Free Classroom Reading Poster

WEBSITE ↬ Free Classroom Reading Poster & Activities

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ ELA

GRADE LEVELS ↬ elementary & middle school

This is so fun!!!! What a great way to encourage your students to read ... and read a lot! And don't just stop at the poster, be sure to look at the activities that are also included.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to encourage students to read ... a lot!

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Library Grants Worth Knowing About (Spring 2026 Edition)

WEBSITE ↬ Library Grants Worth Knowing About (Spring 2026 Edition)

AUDIENCE ↬ school librarians & admins

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I work closely with the media specialists in all of our buildings. They are some of the most valuable staff members who do so much for so many of us and are often overlooked and underfunded. They sure know how to stretch a dollar! Share this with your media specialist so they know where and how they might find some additional dollars to stretch out .... while the rest of us benefit from it. 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to share with their media specialists or librarians or what ever you call the people who make libraries happen in your buildings. 

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The Summer Reading Chart

WEBSITE ↬ The Summer Reading Chart

AUDIENCE ↬ students

CONTENT ↬ reading

GRADE LEVELS ↬ K-6

I loved the summer reading program at our library, both when I was kid and when my girls were little. Janssen, the author of the Everyday Reading site, shares my sadness about most of these programs going digital. There is something about marking off charts or filling in as-you-go on a physical piece of paper that is so delightful. (Why do you think bullet journals are super popular?) 

Anyhoo ... Janssen created this printable summer reading chart for all of us to use. And not only does it have the space to mark off our reading, along the perimeter, there are special reading "tasks/goals" that encourage us to read things that maybe we wouldn't normally - an awesome, yet gentle, way to expose readers to "different" material. LOVE!

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers sharing this with their students and parents. Whether it's tied to bringing it back in the fall or not, it is one of those super sweet and easy summer reading supports that kids will enjoy. Don't hesitate - get yours today!

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Grouper

WEBSITE ↬ Grouper

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Brace yourself - this is SUPER cute! Making groups for my classes was always a headache ... I really just wanted something that would allow me to quickly make pairs or groups or teams without much fuss. I used an app at one point, but it was kind of clunky. Anything else I've seen comes at a cost ... and I like free.

Grouper fills this need! With a free account, you can make pairs, groups, and teams of various numbers all while adding a few preferences so depending on how you want the pairs/groups/teams to be, you can have a little control. Maybe student A shouldn't work with student B. You can do that! Yay!  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to help make pairs/groups/teams quickly and even "in the moment" after the initial set-up. Such a time saver! Try it out today! You can even import from your Google Classroom roster!

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70 Free and Easy Directed Drawing Activities Anyone Can Do

WEBSITE ↬ 70 Free and Easy Directed Drawing Activities Anyone Can Do

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ any & all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Hear me out ... April begins our month of testing (it at least feels like it lasts all month ...) so there will be plenty of required time in a very structured learning environment. How about planning for some non-heavy focused activities? Without losing the benefit of creativity and practicing those following directions skills, how about some directed drawing activities? To the tune of 70???

Let's give our students brains a little bit of a break from the testing environment without there being a free-for-all. I see kids, even the little ones, shying away from drawing. That makes me sad ... doodling and drawing is a fantastic way to relax, and I see our kids shying away from it. Let's give it back to them.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this in the short breaks of time. None of these have to be super intense or with the idea that you are encouraging the next Picasso (but wouldn't that be amazing???). Let's give our students space to try out drawing, but with some guidance. Enjoy!

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INFOhio: Decodable and Phonics eBooks for Early Readers

WEBSITE ↬ INFOhio: Decodable and Phonics eBooks for Early Readers

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ ELA, early reading

GRADE LEVELS ↬ preK-3

I am an INFOhio Coach and I love their resources. I believe it is a very under used resource and I wanted to be sure to share this one out. With the focus on early literacy, these books and resources can go a long way to help your students (and yourself!) with supporting their early reading.

Not only does this share books for your early readers, it also shares professional learning ebooks to support YOU in teaching.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers sharing the books with their students but also the ability to create collections to share with other teachers can be super helpful when you work as a team to support each other. While reading with physical books is super important, having access to quality ebooks is also a great classroom activity (or to share with home for times when parents ask what digital resources are available). 

Teachers can also take advantage of the professional resources included in this article.

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Robert Kaplinsky's Lessons - math

WEBSITE ↬ Robert Kaplinsky's Lessons - math

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers & admins

CONTENT ↬ math

GRADE LEVELS ↬ K-12

I love a good puzzle. I'm mostly referring to jigsaw puzzles, but I do enjoy "figuring things out", too. Math is the perfect subject to do that in. Robert Kaplinsky is a math teacher and creator of Open Middle problems, which typically requires higher level thinking to solve. I love sharing resources that will challenge your students but allow them to have fun at the same time.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this as bell ringers, activities for fast finishers, or just at random points to break up the regular flow of the classroom. These math problems encourage a different kind of thinking about math. Choose the appropriate grade level and you are set! 

