student engagement – Page 2

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

Count, Tally, & Graph

Much of what we teach our students is taught in layers, starting with foundational skills and knowledge, then we move onto the next level of difficulty, then the next, and so on. You can’t expect a preschooler to be able to do multi step equations when they are still learning to count, nor would you assume a third grader can tell you the differences between types of cells when they don’t even know what a cell is. It just wouldn’t make sense, and would lead to frustration on all sides.

Skill building is especially important when dealing with math. Sometimes as adults, we don’t realize how much we already do know, because working through the processes and methods we’ve learned is almost automatic for our brains. We know what addition is. We know what it means to make a tally mark. We understand what a graph is and how to make one.

This week in preschool, my daughter learned how to count objects, tally them up, then make a graph. It is such a simple skill for my older kids (and for me), that it made me pause and realize that she’s just learning how to do those things. And you know what? That’s exciting! She’s learning new concepts and figuring out how to do things, and I love it!

So… if you teach preschool or even kindergarten, and you are working on graphing (or will be soon), I’ve got a fun worksheet you can use! Below is a download for a transportation themed Count, Tally, and Graph activity. Feel free to print it and use it in your classroom.

** This download is for classroom or personal use only. Do not sell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Count, Tally, & Graph Transportation Download

April 15, 2026April 15, 2026

Helping Students Manage Stress

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Two things are certain in life: death and taxes.” And while that’s true, I would add a third certainty: stress. Everyone will, at one point or another, experience stress in their lives. The level of severity might differ, but the existence of stressors is a given.

I wish I could say that stress only happens once you’re an adult, but that’s just not the case. Kids and teens are experiencing stress early on. As adults, we have had more time to figure out how to handle the various kinds of stresses that come into our lives. But for teens and kids, managing stress can be overwhelming when they don’t have knowledge of or access to proper stress management techniques. Teachers have a unique opportunity to be able to incorporate those kinds of skills and techniques into their curriculum, thus providing the rising generation with the tools they will need to manage the stress they encounter.

You may have a few techniques that you know work, but there are always more to learn and try. Below are some stress management techniques you might consider teaching your students.

Teach students to organize and prioritize their time. Show them how to use a planner or digital task tracker. When you feel more organized, tasks feel easier to take on.
Help students to learn and practice various breathing techniques for high stress moments.
Practice mindfulness as a class, then teach them to practice it individually.
Belly breathing– this helps to redirect their focus and calm their nervous systems.
Physical activity– movement does amazing things for the brain, and is a great way to release emotional energy.
Journaling- doing a brain dump is a great way for kids to get everything out that is stressing them so they feel like they can move forward.
Art- creating art is a great stress reliever! It’s a really good creative outlet that can help students refocus.
Encourage students to get a good night’s sleep. Solid sleep has amazing benefits in so many areas.
Teach students to use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: identify 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. You can practice this together as a class and have students write their answers down, then as they get comfortable with the process, they can do it on their own.
Teach your class how to do progressive muscle relaxation as a way to calm down in stressful situations.
Do regular brain breaks during class time as a way to break up the time, get students moving, and to give their minds a break from the rigors of learning.

Kids of all ages can benefit from these stress management techniques. Providing kids with proper tools can help them tremendously, and can help them turn to healthy ways to manage stress rather than unhealthy ways.

April 10, 2026April 10, 2026

Springtime Find & Count

Springtime is my favorite season– the world is waking up after a cold winter, the trees blossom, and tulips and daffodils poke their sleepy heads out of the dirt. It is simply glorious! It feels like a breath of fresh air, and the sunshine brings so much joy.

Students can feel it, too. There’s a little extra excitement and happiness in the air, and it’s just so much fun! Bringing the feeling of a new season into your classroom is a great way to engage students and get them excited about learning. And as I’ve said countless times before, when fun and learning meet, magic happens.

To help you bring the magic of Spring into your classroom, I’ve created a Springtime Find & Count page you can print off and share with your class. The file includes both black and white and color versions for all printing needs.

This download is for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, re-post, or claim as your own.

Springtime Find & Count Download

April 7, 2026April 7, 2026

Spring Break Savers

Spring Break season is upon us, the weather is starting to get warmer, and the end of the school year is creeping up. School breaks are essential for students and teachers alike. The break from the rigors of school work gives everyone a chance to rest, relax, and mentally get ready for the next chunk of the school year. While the breaks are nice, it sometimes leaves parents trying to find ways to keep their kids engaged and entertained. Below is a list of fun, engaging, and educational activities for kids of all ages!

