Brushing Up

So I have painting on the brain—interior house painting, to be exact. My husband and I are in the process of moving to the house he grew up in, and it needs some cosmetic improvements. His mom, who was a wonderful lady we all miss, had a thing for flowered wallpaper. We had the wallpaper…

Read More →

That’s a Big Word!

This Thursday, April 21, is Big Word Day! Yes, it’s one of those non-holidays…but this one sounds pretty entertaining to me, simply because you can make it a fun day in your classroom. Try out some of these engaging activities with your students:  Challenge students to seek out and learn a big word, use it…

Read More →

That’s Funny!

Tim Conway, the legendary comedian, passed away last week. When I found out, I spent some time watching some of his best outtakes from The Carol Burnett Show. They’re hilarious! If you’ve never watched them, you really should. Laughter is the best medicine. It relaxes the body and relieves stress. So when we can combine laughter…

Read More →

Happy Birthday, Kevin Henkes!

Tomorrow, November 27, is Kevin Henkes’ birthday! He’s the author of over 50 books, most of which he has illustrated as well. He’s well known for creating relatable characters that deal with familiar problems in whimsical and engaging ways. I did a bit of digging looking for interesting Kevin Henkes facts, and here’s what I…

Read More →

Did You Know…

Did you know that William Steig, award-winning author and illustrator of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, also wrote Shrek, the source for the fabulous Dreamworks movie? He sure did! And tomorrow is his birthday. William Steig was born in 1907 and passed away in 2003 at the age of 95. In addition to Sylvester and…

Read More →