Play Learn Grow Together

Learning Together Joyfully: Back to School

For many students, September is an exciting time—new friends, new teachers, new schools, new experiences. For others, it can be a month where anxieties and fears surface as they consider: the resumption of homework, a change in routines, fear of detentions or even the uncertainties associated with spending lunch at school. Educators have long supported children in the first weeks by being kind, building relationships as they forge strong relationships. They take time with their students and classmates and open discussions to build safe and caring classroom environments. Parents can also offer support by chatting with their children to learn more about how they are adjusting to the first days and weeks of school. A focus on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) goes hand in hand with building relationships and is now recognized for the important role it plays in student success in the classroom and in life. In the early years, children are learning to recognize and manage feelings, develop social skills, and practice both as they learn how to develop relationships and friendships. Parents and educators play an important role in motivating students at home and in the classroom. In order to instill and sustain a lifelong love of learning, motivation is a must. Educators and parents have common play-based learning goals for their children: Inspire and Incite excitement; Instill drive and resilience; Stimulate curiosity; Empower them to be successful; Support their strengths and weaknesses and; Help them make friends and work together.
Read more about how to support and motivate children. As always, the key role of play-based learning and adult involvement is the focus on all activities included in this blog as you Play, Learn, and Grow Together!

1.  Read and Sing together 📚 

A read-aloud is a powerful tool for parents, educators and care-givers.  During shared reading experiences, young children explore new worlds, hear new vocabulary, build relationships with their caregivers and classmates, and learn how to apply discussed concepts to their own lives. Many texts can also act as models for children to apply to their own writing.

BACK TO SCHOOL BOOKS:

The first days and weeks of school can set the tone for the rest of the school year. Reading aloud picture books about school can reassure children about what to expect in new situations and provide opportunities to share school and classroom expectations. Discussions can include school routines, making new friends, anxiety and fears. Some of the following recommended books relate to the difficulties and experiences children face throughout the school year and reinforce the themes of anxiety, confidence, courage, fears and being a risk-taker. Read-aloud books are a perfect way for parents to prepare children at home in August. Books are also a great way for educators to provide opportunities to get to know each other, encourage class discussions and figure out which values will define class’s identity.  You and your child can click on the links and enjoy reading the following back to school read-aloud picture books or check out your school and public library or bookstore to buy or borrow these recommended books.

• Hello World by Kelly Corrigan. Follow along to this beautiful story about the importance of asking questions and learning more about those around you. It is a good for children to be reminded that there’s more to people than we think. Everywhere we go, we can meet interesting people who add value to our life. This charmingly illustrated book is a great conversation starter to help children get to know one another.
  • During the first days of school consider trying one or more of these follow-up icebreaker activities with your students.

• A Letter from your Teacher on the first day of school  by Shannon Olsen. Through a letter written from the teacher’s point of view, students are given the message that their new teacher is someone with whom they will get to form a special bond. Their teacher is not only there to help them academically, but also to cheer them on, and to provide a caring, safe environment for them to learn and grow. During back to school time, teachers are wanting to set the tone for the new school year. In addition to establishing rules and procedures, they are ready to get to know their kids and start building positive relationships. This is a read aloud that helps lay that foundation and is a great starting point for get-to-know-you activities and class community building.
  • As a follow-up activity, consider asking children to turn to a friend and share what they are most looking forward to this school year.

• All are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. Join the call for a better world with this book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom!
  • As a follow-up activity, lead a discussion to highlight what inclusion, diversity, kindness, empathy, acceptance and community means. This will send a message to your students that everyone is welcome, no matter their race, religion, gender, culture and background.

• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes Chrysanthemum teaches us to be proud of ourselves, and to be sensitive and aware of what you say to others. Children learn that sometimes you may say things that can hurt without meaning to which is why it’s important to celebrate each other. Discussing names gets children thinking about and bonding with their own names and the names of everyone else in the class, and it’s the perfect vehicle for starting a discussion about treating classmates with tolerance, kindness, and compassion.
  • Follow-up Activity: There’s a story behind everyone’s name.  Ask children to speak to their mom, dad, grandma or grandpa to find out why they gave you your name and what it means. Remind them that it is import to celebrate their name and be proud! It identifies someone really special…it identifies them.
  • Complete the following “I am Proud of my Name” activity and use every child’s finished product  as decorations to build community and pride in the classroom.

