Back to school
Halloween When Your Child Finds It Scary
Every classroom has two or three children for whom October is genuinely difficult. Opting out entirely is not the only option.
5 min read
For parents and teachers
Guides for Parents and Teachers
Short, practical guides on the questions that come up around early learning: what kindergarten math really covers, why children write letters backwards, how to teach letter shapes without a fight, and how to get more out of a printer. Every guide links to the printables it mentions.
- Back to school
- Teaching
- Printing
- Handwriting
- Early math
- Early literacy
Teaching
Talking About Gratitude With Young Children
Ask a class of six year olds what they are thankful for and you will get family, food, and their dog. There are better questions.
5 min read
Printing
What to Do With Kids on a Snow Day
The problem with a snow day is not the first two hours. It is hour four.
5 min read
Teaching
How to Use Worksheets Without Overdoing It
We publish worksheets. We also think most children are given too many of them, and the wrong ones.
6 min read
Back to school
Printables for the First Week of School
The first week is mostly logistics. The right printable is the one that needs no explaining.
5 min read
Printing
Printing Worksheets at Home Without Wasting Ink
Most printing problems with free printables come from three settings, and all three are in the same dialog box.
5 min read
Handwriting
Teaching Letter Formation Without Tears
Most handwriting battles are not about handwriting. They are about asking a hand to do two hard things at once.
6 min read
Early math
What Kindergarten Math Actually Covers
Counting to twenty is the visible part. Underneath it sit four quieter skills that decide whether the counting means anything.
7 min read
Early literacy
Why Children Write Letters and Numbers Backwards
A backwards 3 is not a warning sign. It is a memory problem wearing the costume of a vision problem.
5 min read