Author: lpasivirta (Page 2 of 2)

Literacy Stations

February 17, 2026 / lpasivirta

Magic E Literacy Stations

The “Magic e” or the “Bossy e” can be a struggle for many readers. I created a literacy station focusing on this topic.

I cut cardstock into four sections. In each section I wrote ten “magic e” words to create a border. Each student had to use an individual hole-punch to punch out the “magic e.”

Together as a group we read each word first, punched the “magic e,” then read the word that was left. Some words made sense like “note” became “not,” while others did not make sense like “gate” turned into “gat.” In the future, I would choose words that all made different words when the “e” was taken off.

Many students found using the hole-punch hard at the beginning, but once they got the hang of it they really loved it.

As a final piece the students thread a string of yarn through all of their punched holes to create a bookmark. Most students did not have time for the yarn part of the activity, but a few did. They took the yarn to finish at home.

All in all I will use this centre again. I will need to pre-teach how to use the hole-punch. Specifically, where the paper goes, how to line the metal punch up with the spot you need to put a hole in, and how to use both hands. However, I think the skill of using a hole-punch, gaining hand strength, and working on fine motor skills by threading the yarn through the holes make this a worthwhile activity. Plus many students said it was FUN! Always a win!!

Materials Needed:
Cardstock (1-2 quarters per student)
Individual hole-punch per student in the group
Yarn
Scissors
Sharpie

BC Curriculum Connections

Big Idea: Playing with language helps us discover how language works.

Curricular Competency: Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and viewing strategies to make meaning

Content: Strategies and processes: reading strategies

Core Competency: Critical Thinking and Reflective Thinking

Profile 2: I can use evidence to make simple judgments.

Profile 4: I can gather and combine new evidence with what I already know to develop reasoned conclusions, judgments, or plans.

First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place). This literacy station used experience and a tactile approach to learn this concept.

Another literacy station that was used in the class used linking cubes with the letters on each block. Students had to put the word together on the corresponding word.

Boosting Reading Comprehension

Other ways to boost reading comprehension beyond literacy stations are to teach the following:
1. “Engage students in self-aware, active reading
2. Teach the practices of good readers
3. Teach text structures
4. Seek out mentor texts
5. Organize book clubs” (Bright, 2021, p.34)

References

Bright, R. M. (2021). Sometimes reading is hard: Using decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies to inspire fluent, passionate lifelong readers. Hawker Brownlow Education, 134-147.

Curriculum. (n.d.-a). https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

First peoples principles of learning. First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC. (n.d.-a). https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Phenomenon

February 13, 2026 / lpasivirta

Phenomena have been observed for thousands of years. Many different cultures have told stories and legends about what has caused what they observed. These stories and legends have often included a god as the “cause” in the cause and effect relationship.

But what does this have to do with teaching? What does this have to do with how I as a Westerner interact with the local Ktunaxa people?

For me the profound, “aha” moment came for me when Phil talked about how we as a society are smarter than those who came before us. Not necessarily more intelligent, but smarter because we are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. Settlers who came before us did not understand the immense importance of listening to the Ktunaxa people about caring for the land. Therefore when I think about a scientific understanding I am drawn back to thinking about what the Original People have to say.

As a result, I can not discount the legends because they are not scientific. I see it as a different way of understanding. There is a scientific, Western understanding, that is valid and is useful in describing the physical reason for various phenomena. However, there is an equally valid spiritual, non-material, understanding as well. I often think that our Western understanding is hyper focused on the material world, and we lose sight of the beauty of the spiritual world. When I think about the Ktunaxa Creation story I am able to understand how important different understandings are because of the important relationships people have with the land when there is more than material at stake. The spiritual connection to landmarks like the hoodoos make taking care of the area an integral part of a person; however, if the connection is merely physical the connection is far easier to break.

An example of an activity I can use in my class to encourage thinking about various phenomena is described below:

The only addition I would like to make would be to consider non-material explanations as well. This could be a wonderful way to tie in English Language Arts. Perhaps the students are asked to write a legend about what has caused this to occur. Allowing space for alternative, non-Western, explanation honours different ways of understanding.

See (observe)

Think (interpret)

Wonder (hypothesis)

First observe a phenomenon. In our example we looked at pictures of rocks in snow. In this first step we were to record only what we saw and not make any conclusions at this point.

Next, we were to start interpreting our observations and putting the “puzzle” together.

Finally, in the hypothesis stage we were to suggest a reason for why this event was happening. This is the stage where an inquiry project with the phrase, “your ideas are really thought provoking, we are going to do some research to find out what is happening.”

Beyond Ecophobia

February 6, 2026 / lpasivirta

I don’t think that I am alone in feeling like environmentalism has felt so daunting and hopeless that it is hard to know where to begin. I care so deeply about Creation, yet feel so powerless to contribute anything truly meaningful. I make my efforts: planting a garden, composting, and conserving water; but what does that even matter when the big polluters of the world pour toxins into the atmosphere? I’m just one person. How much of a difference can I really make? And how much mental energy can I afford in feeling guilty when there is a beautiful life to get on with?