Using sidewalk chalk, make an obstacle or challenge course on the sidewalk or driveway. Include different movements (spinning, jumping, hopping, etc.) to keep kids paying attention to what comes next!
Head to your local library and check out a few books to read together.
Create a “Spring Break Challenge”– kids must complete 8/10 tasks to receive their reward (that can be whatever you choose). Give them two tasks they must do– tasks that are essential life skills– then provide them a list of other options to pick from. Tasks can include things like write a letter then correctly address it and mail it, learn to sew a pillow, learn how to mow the lawn, make a treat for someone you know is lonely, do a sibling’s chore without being asked, make a meal for the family, and so on.
Take a walk around the neighborhood and take pictures of anything interesting you see. Go home and learn more about the things you took pictures of.
Have kids draw up plans for their dream backyard.
Have each child learn how to do one new thing, then have them teach another family member how to do it.
Using a muffin tin and water, freeze small plastic animals or figures. Have the kids imagine they are scientists on a rescue mission to save the animals. Let them experiment with different ways to melt the ice– using syringes, medicine droppers, scoops of water, and so on.
Go outside at different times of the day and observe the different lengths and positions of shadows. Learn why this changes throughout the day.
Let kids use their imaginations and creative thinking to create an obstacle course out of everyday things. Let them think through things as they come across problems.
For older kids, give them each $5, and send them around the store to purchase something for a family member. This gives them a chance to think of someone else, and helps them pay attention to costs of items compared to what they have available to them.

Breaks can feel overwhelming at times, but there are plenty of low cost or free activities to keep your kids engaged, entertained, and active during times away from school. Try some of these activities and let us know what you think!

March 31, 2026March 31, 2026

CVC Easter Eggs

Last week, I shared some fun ways to use Easter eggs in your classroom. Today I have one more idea you can use!

If you have students who are learning consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, this activity would be perfect for your kiddos. Using the downloadable file below, students can practice reading and recognizing various CVC words.

There are two pages to the file: the first is the student worksheet, and the second is the teacher page. Teachers, cut out the word strips on the second page, and put each strip into an Easter egg. Give each student a set of eggs with the word strips in them. As they open each egg, they can read the word strip, then glue it on the worksheet under the corresponding picture.

This download is for personal or classroom use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own.

CVC Easter Eggs Download

March 26, 2026March 26, 2026

Jelly Bean Math

Continuing with fun Easter themed activities for your classroom, today we’ll use jelly beans as a learning tool. The best part of using jelly beans is that your students can eat them when they are done with them! A fun, engaging learning activity and a treat?! Sounds like my kind of fun!

This activity would be best for first or second grade on up. Give each student a small bag of jelly beans. Using the download below, have them sort their beans by color, count how many of each color they have, then create a graph showing their results.

Jelly bean math is a low-prep activity, which makes it very teacher friendly, and is fun, engaging, and educational, which makes it great for everyone involved!

Download the worksheets below and try it out with your class! Happy sorting and graphing!

**This download is free, and is for personal or classroom use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own.**

Jelly Bean Sorting & Graphing Download

March 24, 2026March 24, 2026

Using Easter Eggs to Teach

Kids, especially younger ones, love hands-on activities. The movement feels like play time, and also helps build important neural pathways and connections. There are also benefits for increasing hand-eye coordination as students manipulate objects.

In the weeks leading up to Easter, I love to use plastic Easter eggs as manipulatives and learning tools. There are so many things you can do with them to make learning fun and engaging! The activities listed below are mostly geared toward preschool or kindergarten aged kiddos, but I’m sure older kids would enjoy them as well.

Put rice or beans into eggs to make music shakers. Be sure to tape the eggs closed so you don’t end up with rice or beans all over your classroom!
Add eggs to a sensory bin for students to find.
Use eggs as a measuring tool– how many eggs tall is each student? How many eggs wide is their desk? How many eggs would it take to measure from one side of the classroom to the other? *For older kids, you could then have them measure the egg then calculate the actual distance.
Have students do a color sort with the eggs. Make it more challenging by hiding eggs around the room for them to find first.
Hide eggs around the room. Divide the students into small groups and assign each group a color. Whichever team finds all of their eggs first wins the game.
Make a chart with each upper case letter of the alphabet on it. Then, write each lower case letter of the alphabet on small pieces of paper. Put the papers in the eggs, hide the eggs, and have students find them. As they find each egg, they must match it to the correct upper case letter.
Inside each egg, put a piece of paper containing whatever it is they are working on learning– simple math equations, sight words, spelling words, trivia questions, etc. Hide the eggs around the room or in a sensory bin.
Put students in small teams. Give each team a container of egg halves. Set a timer and see which team can make the tallest tower from their egg halves in the time given.
Students can use eggs to form letters or sight words.
Print off two sets of identical Easter egg pictures. Cut them out and have students play memory. You can also hide one set around the room and have them find each egg and find the match in the other set. (see photo below)
Using the printed eggs, write a math equation, sight word, spelling word, etc. Students can pick an egg and complete the task on the egg.
Easter egg mix & match– Print the downloadable file below, then color each egg one color on top, and a second color on the bottom. Give students the cards and a container of egg halves. They can make eggs to match each card. (see photos below)

These activities would be so much fun for younger grades– give them a try with your students and let us know how they go! Parents of young children, these would be fun for you to try at home, too!

Students can make eggs to match each card

Easter Egg Mix & Match Download