Newsletter

Read Past Newsletters Every Tuesday, Natalie answers questions from subscribers, breaks down important education news, and shares tips to help your children thrive in school. Subscribe here: https://newsletter.primaryfocus.tv/

Newsletter

3 books all rising kindergarten students should read

Is you child going to kindergarten? These are perfect books to prepare your child for kindergarten so they walk in feeling confident! Including one for homeschooling!

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Silently Judging Your Kids

It's crucial that teachers understand your child so they can build a relationship with them and teach them everything they need to know.

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3 tips for back to school...reader edition

Last week I asked you for your own back to school tips. Here's the top 3...

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😅 3 unexpected things to expect going back to school

Back to school time is a huge transition for families. But we got you! Even though it's exhausting- we are all going through it.

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🎉 😐 A twisted win for NC Teachers...

North Carolina is a tough place to teach. NC teachers are not guaranteed​ lunch breaks​, are not paid for higher degrees. They are not allowed to unionize. And until recently, they did not have any plan for paid maternity leave.

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De-influencing School Supplies

Last week I asked you to submit unnecessary school supplies. Here's some of the things companies (and your kids!) want you to impulse buy, but you do not need! 1. 📚 "Report covers, die cut letters, and fancy markers just in case they need it for a project.

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✏️ Hacks to Save Money on School Supplies

"All that matters is that you treat me right, give me all the things I need that money can't buy." Love Don't Cost a Thing by Jennifer Lopez I hate to bring it up- but back to school time is looming. Unfortunately, this means

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📚 Chapter Books You'll Actually Want to Read with Your Kids

"The story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now." The Story of Us by Taylor Swift Let's talk chapter books. Reading a chapter book in lower elementary school is essentially a status symbol. I remember kids that couldn't even read yet would

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3 games to prevent summer learning loss

"Why don't you slide?" Slide by The Goo Goo Dolls It’s just about that time of the summer. School has been out for about a month and the brain is starting to wonder do we really need everything in here? Children's brains prune

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Love them, leave them alone: encouraging independence in children

"Miss Independent, Miss Self Sufficient" Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson Yesterday I learned that parents spend double the amount of time with their children today compared to parents in the 1960s. This statistic surprised me because it's so common for both parents to work now. But,

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Is it bad that my child writes numbers backwards?

"And if it looks like this, then you're doing it right" Mambo #5 by Lou Bega Today's newsletter is inspired by two subscribers that wrote in asking about number reversals. Thanks for submitting! 😊 "My child reverses numbers when they are writing. Sometimes it

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🙋‍♀️ The secret to getting what your kids need

"I've been trying hard to reach you, 'cause I don't know what to do" Talk by Coldplay Wishing everyone a very Happy Father's Day and Juneteenth! A few years ago, I had a student whose parents were concerned she may have

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Improve your Child's Vocabulary

"I wish you well with your weapon of jargon, you've got a double-sided lexicon. I've got to try to keep your attention, gotta write using less emoticons." Coyotes by Jason Mraz You may have heard that reading with children and speaking with children can

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A book club for kids?

"Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowin' through the jasmine in my mind" Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts I hope you had a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend! Now that summer is here, academics will take a natural step back as the kids enjoy some

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Kids vs Standardized Tests

"Help me if you can, I'm feeling down" Help! by The Beatles We are inching closer to the end of the school year- but there's one big obstacle between students and summer break: and that's testing 😳 If your child is in public

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Ask THIS before summer break

"Summertime and the livin' is easy" Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald ...and famously covered by Sublime 💕 Happy belated Mother's Day 💕 Summer break is on its way! This is a time of year where teacher communication can dial wayyyyy back. Just like parents, teachers are focused on

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🍎 3 free ways to appreciate teachers

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! I've got three free ideas to celebrate.

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❤️ Learning with Love & Logic

Last week I told you why my students used to hate me. It all changed when I read Teaching with Love & Logic.

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My students used to hate me

Last week I explained intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It may seem like one is better than the other, but from my experience in the classroom, the reality is somewhere in the middle.

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How do you motivate kids?

There's a lot of philosophies out there about how to motivate children. So whether you're team #gentleparenting, teaching with love and logic, or just winging it day to day all these approaches come back to one debate: Should we use intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?

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💐 Spring Fever

Spring is here and soon most children in America will be waltzing back into school from spring break. Suddenly the days are longer, the weather is warmer, and just like that spring fever is here!

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So, how'd I do?

Quarter 1 just ended, so I've been reflecting on how content has performed.

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🪧 LAUSD went on strike: what does that mean for us?

LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) is the second largest school district in the United States. They also have one of the most powerful teacher unions in the country. So, when they strike the rest of the country listens...

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🎉 4 FUN AI tools to try

Here's a few interesting AI tools I found- some for you and some for kids

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Does ChatGPT belong in schools?

OpenAI's ChatGPT will chat with you about anything you can think of...and maybe even get some work done for you too.