021Daily 5, literacy, phonological awareness, phonics, playbased, play based, reading, writing, rhyme, spelling, hands-on learning Comments

Stages of Development - Piaget

Piaget’s theories on cognitive development were groundbreaking for the world of education. To this day, Piagetian theories continue to influence curriculum design and implementation. This blog post will take a close look at Jean Piaget’s Stages of development in children.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle31 May 2021investigations, playbased, planning, cognitive development, hands-on, teaching, early years, early childhood Comment

Use a Rhyming Basket to Teach Rhyming Words

Discover how to teach rhyming words with a playful rhyming basket activity. Perfect for kindergarten, this hands-on rhyming basket idea builds rhyming skills for phonological awareness.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle15 May 2021rhyme, phonological awareness, literacy, reading, spelling, phonics, Australian curriculum, ACARAComment

Teaching Science in Early Childhood

Find out how to effectively teach the early childhood science curriculum in just 40min a week. The children in my class reach curriculum benchmarks easily. In fact, they learn so much more than the mandated curriculum.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle22 April 2021inquiry, investigations, planning, playbased, provocations, science, play based, early years, early childhood, teaching science, reggio, walker learning, integrated curriculum, investigative play, developmental playComment

5 Picture Books for Your Classroom Maker Space

There are many wonderful children’s books to inspire and provoke creativity in a classroom Maker Space. Discover five of our must-have picture books for your creative learning provocations.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle11 April 2021play based, makerspace, box construction, construction, investigations, picture books, playbased, readingComment

79 Rhyming Books for Kindergarten and Preschool

An illustrated list of early childhood picture books for teaching rhyming words to preschoolers and kindergarten children. There are 79 rhyming word books perfect for read-alouds and developing phonemic awareness.

You will appreciate the focus on Australian authors and storylines depicting cultural diversity and inclusive education themes in this up to date list.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle26 February 2021investigations, literacy, phonological awareness, reading, rhyme, picture books Comment

Planning For the First Week of School in Kindergarten

Feeling overwhelmed planning for your first week of kindergarten? Discover my proven tips and download my real-life planning to help you start the Foundation Stage school year with confidence!

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle22 January 2021planning, play based, back to school, kindergarten Comments

Personalised Writing Goals

Want to improve your student’s writing skills? Use personalised writing goals! Learn how to set achievable and challenging writing goals to improve your children’s writing skills and download my free writing goal template.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle19 May 2020Daily 5, literacy, writingComment

Teaching Sight Words

Teaching sight words or high frequency words is still essential for early readers to build fluency and confidence. The Science of Reading isn’t just about decoding! Teachers still need to help their children learn sight words.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle28 April 2020Daily 5, literacy, reading, sight words Comment

DIY Kids Easter Hats Ideas for School

Looking for fun and easy DIY kids Easter hat ideas for school? Discover step-by-step tips, creative hat inspiration, and free planning resources to make your Easter Hat Parade a success!

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle17 March 2020Easter, early childhood, art, makerspace, easter hatsComment