Primary (Paradise) Teaching: Recent Episodes
Martha Moore
The Primary (Paradise) Teaching Podcast shares engaging, hands on, easy to implement teaching ideas for your Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade classroom. Our host, Martha Moore, is an experienced, IB certified, K-5 intervention teacher and 1st and 2nd grade classroom teacher. Learn how to provide students with relevant, engaging learning experiences with activities, strategies, and lessons that are easy for you, the teacher, to implement as well. With an emphasis on writing skills, new teacher tips, math strategies, and overall effective classroom practices, let's chat about what works for kids.
The vowel team syllable can seem complex. There are many vowel teams in the English language, so how can we teach vowel teams to our students? Let's look at what a vowel team is generally and how to introduce this syllable type in your classroom.
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Y as a vowel in English is more common than you might think. In fact, y spells vowel sounds more than it spells a consonant sound. Y often spells the long i and long e sounds, and it can spell the short i sound as well. In fact, y spells a vowel sound in 2041 words while it spells the consonant sound in yes in only 57 words. How can you know where we find y spelling i and e and how to use it? Let's take a look when we see y representing these vowels at the end of words in English and how to teach it to your students.
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Getting started with the science of reading can feel overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start with structured literacy or understanding phonics. While there is a lot of information out there, it can be a daunting task to choose the first books for understanding systemic phonics instruction. Here are my top 3 books for getting started that I still reach for often!
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Teaching students when to use ch or tch can seem tricky. Is there a simple, clear phonics rule? Today we'll look at how to know when to use tch vs ch and how to teach this to your students.
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Learn about the 7 jobs of silent e and how to teach them to your students. Silent e, or magic e, does a whole lot more than make the vowel sound long. Learn how silent e changes the sound of s, c, and g, prevents words from ending with the letters u, i, and v, and the other jobs of silent e.
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
When teaching a new phonics skill, you don't need to have 500 strategies up your sleeve. Instead, you need a handful of simple, engaging, effective activities. Here are 12 phonics based strategies to use when you're practicing any new spelling pattern or syllable type with your students.
With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Open syllables: what is an open syllable and how do you teach the open syllable type to your students? In this video, learn what the characteristics of of an open syllable are, look at some examples, and learn 10 practical activities and strategies for teaching open syllables to your students.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
What is a long vowel and when should you teach long vowels to your students? Let's explore the definition of a long vowel, look at some examples, and discuss the order to teach long vowel sounds. I'll also share step by step how to introduce the concept of long vowels to your students.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
How can you know when to use CK or K at the end of a one syllable word? Follow this simple, easy and you'll never pick the wrong one again. Plus, learn 4 strategies for practicing ck and k with your students.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Learn what a consonant digraph is and what are the most common consonant digraphs. Learn how to teach consonant digraphs to your students using these practical strategies.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Closed syllables are the first syllable type you should teach your students. But, what exactly is a closed syllable, why should you teach closed syllables first, and how can you help your students understand them?
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Short vowels are typically the first vowel sounds that children learn, but why is that? Let's take a look at what short vowels are, some important facts for understanding short vowels, and how the heck to teach this important phonics concept to your students.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/
Download the other resources featured in this episode here:
Decodable Partner Plays
Fluency Drill Cards
Learn the best order to teach sounds to your students and what makes a strong phonics scope and sequence. In this video, Martha explains step by step the order an ideal phonics curriculum would follow and why.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
For resources to go along with this series, visit the Phonics Rules for Teachers landing page: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/prft/
Decoding and encoding are both important for strong literacy development. Let's explore what it means to decode and encode in English, how each process happens in our brain, what students need to know to decode and encode fluently, and 10 strategies for teaching decoding and encoding.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
For resources to go along with this series, visit the Phonics Rules for Teachers landing page: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/prft/
Download the other resources featured in this episode here:
Decodable Partner Plays
Decodable Fluency Passages
Decodable Readers Set 1
Decodable Readers Set 2
How should we teach the six syllable types? Let's take a look! In this video, we'll explore 5 strategies for teaching the 6 syllable types in your classroom: closed syllables, open syllables, silent e syllables, r controlled syllables, and consonant le syllables.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
For resources to go along with this series, visit the Phonics Rules for Teachers landing page: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/prft/
Download the free syllable chant here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/free-resources/
Understanding the 6 syllable types is a key piece of strong literacy instruction. In this video, we'll explore the basic characteristics of each of the 6 syllable types of the English language which includes: closed syllables, open syllables, silent e syllables, r controlled syllables, and consonant le syllables.