• The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo. A compassionate group of children encourage their teacher to let them build a buddy bench. They understand that some children find the playground a lonely place. This story promotes kindness, empathy, loneliness and making friends. This illustrated verse captures the raucous life of a schoolyard with a welcome twist: The kids who have been feeling left out of schoolyard games lead the charge to build a buddy bench, where any child can go to meet new friends. There is further information about the worldwide Buddy Bench movement.
  • Follow-up Activity: Open a classroom discussion about why students in the story wanted to start a buddy bench and how classmates can support each other when playing on the playground.

• The Day you Begin by Jacqueline Woodson. In this beautiful story we learn the power of telling our own unique stories, and the friendships that can blossom by being true to ourselves. Perfect for the classroom, this book facilitates conversations about fitting in and being yourself. Starting fresh in a new environment, especially when you look around and think that nobody quite looks or sounds like you, can be scary. This lovely story will inspire your students to understand the gifts of individuality and underscore the importance of diversity.
  • Follow-up activity: organize students to play get-to-know-you bingo and find out just how much they have in common with their classmates.

• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. Brian struggles to make himself stand out. When he befriends a new student from Korea, he helps him grow in confidence and feel less invisible. The story promotes themes of loneliness, kindness and relationship skills. Children with disabilities are just like everyone else. They want to have friends and they want to belong. In this story, Brian feels invisible. He often sits by himself when the other children are playing. Brian’s experience at school changes when he makes a friend. A friend can make all the difference to some who is feeling invisible.
  • Through a follow-up discussion, remind children not to be afraid to reach out to someone who may seem different from them. Everyone needs a friend — and their kindness can make a big difference!

• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate. This is one of the more well-known back to school books. Miss Bindergarten and her students prepare for the first day of school. As the teacher organizes her room for her 26 new animal students they are introduced in alphabetical order.
  • Follow-up activity: Have children brainstorm other animals that start with each lett of the alphabet.

• We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan Higgins. Penelop Rex’s first day of school doesn’t quite go as planned when she eats her classmates. Not surprisingly, the other children are scared of her. She finally learns a lesson which helps her understand how her classmates feel. This story promotes empathy, self-management and making friends.
  • Follow-up activity: Try one (or more) of these fun team-building activities with your students.

MENTOR TEXTS: Narrative writing is present in all elementary school classrooms. Starting in Kindergarten, students will be writing (or telling) stories about themselves. Each year as students’ skills progress, they will be able to improvise and create elements of narrative stories from their imagination. The process of learning to write narrative stories begins early and takes repetition and practice.  Engaging children in writing activities reinforces that children are using their own words to compose a message to communicate with others. Read aloud stories are excellent resources because most are written in narrative form. Students benefit from exposure to the creative elements, vocabulary, and the narrative structure of the story all of which helps them to become strong writers, strengthen their reading, and advance their language proficiency. Check out the 10 Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing – Elementary Nest a few of which are found below.

Caitlin Black At Early Learners Activities

SUGGESTED READ ALOUD MENTOR TEXTS: Mentor texts offer young writers examples of writing they can model to enhance their own writing. The following read aloud books show learners how to apply certain concepts such as use of dialogue, or the use of sensory or emotional details or highlight appropriate topics to write about. Teachers can organize lessons that both demonstrate the writing process and actively engage children in the process.

How does Reading help children to Write?

• They absorb information about sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and  language skills which they use in their writing and speaking.
• Familiarizes them with different writing styles and helps them discover innovative ways to use words, punctuation and illustrations.
• Broadens their perspective of places, the people living there, and their customs. 
• Builds empathy and cultural awareness that will reflect in their writing.
• Develops critical thinking skills, writers must think critically about several things such as the motives of the characters in the book, and construct the plot logically,
• Enhances imagination and cognitive skills, Reading improves your memory and overall cognitive function and is an exercise for your brain. A British study found that reading for pleasure improves one’s literacy and math ability.

 conversationsinliteracy.blogspot….