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The Social Studies FIELD Guide (book & resources)

WEBSITE ↬ The Social Studies FIELD Guide

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ history

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I am going to revert to being a social studies teacher for a little bit while I sing the praises of this book & it's accompanying website with resources. 

Amazing!

I've linked the website here, but it's really all about a book - The Social Studies FIELD Guide. The FIELD is an acronym for "Foundational Evidence, Inquiry, EdTech, and Lesson Design". This can help every history teacher ... and to top off the pedagogy, the website provides a lot of resources for you to explore.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to improve their own teaching. Even a veteran can learn a thing or two. There's also the ability to join the community and connect with other like-minded educator's. 

Explore even more in an article written for Matt Miller's blog, Ditch That Textbook, from the book's authors --> "Ditch the lecture, dig into learning: Level up your Social Studies classroom with the FIELD Guide" 

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Lego Cards for Inspiration and Creation

WEBSITE ↬ Lego Cards for Inspiration and Creation

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades, mainly elementary

I found this little nugget last summer and used it when I taught a summer camp. It was awesome! Only two things are required ... the cards printed and Legos. And my campers loved when I pulled them out. The cards provide "simple" challenges and the creativity is endless. 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this as a brain break or a station for students. 

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Questions to encourage students to use intuition

WEBSITE ↬ Questions to encourage students to use intuition

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I came across this PDF on Twitter and held onto it. It isn't glamorous. It isn't pretty or fancy. But I believe it is powerful and can help all teachers. Two pages of questions teachers can ask their students for many different purposes but all stretch their thinking. This gathering of was published by Tracy Zager in her book, Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to push their students' thinking. To challenge them. The PDF can be kept on hand and used at various times. No preparation is needed. Teachers might also embed specific questions in lessons to purposefully encourage students to use their intuition.

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Digital Inquiry Group: Reading Like a Historian

WEBSITE ↬ Digital Inquiry Group: Reading Like a Historian

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ History, ELA

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I cannot tell you how I connected with this website, but am I glad I did! Wow!!! I had a conversation with a SS teacher in my school about teaching her students to read historical material and help them make sense of it and the very next day, I received an email highlighting this activity. (Ironic?) This site works on that very skill! I really wish I had this when I was teaching history! Amazing! The two big sections are US History and World History, and then you can dig in by era. 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to teach students how to better read historical material. It will also allow teachers to introduce students to historical material and provide a better understanding of events of the past. This is a bookmark for sure!!! 

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A Soft Murmur

WEBSITE ↬ A Soft Murmur

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Ok. At first, I kind of did an eye roll when I came across this website. Then I started playing with the ambient noises and I realized how helpful it can be. I cranked up the chirping birds along with some waves and took a deep breath. Ahhhh, relaxing. Which is your favorite? 

You can set a timer so the sounds turn off. And you might miss it at first, but there is a little squiggle line to the left of the play button. It is the "meander" function which will randomly change the volumes of various sounds.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this as background noise for their classroom. I know there is a place for silence and a place for noise. Sometimes our students need help regulating this. I think this site can help - possibly on their own, possibly for the entire class.

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US Mint Coin Classroom

WEBSITE ↬ US Mint Coin Classroom

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers & students

CONTENT ↬ coins / math

GRADE LEVELS ↬ K-6

Oh my goodness! How fun is this website?! I just played the "Counting with Coins" game on this site and, while it's geared for elementary students, I enjoyed identifying & sorting the coins. I KNOW your students will enjoy this game and the others. And it's created and supported by the US Mint, so you know you can trust it. No ads, either, so give your students the website and let them get to work learning and practicing coins.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this in their math classrooms to reinforce students' identification, counting, and adding up of coins. There are 17 games available (as of this publishing) and when you hover over each tile, you are given guidance for the grade level the game is geared toward. 

And if you have a way to share with parents, this might be a really good site to share. After all, if parents are going to give their kiddos time to play games, why not suggest this as an option?

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Number Hive

WEBSITE ↬ Number Hive

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers & students

CONTENT ↬ math

GRADE LEVELS ↬ 3 & up

I'm impressed! 100% a game format, Number Hive is going to appeal to your students. And it will 100% force your students to think about math and apply math. It's focus is on number relationships, number operations and multiplication facts. 

If you teach math, you will definitely want to check this out ... if for no other reason than the free printables where you can try it out for free.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this exactly how it's presented - whole class, individual students, as homework, as a game, digitally or print. So many options and depending on your budget, you could gain insights with their analytics. 

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Doodle3D

WEBSITE ↬ Doodle3D

AUDIENCE ↬ students

CONTENT ↬ 3D drawing; art

GRADE LEVELS ↬ any ... for beginners with 3D printing

New to 3D printing? Want to provide your students the opportunity to create or draw digitally but in a whole different way? Then you simply must check out Doodle3D. This FREE - and non-account required - website will allow your students the ability to draw and have it turn into a 3D version. 