Learn which are the most common, the order to teach syllable types, and what each syllable type looks like.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
For resources to go along with this series, visit the Phonics Rules for Teachers landing page: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/prft/
In episode 3 of Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to Teach 'Em), learn what exactly syllables are and why you need to teach the 6 syllable types in your classroom.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
For resources to go along with this series, visit the Phonics Rules for Teachers landing page: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/prft/
In episode 3 of Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to Teach 'Em), learn all about consonants and vowels, why we can't just call AEIOU vowels and call it as day, and specific strategies for how to teach them in your classroom using a science of reading approach.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
In episode 2 of Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to Teach 'Em), learn what the difference is between letter names and letter sounds, why students need to understand the difference and the terms, and specific strategies for how to teach them in your classroom using a science of reading approach.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
If you're an elementary school teacher who is trying to teach phonics in your classroom, but you never actually learned all of those phonics rules in college, you've come to the right place. In the first episode of Phonics Rules For Teaching and How the Heck to Teach 'Em, Martha Moore dives into the topic of phonics.
A classroom teacher with 10 years of experience, Martha discusses the reason behind the push to use a structured literacy and phonics-based approaches. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.
Tune in to hear why there's such a strong push for a more phonics based approach, how phonics rules and knowledge builds a strong foundation in students, and what you can do to get students' parents and guardians on board.
Each week moving forward, Martha will share a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.
In this Author to Teacher Episode: Conversations with published authors about writing, teaching, and how we can support our students, Martha interviews author and illustrator Gaia Cornwall. Gaia's books include Jabari Jumps, Jabari Tries, and The Best Bed for Me.
Gaia shares about her experience as an author illustrator, the journey to becoming an illustrator and eventually an author, and encourages future writers to write without worrying if it's good or bad. This conversation will inspire teachers to look for the talents our children have and encourage them to never give up.
If you're a teacher who teaches writing, or really any subject, this is a helpful, insightful, and important listen filled with interesting, real life anecdotes and useable advice you can apply to your classroom today.
Listen along and learn how we can help our students find their passion and voice as writers.
In this Author to Teacher Episode: Conversations with published authors about writing, teaching, and how we can support our students, our host Martha speaks with author, singer song writer, and speech pathologist Dennis Mathew. The two discuss Dennis' journey to authorhood, his desire to help students feel loved and welcome at school, and how he encourages children to use their everyday life as inspiration for writing.
You can find Dennis's books Bello the Cello, My WILD School Day, and How Grizzly Found Gratitude on his website and Amazon.
If you're a teacher who teaches writing, or really any subject, this is a helpful, insightful, and important listen filled with interesting, real life anecdotes and useable advice you can apply to your classroom today.
Listen along and learn how we can help our students find their passion and voice as writers.
In this Author to Teacher Episode: Conversations with published authors about writing, teaching, and how we can support our students, our host Martha speaks with author, teacher, speaker, and SEL curriculum developer,Jasmyn Wright. The two discuss the importance of letting our students express themselves through writing, how to encourage students to take risks, and how Jasmyn's work as an author and a speaker has impacted her classroom for the better.
You can find Jasmyn's book I'm Gonna Push Through on Amazon or wherever books are sold. You can also learn more about Jasmyn and her Push Through Organization on her website.
If you're a teacher who teaches writing, or really any subject, this is a helpful, insightful, and important listen filled with interesting, real life anecdotes and useable advice you can apply to your classroom today.
Listen along and learn how we can help our students find their passion and voice as writers.
In this Author to Teacher Episode: Conversations with published authors about writing, teaching, and how we can support our students, Martha interviews author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner. Jarrett's books include the EngiNerds and Geeger the Robot Series, Give This Book a Title and Give this Book a Cover, and the first book in the soon to be released The Hunger Heroes Graphic Novel Chapter Book.
Jarrett shares how, despite his love of writing, it took him some time to find the confidence and tools to realize his dream of becoming an author. He gives teachers insight into how we can spark a love of writing through encouraging creativity, the power of relatable and relevant books, and the importance of letting kids use their lives and interests as inspiration.
If you're a teacher who teaches writing, or really any subject, this is a helpful, insightful, and important listen filled with interesting, real life anecdotes and useable advice you can apply to your classroom today.
Listen along and learn how we can help our students find their passion and voice as writers.
As the school year winds down, it's always amazing to think about how far your students have come, the things you've experienced together, and what the future may hold. In the last episode of season 1, Martha shares a heartfelt open letter from students to teachers.
As a teacher, there's nothing worse than going to school when you're feeling sick... except maybe preparing sub plans. In this episode, Martha shares 3 easy sub plan tips that will give you the freedom to roll over and go back to bed on the days you're feeling under the weather.
Being a new teacher can be overwhelming. Going from a student teacher where you have someone to hold your hand to being in charge of 25-30 small humans is a big leap. The first year of teaching can be especially daunting. Although it’s normal to make mistakes, there are some common new teacher mistakes that can be avoided. In this episode, Martha shares 3 common new teacher mistakes and what to do instead.