•  Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe. This book is about a young boy who catches a jar full of fireflies. He is so proud and loves their light, how it shines like the moon. He feels like having a jar of fireflies is like having his own slice of moonlight. However, as time goes on, he notices that the fireflies lights begin to dim. It is then, when he realizes that he needs to set them free. This story is a good mentor text for narrative writing because it reminds children to think about memories that taught them something. Sharing these kinds of stories allows children to learn more about one another.

• Summer Supper by Ruben Pfeffer. Reminiscing about recent experiences is often the first step for young writers to craft effective personal narrative pieces. Seasonal titles that portray activities to which students are likely to connect, like planting a garden then cooking and eating with family can spark ideas to create a story. Presenting attainable models is so important for giving students confidence in their writing abilities. This title uses minimal language and communicates much of the narrative via the illustrations, making it a useful example for younger writers. It also uses the letter “S” to start every word in the book. Consider brainstorming to develop word banks with children before they start writing. 
  • After reading this book, you may wish to share this video on how to make Succotash.

• New Shoes by Chris Raschka. Written simply, this book chronicles a classic rite of childhood: getting new shoes! Use this story to encourage children to choose one event to write about in detail. Discuss how the illustrations are focused, with their knees-down, shoes-only view, and how the narrator describes the holes in his old sneakers and the new shows children how to incorporate inner monologue and emotion in manageable ways. E.g. (“They are a little pinchy right there.”) (“How about these?” the narrator wonders. “Comfy! I like them! I want to show Emma!”).
  • Ask children to brainstorm ideas of how to write interesting dialogue.

• Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Time spent with favorite people is a great source of inspiration for students’ personal narratives; this energetic text shows students how to describe a character and then focus on one memorable shared experience. The young narrator waits eagerly for Grandma Mimi to arrive with her purse full of treasures. On this special visit, it even contains a present!
  • Use this story as an example of how students can write about one important topic or about a special memory  about their grandmother.

• Big Mama’s by Donald Crews. This story describes the family’s trip by train to their Bigmama’s house in Florida. Crew’s uses sensory details describing the sights and sounds of the trip. This book can also act as a reminder to children about how to build connections to the memories we make when spending time with family. It shows that we can all have different experiences, but still grasp the memories and lessons learned as we grow up.
  • Children can build on their memories about important family members and write a story including sights and sounds about their trip to visit this family member. 

•  Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee. If your students love roller coasters or even love the idea of roller coasters, maybe never having been on one, this book is perfect. This is an exciting story of a roller coaster, with a line of riders eagerly waiting for their turn. With a rider in line who has never ridden a coaster before, a hilarious range of emotional reactions are displayed. The story details the zipping, zooming, turning, and swerving of a roller coaster ride and will make your students remember a time they have felt such exhilaration OR it will make them hope to ride a roller coaster themselves! The style of writing for this narrative writing makes the story thrilling, with each page making you want to read more.
  • Ask children to brainstorm what the author did to share in the excitement and engage the reader.

• Enemy Pie by Derek Munson. This book is another perfect mentor text for your narrative writing unit. There is a new kid in the neighborhood who is ruining the perfect summer. This young boy was ready to let his summer be ruined by his new “enemy number one,” until his dad teaches him the best way to get rid of enemies is to make Enemy Pie. The only thing is, that part of the secret recipe is spending the entire day playing with the enemy first! The endearing tale of the worst enemy turned best friend will help teach students about kindness, acceptance, and friendship. Ask children to focus on the problem and solution in this story.
  • Children can write about problems and solutions they have thought of to maintain friendships or they can write stories of how their best friend came into their lives!

• Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. When young writers first begin learning about personal narrative, reading stories that have an easily identifiable beginning, middle, and end really helps. The plot structure of this title does this well: Jabari, his dad, and his sister go to the pool. Jabari gets ready to jump off the diving board. After some hesitation, he makes his dive and celebrates with his family. Like any strong narrative, there’s more to the story, though. Jabari’s feelings are perfect examples to encourage students to write more about their emotions. He’s excited, nervous, downright scared (that diving board is HIGH!), and, in the end, proud!
  • Discuss how the author organizes the story around a beginning, middle and end.