I think I have fallen prey to ecophobia. I’ve been scared to the point of disassociation. I have consciously or subconsciously distanced myself from thinking about the state of the Planet and what the future holds. While I do think there is some wisdom in not becoming worried about things beyond your control, I also think there is some apathy that sets in.

Moving beyond echophobia, for me, requires us to step back and fall in love with the living world. Instead of becoming hostile towards it we simply need to spend time being in it.

In an educational setting this means taking our students outside. Planning activities that inspire empathy. For example, I loved the group that made bird wings for each child. They spent time being in the woods like birds: making nests and painting their wings to look like the birds they saw. This activity sparked the children’s natural curiosity to find out more about the birds: what did they eat, what did they need to survive, and how can I help? This activity is good for the primary years.

Other age appropriate activities for the intermediate years could be making maps of the local area around each child’s home, school, and community. Additionally, fort building outside in nature is very beneficial to connecting to the land at this age. Or perhaps exploring a creek to study the water cycle: “Wet sneakers and muddy clothes are prerequisites for understanding the water cycle” (Beyond Ecophobia, David Sobel, 1993).

Once children reach adolescence, around age 12-15, they are ready to start thinking beyond their own small world and expand their love of nature and the Earth. This is the stage where social action becomes appropriate.

Introducing environmentalism at age appropriate stages, and not all at once is important to stave off the feeling of despair that causes us to distance ourselves from the source of that worry. Let us move slowly and with love and patience to inspire our students and ourselves toward more.

Read Alouds for all Readers

February 3, 2026 / lpasivirta

Read Alouds for all Readers by Molly Ness promotes the importance of reading aloud to ones class, regardless of age. Ness offers steps to create a “Read Aloud” (found below).

My partner and I read “The Inquisitive Raven” by Richard Wagamese, an Ojibwe author, to a grade 5 class. The book describes how Rueben’s inquisitiveness leads him to learn a very important lesson.

For this activity I considered Indigenous Perspectives and First Peoples Principles of Learning.

Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities; and learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. Rueben learned from his actions how important his role within the community is, and that all creatures have respect for one another.

This book also embodies the different roles family members have in raising youth.

Read Aloud Template

readaloudplanningtemplate-5 Download

We did our read aloud activity over three days.

Day One: We read from page 1 to page 7.

We had a little more time this day to do a drawing and writing activity. We brought books from the library with tons of different mammals, birds, fish, insects, and lizards. Students were asked to pick an animal they admire and draw it. There were a few students who went really in depth with their drawings, adding a lot of details and showing their admirable qualities. Others were a little silly, but for the most part they engaged really well. The second part of the activity had the students writing two-four sentences about what they admire about their animal. Many students filled up the rest of the page and had a lot to say about what made their animals special.

Day Two: We read from page 8 to page 23.

This day the book section was substantially longer. I would even say it was a tad too long. Some students were starting to get fidgety near the end, and I could hear little side conversations as my partner read.

For the activity we made station cards. Students were given a blank piece of paper to use throughout the stations. In the future I would make the stations clearer on the paper.

Station 1: What qualities do we admire in people? List 3 qualities.

Station 2: What does admiration look like? Draw a symbol to represent something you admire.

Station 3: How can admiration influence us? Finish the sentences: “I admire people who_____?” “I could practice this by_____?”

Station 4: Why do we admire people? Finish the sentences: “This quality helps others by_____.” “This quality makes our community better because_____?”

Day Three: We read from page 24 to page to the end.

For this activity we did a mini lesson on making a tableau. We had one volunteer come up and my partner and I, along with our student volunteer created a tableau that the rest of the class had to guess. Next, we split the class into groups of 3 (one group of 4 girls and one group of 2 boys). Each group was given a scene from the book. The groups took turns presenting their tableaux for the class, and we all had to guess which scene it was. Following that we handed out admirable traits for each group to come up with their own ideas for how to display that trait. Some of the ideas were really wonderful. This day was by far the best as everyone stayed engaged and very little redirection was needed.

BC Curriculum Connections

Activity 1 falls under the grade 5 English Language Arts Curricular Competency: Use a variety of comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing to guide inquiry and deepen understanding of text.

Activity 2 falls under the grade 5 English Language Arts Curricular Competency: Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to text and develop understanding of self, community, and world.

Activity 3 falls under the grade 5 Arts Curricular Competency: Interpret and communicate ideas using symbols and elements to express meaning through the arts.

References

Curriculum. (n.d.-a). https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

First peoples principles of learning. First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC. (n.d.-a). https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Wagamese, R., & George, B. (2025). The inquisitive Raven. D&M Kids.

Asters and Goldenrods: The Importance of Seeing Beauty in Science

January 23, 2026 / lpasivirta

Asters and Goldenrods. Purple and gold. These colours are pleasing to us for a very good reason. These colours complement each other. As Robin Wall Kimmerer notices, in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Knowledge, Scientific Wisdom, and the Teaching of Plants, these flowers do not need to be pleasing to humans for survival. So why do they bother, scientifically speaking? It just so happens, Kimmerer explains, that what is beautiful to us two legged creatures, is also pleasing to the winged pollinators.