Parents often question why we're teaching students "new math" that seems illogical to them. Whether it's common core math or state standards, it's certainly different from the way they learned. In this episode, Martha shares 5 ways to respond to parents who question new math.
, What do you do with books that are past the point of no return? Picture it. A student hands you a book that has been taped back together a dozen times, the spine is crumbling, and has clearly been well loved. I know I had this happen a few times each school year. You know the books that need more than a little TLC (tape love and care). Those books that look like they need the book morgue, are waving a white flag, are just past the point of use? Well, we can give them new life and turn them into FRANKENBOOKS!In this episode, Martha shares 6 ways to reuse old, worn out books as useful classroom tools.
Teaching writing skills in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade involves many parts. One area that students in this age often struggle with is creating descriptive writing pieces. Primary grade students need teachers to foster their ability to show, not tell when it comes to their sentences. In this episode, Martha shares 5 ways to help elementary students create descriptive, interesting sentences in their writing pieces that you can easily implement in your classroom today.
What do you do when students are struggling with decoding words that should come easily? Teaching students the 6 different syllable types and how to use them will help students decode words more easily. In this episode, Martha takes you through the whys and hows of teaching syllable types to your students. She explains the six syllable types and gives concrete activities to do with your students to help them learn this skill.
Mentor texts are an important part of writing instruction. In today's episode, Martha shares what mentor texts are and 5 reasons why it's important to choose rich mentor texts with your students. She also shares 3 places to find good quality mentor texts.
Creating successful digital writing lessons might feel complicated. However, there are some simple components that will make planning and executing virtual writing with primary students easier. In this episode, Martha shares 6 practical steps you can take to create engaging, student friendly writing lessons for your kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students.
Writing during distance learning, especially for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students, presents challenges. Although it’s not the ideal way to teach writing, there are some actionable steps you can take to make it easier on you and your students. In this episode, Martha shares 7 things to keep in mind that can make distance writing easier.
90% of the population is right handed, which means most teachers are right handed as well. Right handed teachers might not always understand the difficulties left handed students face. In this episode, Martha (a lefty herself), shares some of the struggles of being a left handed student as well as 5practical and helpful tips to help you better support the lefties in your class. She shares some simple accommodations, things to be aware of, and some personal stories as well.
Understanding how to write complete sentences, knowing where to put punctuation between sentences to avoid run on and fragments, and understanding what makes a complete simple sentence is a difficult skill! This episode, Martha shares how we can use the concept of subject and predicate to teach our students how to write complete sentences.
Sentence writing: how do you teach young students such a complex skill? In this episode, Martha shares how you can teach kindergarten and first grade students how to write complete, basic sentences in five lessons. By the end of these 5 lessons, students will be able to write simple sentences with capitals, punctuation, and proper spacing.
Student confidence is clearly linked with students being willing to take risks and try new things, and this is especially true when it comes to writing instruction in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. In this episode, our host, Martha Moore, shares 3 easy to implement strategies to help boost your students' confidence as writers.
Learning how to plan writing is incredibly important. If we are able to teach students how to make a plan before beginning writing, we are setting them up for writing success. In this episode, our host, Martha Moore, share 3 effective ways to help teach our kindergarten, first, and second grade students plan their writing pieces.
In a world where filtered, perfect images of teachers in perfectly organized classroom seems to be the norm, being a good teacher can feel impossible. Even though we all “know” that those perfect pictures are well cropped and well staged, teaching today, especially as a new teacher, can be super overwhelming. In this episode, Martha shares some of her favorite tips for navigating teaching in an Instagram world.
Whether you’re a new teacher who just finished up student teaching, or a veteran teacher with many years under your belt, there’s one thing that likely sends you into a state of stress: teacher observations. Tt can be hard to show all of the hard work you and your students do in a 20-30 minute snapshot. In this episode, Martha shares 10 ways to stress less, nail your classroom observation, and impress your administrators.
Student teaching is often your first real experience in the classroom (except as a student of course). It's a great chance to get your feet wet, learn from your cooperating teacher, and try new teaching strategies. It can also be overwhelming. In this episode, Martha shares 6 ways to make the most of your student teaching experience, and 4 things to avoid.
Homework is a staple of our educational experiences, but should it be? Our host, Martha, shares 8 reasons why she no longer assigns students homework, even if parents as for it. The research is clear when it comes to the benefits of homework in elementary school, but are teachers ready to make the change? Listen to learn why you should consider it.
Martha Moore, the host of Primary (Paradise) Teaching, shares about her background, her experience as a classroom and intervention teacher. She shares where she's been, where she is now, and her passion for engaging, research based, and practical educational strategies.