• Life on Mars by Jon Agee. A young astronaut travels to Mars in search of life. He observes the terrain around him (“Mars is pretty gloomy. More gloomy than I thought.”) and starts to doubt that there is anyone living on the planet. Little does he know, a large and very confused Martian trails him the whole way. This witty book provides an imaginative example of a boy’s observations of his out-of-this-world experience — and kids will love the unexpected twist at the end.
  • Ask children how this story highlights humour and how an expected ending makes for an interesting read.

• Magnolia Mudd and the Super Jumptastic Launcher Deluxe by Katey Howes. Magnolia loves inventing crazy “Mudd-powered” contraptions with her Uncle Jamie. She’s skeptical when he asks her to be the flower girl in his wedding, so he challenges her to define a more appealing role. She tackles the task with gusto, her voice shining throughout thanks to the author’s use of punctuation, bolded words, and exact language. Chart examples of exclamation marks, ellipses, and catchy lines such as “I hooked our leaf blower to a jug of paint, added a hose and nozzle, whipped up some super-cool stencils, and took my creation for a test drive,” to give students ideas for adding plenty of interest to their own writing.

SONGS: Songs develop a child’s listening skills and auditory memory. During action songs they need to listen to perform the correct action at the appropriate time. Listening to the chorus especially when prompted to join in requires their focus and attention . Listening and singing to the words of songs improves a child’s auditory memory. Both of these skills are excellent for developing reading skills and building their concentration.

SONGS: BACK TO SCHOOL – Children will enjoy singing these songs as they begin to get in to the mindset of going back to school.

• Back at School! by Jack Hartman.
• Back to School Song for Kids.
• Back to School (Cocomelon).
• Welcome Back to School.
• Count’s First Day at School Sesame Street.
• First Day of School with Cookie Monster Sesame Street. 
• Elmo’s first day of School Sesame Street.
• Hello, Hello, What do you know – a song to  sing during circle time.
• The Minions share Class Rules.
• Using Polite Words.

MENTOR TEXTS:

• Using Mentor Texts Effectively (Educators)
• Helping Your Child Turn Favorite Books into Mentor Texts to Improve their Writing (Parents & Educators)

2. Create together: Games, Creating and Constructing 🧩 

BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

• Younger children will enjoy this fun September art activity. Ask them to go and collect fallen leaves as a mini class field trip or ask them to bring some in from home.
  • Using the Tree Identification Key identify the leaves.
  • Challenge children to make a picture using only paper, leaves, pens and glue. Maybe they can make leaf-monsters.
• At the outset of the school year, when discussing self-regulation and appropriate coping strategies in the classroom or at home, you may wish to download this list of different Coping Strategies and then have children follow directions to make a Coping Strategies Wheel which can be a great tool to support them as they learn to manage their emotions.

• Consider discussing and sharing ideas from this problem-solving wheel with children. Following the discussion, children can create their own and attach it to the top of their desk.

• Consider downloading this free Coping Strategies Notebook tool that kids can cut and paste to create to practice their coping strategies when they need them.

• Roll it To Know It Game: This game helps students reconnect with their friends and consider meaningful questions and answers to ask to help build relationships. Students get to know about each other’s stories by playing the dice game “Roll It To Know It”. Students engage in a Q & R (question and response) based on the number rolled on the dice. In order for us to truly know one another we need to do two things: Ask questions and Listen carefully. Parents may wish to review these questions at home to reinforce the idea of being a good listener as children learn ways to take an interest in other people.
  • Here are the printable Instructions and Game Cards. 
• Encourage children to cut out and create the following self-regulation posters and activities as they learn to be more in touch with their emotions: 
  • Download the Chart:  How Do I Feel? 
  • Download the Chart Are you Aware of your Feelings?
  • Download the  Emotions Check-In sheet.

3. Explore, Engage & Interact together 🌍

BACK TO SCHOOL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:

• You may find it useful to discuss triggers that make you angry and then ask children to complete an Anger Management log to better understand their anger triggers.

• Read the book Listening with my Heart: a story of kindness and self-compassion, sing It’s easy to be Kind and download how to teach positive self-talk including a list of positive thinking affirmations. Have a follow-up class discussion about the importance of being you and feeling good about who you are.