This website can also be used as a "free time" activity or in conjunction with a content area for your students to design and draw freely.   

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this if they teach an intro to 3D printing and design class or if 3D printing is part of a course. Another way teachers can use this is as a free time activity for students to exercise their creativity. 

For more information, feel free to check out this great article from TCEA & Peggy Reimers: https://blog.tcea.org/doodle3d-transform/

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girls4tech

WEBSITE ↬ girls4tech

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ technology/ STEM

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Created in connection with Discovery Education, girls4tech is a resource to help support and engage with girls in the world of technology. Videos and classroom resources are a highlight. As stated on their site, girls4tech "empowers young people to embrace digital connectivity and explore creative solutions to real-world challenges in tech."

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this with after school clubs and groups to encourage students, girls in particular, to learn more about technology. Don't miss out on the career profiles so your students can also have a peek into future possibilities.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

12 brain breaks to energize your classroom

WEBSITE ↬ 12 brain breaks to energize your classroom

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ preK - 6

We all know it's not ideal for any student to sit through lesson after lesson. We ALL need breaks - even teachers! Matt Miller brings us 12 brain breaks that you can incorporate into your classroom, regardless of your content. Each brain break is easy to implement and doesn't require a ton of prep work or resources. Rotate through them to provide a variety of activities.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to build in solid, short breaks for their students. Once part of a routine, these brain breaks will allow students the opportunity to give their thinking a quick break in before continuing to learning. 

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Lauren Tarshis: "I Survived" resources

WEBSITE ↬ Lauren Tarshis: "I Survived" resources

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ ELA & History

GRADE LEVELS ↬ grades 3+

I am not on social media as much as I have been, but one day I was scrolling through Twitter/X and I stopped and stared. The much beloved "I Survived" author, Lauren Tarshis shared a post stating she has classroom resources to support her books on her website. AND ... she provides it all free! Did you know this? I did not! I had to jump on and see it for myself.

This isn't too good to be true. It's true. Amazing! Thank you, Lauren! Thank you for supporting teachers! Not only are your books amazing, so are you!!!

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this whenever they use an "I Survived" book in their classroom, or if they have small groups, or even individual students reading these books. From related books and videos to book club activities and resources, you can find them all on the "I Survived" resources pages. 

... and several of the books are in Spanish! They, too, have a resource page. Awesome!

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Unite for Literacy

WEBSITE ↬ Unite for Literacy

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers & students of ESL/ELL

CONTENT ↬ ESL/ELL

GRADE LEVELS ↬ mostly primary and lower elementary, although it can be a resource for older students if you feel it's appropriate

My previous district was experiencing an influx of non-English speakers. We've had very limited experience with this, so any resource we could find we were grateful for. Our students spoke a variety of languages ... not just Spanish.

The website I'm sharing today would be one of those awesome resources! Simple books students can choose from and listen/read in both English and about 20 other languages.

NO accounts are needed, just provide the link to this site and students can read and enjoy!

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this with younger students who do not speak English as their primary language, or are learning to speak English. In a primary or lower elementary class, this site can definitely become a great way for ESL/ELL students to independently choose books and hear both the English and native language version.

While the books are simple, this has the potential for helping older students with recognition and independent practice & learning. Older ESL/ELL students might like having the independence to use the books as reference for learning pronunciation or specific vocabulary on a topic. 

For students learning a second language, this might also be a great resource helping them to learn a language other than English!

I can't even begin to guess how many books are available! 

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Book Creator Toolkit for Schools & Districts

WEBSITE ↬ Book Creator Toolkit for Schools & Districts

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I LOVE Book Creator and I have been using it in my own classroom for numerous years. I have also shared it with several colleagues and supported their use. My favorite project has been with a 7th grade ELA class writing holiday stories and then sharing the libraries with our elementary buildings right before winter break. Always a highlight of the year! 

Over the last few years, Book Creator has added some wonderful updates and features that make it even more wonderful. This share is the perfect example of what makes Book Creator awesome. The templates built in to Book Creator are also an easy start ... your students can focus on the content, while customizing the templates to create a beautiful product.

I love that any teacher can start using Book Creator for free! It will give you the opportunity to try it out and fall in love. A few years back, I even did the professional learning with Book Creator and became a Certified Author and then was honored to join in the Ambassador program. 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this book a number of different ways:

• be inspired with the number of ways Book Creator can be used
• use the Teacher Training & Support to teach yourself how to use/improve use of Book Creator 
• share with colleagues to demonstrate Book Creator's possible uses
• share with administrators should they want to request a paid account. 

So much is packed in this resource - how to use it in various contents, professional learning about Book Creator, example books, and so much more!

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