Exploring the Future of Education

Phonological awareness is the first step in learning about words and sounds and is crucial for developing good literacy skills. Most children develop phonological awareness skills from birth through the first five years. The most complex stage is phonemic awareness skills which are the ability to hear individual letter sounds and use them to form…

If you teach pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade, you probably spend a lot of time chatting with your students. Spoken words are the first experience of language and communication in early childhood. Phonological and phonemic awareness — the ability to recognize word and letter sounds — are important stages in developing better literacy skills. Struggling…

You’ve arrived. You read “What is Character Education?” and you’ve checked out “Examples of Character Education.” now you’re looking for some activities you can implement in your character education lesson plans. Alongside literacy, mathematics, language arts, and social studies, teaching social skills is one of the most foundational things we can be teaching our middle…

Keeping high school students engaged, especially during the first few minutes of class, can be a challenge. Whether you’re teaching right after lunch, during the final period of the day, or in the sweltering heat of May or June, getting learners focused fast is key. These quick high school warm-up activities are ready for you…

Learning is hard. Teaching can be even more so. Middle school students can be easily distracted or struggle with going back to school after a long summer vacation. The value of warming up is well-known throughout the sporting world. Cold muscles don’t perform as well, and they’re more prone to injury. Don’t forget, the brain…

Creative classroom introductions The first day of school with a new class can be stressful. Although we can’t help you write your syllabus, Kami can help with the process of your students getting to know you. The first time you meet your new learners should be memorable. You can make a good first impression in…

Education influencers are increasingly discussing the importance of creating resources focused on learning outcomes rather than aesthetics. With this in mind, we reached out to three of our favorite influencers within the teaching community, and asked them to collaborate with us to create three unique — and totally free — Kami resources that have a…

Similes, Metaphors & Analogies If you were asked to explain metaphor vs simile, you’d probably say something like:“They’re basically the same thing except similes use ‘like’ and ‘as’.”Boom, lesson done; on to the next, right? Not really, no. There are three things to understand about simile vs metaphor (and let’s not forget analogy): What they…

New school year, new classroom, sure! But why not, new semester, new classroom? There’s never a bad time to refresh and redesign your learning environment for the best social, emotional, and academic results. When looking at your space and classroom decor, ask yourself three questions: Answering these simple questions will give you greater insight into…

Looking for this in English? Check it out here. Se acerca el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana y probablemente esté aquí buscando una manera de celebrar. ¡La buena noticia es que ya has comenzado! Lo más probable es que ya haya mucha más cultura hispana a tu alrededor de lo que creías. Los hispanoamericanos representan…

The classroom is a safe space to explore new ideas, be creative, and express yourself – but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t come with certain behavior expectations. It might sound counter-intuitive, but by expecting positive behavior from your students, you’re also ensuring you keep your classroom as that haven you work hard every day to…

Holy last-minute-lesson-plan, Batman! The first week of school is upon us! While you’re introducing your shiny new curriculum for the new school year, why not help students get to know each other (and you) in your class and break the ice. Kami’s Icebreaker games are a fun way to spend the first day of school…