• Kindness Activity – Download this lesson and kindness chart challenge to promote a positive climate in the classroom and at home.

• Conversation Skills Lessons – Children can practice conversation skills that show interest and respect toward others.

• Perspective-Taking Lessons – this is a great way to teach how to develop empathy by thinking from others’ perspectives.

• In the first days of school, download this free list of over 30 Getting to Know You Questions to help kids build positive relationships and get to know each other better.

• Consider these Conversation Starters templates with over 20 free printable cards to start meaningful discussions.

• Bullying is an age-old problem and comes in many forms, especially in today’s digital world. The good news is that there are many good anti-bullying resources available for parents and teachers to use at home or school. 

• Check for more Anti Bullying Customizable Design Templates | from PosterMyWall.
• Read the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes where a child is bullied by her classmates; review and select an appropriate video from this collection of 15 Anti-Bullying Videos for kids aged 4 to 15. 
  • Anti-bullying videos are opportunities to invite discussion about the problem of bullying, your expectations about how to treat others while at school, and review strategies to build children’s confidence to better manage a range of bullying situations.

BACK TO SCHOOL:  Preparing your classroom at the beginning of the school year is not only about celebrating your orderly collections of supplies and beautiful bulletin boards. Although that is part of the fun, there is also research about the importance of making classrooms warm, inviting, inspiring and visually interesting. Evermore important is the need to ensure children feel competent, have independence and choice and feel that they belong. (Read more about Self-Determination & Motivation theory in the Reflect section found below.) The following suggestions are intended to support and motivate children and to assist adults to build strong relationships in a kind, caring, and safe environment.

• Meet the Teacher: This annual September event is another strategy to build strong partnerships between the home and school. When the parents and educators are working together to support similar goals, then children thrive so much better in all aspects of their education. This meeting can encourage parents to play an active role in their child’s school activities. The child feels more responsible and supported at school when their parents and teachers are well-connected and there is strong two-way communication. This communication ensures parents have an understanding of class routines and also has realistic expectations for their child’s performance. The following are some free downloadable templates for teachers to consider as they start off the year communicating with parents in a professional, positive, kind and supportive manner..
  • Free Meet the Teacher Template by Dani Soto Castillo | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)
  • Free Meet The Teacher Templates by Creative Little Spot | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)
  • Meet The Teacher Editable Template: FREE by MadeForFirstGrade | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)

USE OF POSTERS AT HOME OR IN THE CLASSROOM: Sharing concepts via posters can improve metacognition practice (when children think about how they think and learn) and support children who are both verbal and non-verbal processors. Posters with accompanying songs and read aloud books can be an effective way to reinforce learning and spark relevant discussions.

• Consider the following ideas:.
  • Display posters that remind students about integrity, kindness, respect, working hard and a positive growth mindset. After reading and discussing some of the recommended books you may also wish to ask children to create posters to display in the classroom.
  • Looking for more posters? Consider downloading some of these classroom posters to initiate discussion with students to Reinforce a Growth Mindset and Positivity with Visual Cues (knowledgeworks.org). There are also more free Posters available to download from talkingtreebooks.com. 
• Read The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwid and The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo. with a follow-up discussion to highlight what integrity means and how to be kind and compassionate to support classmates. If interested, read about 15 more books about kindness. Download this Integrity Poster.

• After viewing the video The Magic of Mistakes and reading the books We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan Higgins or Beautiful Oops by Barney Salzberg or Your Fantastic and Elastic Brain.  Ask children to think about how making a mistake feels. Are they ever happy, proud or frustrated by the mistakes they make? Ask them to think about a recent mistake they made and how they can learn from mistakes? Ask them what  “mistakes can make you smarter” means? Interested in reading more titles? Read this article How to Use Books to Support Children in Making Mistakes — Express Yourself, NC (expressyourselfnc.com). .

• Read an article that includes more books about Respect and if interested sign up for this free Golden Rule poster shown below:.

