K-2 Primary

Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in elementary school grades K-2.

Culturally Responsive Teaching
22 Diverse Book Choices for All Grade Levels
Suggestions from teachers who are working to offer students at every grade level book choices that represent their lives.
Formative Assessment
60-Second Strategy: TAG Feedback
This quick exercise scaffolds peer critique for elementary students.
Character Education
Civics In the Elementary Classroom
There are plenty of opportunities for teaching young children how to take action on issues that are important to them.
Learning Environments
The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn
Imagine a safe space where students with autism can go to calm their bodies and then get back to the business of learning.
Mental Health
Making Students Feel Safe
A trauma-informed approach ensures that students feel safe, supported, and nurtured—to improve their chances of academic success.
Response to Intervention
A Daily Support System for Students
Students who need extra social and emotional support have a quick check-in with an adult at the start and end of each day.
Social and Emotional Learning
Teaching Self-Regulation by Modeling
When teachers explicitly recognize and respond to their emotions in class, students learn to engage in these processes themselves.
Social and Emotional Learning
Bringing a Dog to School
A veteran teacher and administrator makes the case for having a therapy dog in elementary school.
Literacy
What Doesn’t Work: Literacy Practices We Should Abandon
The number one concern that I hear from educators is lack of time, particularly lack of instructional time with students. Although we can't entirely solve the time problem, we can mitigate it by carefully analyzing our use of class time.
Brain-Based Learning
Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills
Simple classroom strategies can assist students with deficits in executive function skills like time management and active listening.
Teacher Wellness
Prioritizing Teacher Self-Care
It’s a simple self-care strategy: Teachers text a colleague to cover their class for a minute when they need to de-escalate and recharge.
Maker Education
Learning Problem Solving and Growth Mindset in a Makerspace
Makerspaces build students’ cognitive abilities while fostering independence, perseverance, and self-regulation.
Social and Emotional Learning
60-Second Strategy: Guided Meditation
A short contemplative exercise can help students calm themselves and get ready to learn.
Social and Emotional Learning
Creating a Dedicated Space for Reflection
Providing students with a quiet spot where they can calm themselves in times of stress helps them develop self-regulation.
Creativity
4 Ways to Develop Creativity in Students
Creativity is a valuable skill, and there are common strategies teachers can use to help students develop it.