• After completing many of these Back to School SEL activities either at school or at home, you may wish to have a discussion with children to highlight all the reasons why positive thinking and self-talk are important:
  • Recognizing their personal strengths and capabilities increases self-esteem;
  • Develops resilience as they make mistakes and learn to get back up, focus on positive thinking and say, “Here’s what to do better next time”;
  • When you feel better about yourself and think “ I can do this” you’re more likely to accomplish necessary tasks during difficult times and improve your motivation;
  • When mental health is in a positive place physical health often follows ensuring healthier immune systems, improved sleep, and even increases life expectancy.
  • Learning to use positive thoughts to direct their thinking and actions reduces stress;
  • Encourages reasonable risk-taking as they bounce back and are not afraid to step outside their comfort zone; 
  • Serves as a life-long coping strategy that can be used anywhere and anytime to help with friends, in relationships, and later in life in the workplace.

4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition 👭

NUTRITION: BACK TO SCHOOL:

Where did the summer go? With the arrival of a new school year, that means it’s time to start thinking about ideas for packed lunches. Let’s face it – it is not always that enjoyable to think up new and interesting ideas and then taking the time to prepare every day! So – here you will find some fun and healthy back-to-school lunch ideas that will hopefully have your kids looking forward to returning to the classroom. Consider encouraging your children to organize and pack their own lunches as throughout the year they tend to tire of certain foods and change their preferences. One way to support them is to give them different options such as the picture below from which they can make their choices. Parents are busy and an adorably arranged bento box with cut out sandwiches and fruit to make your child’s lunch special is not very realistic for busy parents. Having a simple lunch filled with nutrition and wholesome bites will leave you and your children much happier. 

HEALTHY LUNCH CONSIDERATIONS:

• Check out some of these creative but healthy lunch ideas:
• You may wish to read more suggestions about how to combine these suggested back to school lunch options. 
• Take a look at these back to school lunch ideas that also include dairy and gluten free options.
• These back to school lunch ideas include many energy bites and simple to make creative ideas.

LUNCHBOX NOTES:

• To add additional emotional support and humour to your child’s lunchbox you may wish to include a note – especially in the first days of school:
  • Lunchbox Love Notes
  • Encouraging and Uplifting Notes
  • Lunchbox Fruit Jokes
  • Support and Laugh Notes
  • Back to School Jokes
  • Handwritten Jokes and Encouragement
• After school, check-in with your child, encourage discussion, and offer emotional support as needed. You might consider asking questions such as:
  • Did anything funny happen today? 
  • How was your teacher today? 
  • Was anything easy/hard today? 
  • Who did you sit with at lunch? 
  • Did anyone have the same snack/lunch/shirt/toy as you today? 

NUTRITION AND INDIGENOUS LEARNINGS:

• As we continue to focus on reconciliation consider:
  • Teaching children about the process of harvesting and fishing for Oolichans/Eulachons by watching this video  (10:39 min.) of Nathan who had the opportunity to go and capture the experience on film. In this video he shows us the entire harvesting process from getting the boat ready to cooking up some of the catch.  Students might reflect on Nathan’s teachings about patience, mother nature and the importance of giving back to the community or use the video to create a list of the sequential steps that Nathan followed on his fishing adventure, before writing their own “how-to” list.

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

UNDERSTANDING SELF-DETERMINATION & MOTIVATION THEORY As you reflect on what activities and conditions make sense to motivate children consider that there are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is internal and the motivation is because of their interest, enjoyment or satisfaction from learning the material. Intrinsic motivation typically means children have better performance and achievement. Extrinsic motivation is derived from a more external source and involves an associated reward such as approval from parents or teachers. Self-Determination researchers believe these two types of motivation, are powerful forces in shaping who we are and how we behave. Both drive children to meet the following three basic needs:  Competence where required tasks meet student capabilities; Autonomy where children have choice over goals and required tasks; and Relatedness where children feel they belong, are connected and cared for by teachers and parents. This is important information as parents and educators reflect on how best to create a positive learning environment that will motivate children and inspire them to become lifelong learners. 

IMPORTANCE OF TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS

IMPORTANCE OF MENTOR TEXTS: The first years of children’s reading and writing importantly emphasizes wide exposure to print and to developing concepts about its forms and functions. Classrooms filled with print, language and literacy, storybook reading, and writing allow children to experience this joy.