This got me to thinking that just because I cannot explain something scientifically, whether that is because I lack the knowledge or because it has not been discovered yet, does not mean that the thing in question is to be discounted. For me this is profound as a teacher. While I want to teach my students the information that is in the Curriculum, I also want them to understand that the Western perspective is lacking. There is profound beauty in other ways of understanding.

In our science demonstrations I noticed just how beautiful food colouring is in cold water. A spreading orb of colour suspended in liquid, spreading as if in slow motion. There is of course a scientific explanation for this. However, that explanation does not discount the moment of peace and joy I felt at seeing that. I did not feel those things because I understood the molecules were moving slowly and were therefore not spreading the colour around as quickly as the hot water in the neighbouring container. No. It was a simple moment of observed beauty. If I can teach that to my students, that everything is connected, science-art-regulation-math-love-the whole world, then I will be a part of something truly beautiful.

Some tools I picked up that I do not want to forget are:

Using this matching game to learn local plants paired with the First Voices app to learn the names in Ktunaxa. In order to make the game go faster, leave the cards face up so kids can find a match easier.

Also a great cross-curricular activity is to collect sticks and have the students make up a new plant. Have them write the name, how they found it, and what it is used for.

To Hypothesize or Not to Hypothesize, that is the Question.

January 16, 2026 / lpasivirta

I grew up in a time, and I think many of us have, when we got ready for our school science fair every year. We would each come up with an hypothesis. We would employ the scientific method, create our tri-fold poster, and present. Job well done. But what about if we challenged the traditional science fair hypothesis tradition, and embraced instead what Matt Bobrowsky argues, that “science projects are more authentic with no ‘hypothesis’” (Bobrowsky, 2015)? I wonder how I can foster a love of learning and questioning without buying in to the old traditional ways of “doing the science fair”?

One way is to use the POE method: Predict, Observe, Explain. In this method students do not skew their results to fit what their hypothesis is, and engage in real learning to explain what they observe. This becomes a celebration of learning instead of a box to tick.

I wonder if this kind engagement will really prepare our students for the future and inspire new discovery.

I wonder how I might adapt the POE method for the early years and the intermediate-to-middle school years.

Observation

January 16, 2026 / lpasivirta

Coming from a liberal arts background the phrase “scientific observation” was slightly intimidating. However, when I began to understand that scientific observation can take the form of a sweet child wandering around her yard looking for evidence of fairies I was heartened.

As an elementary teacher I can create activities that encourage my students to use all of their senses (maybe minus taste) to observe the world around them.

Here is an activity I learned in my Science Curriculum class that illustrates this exactly. To play, the teacher divides the class into 6 groups. Each group has a recording sheet and a numbered box. The group members use their senses to observe and predict what is inside the box. After each group has had each box the teacher reveals what is inside each box. This is a great game to play with all ages as I fully enjoyed it as an adult.

This game also engages the Core Competency of Critical and Reflective Thinking perfectly as students have to analyze and make judgements. Furthermore, they have to work as a team to make a singular prediction which touches on Social Awareness and Responsibility.

I still wonder how I can encourage curiosity and wonder, use Indigenous ways of approaching nature, and teach all that I need to teach in the Science Curriculum. Sometimes I feel like I am ill equipped. I imagine this is why we lean on one another as teachers, using ideas like those above, and become friendly thieves and generous givers.

One Book Changed Everything

January 10, 2026 / lpasivirta

Reading did not come easily for me. You could say I was a striving reader for sure. I remember feeling very embarrassed any time we had to take turns doing out loud reading. Up and down the rows of desks each student would have to take a turn to read a paragraph. I remember counting how many classmates were ahead of me, then counting ahead in the book, and practicing my paragraph over and over again to make sure I did not stumble over any words that would elicit little sniggers. Sniggers that were silent to our teacher, but deafening to me. I never remembered what was read because I was hyper focused on perfection.

My dad would spend time, when he was home from extended work trips, sitting with me and reading. Looking back I cherish those times together and I value the effort, but it was never enough to help me catch up to my classmates. Looking back I can see how the First Peoples Principles of Learning were already at play in my life. “Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story:” this time spent with my dad is priceless (FNESC).

When I look at the BC Curriculum now, I can see that in my early reading days I was not able to use many of the reading strategies that we have been learning like those found on this little card. These strategies would have helped me on my way to mastering the Kindergarten English Language Arts Curricular Content.

Needless to say I was a late bloomer.

But then I found A Handful of Time by Kit Pearson. I do not remember the miraculous circumstances that brought this book to me, but somehow I found a book that I could not put down. I was hooked. Between the relatable heroine, the relatable content, and the time travel I had found the book that turned me into a reader.

Reading Interest Survey

(adapted from Sometimes Reading is Hard by Adrienne Gear)

How do you feel about reading?

Little did I know at the time that I would think back to A Handful of Time and wonder if I could ever find another that engaged me so thoroughly. I am happy to report that I have indeed found others that continue to make me love reading. I find non-fiction books a lot harder to get into than fiction. If I have non-fiction books to read I do a lot better with audio books. I often wonder if I still struggle with decoding, or if I have dyslexia.

https://jarrettlerner.com/tag/world-read-aloud-day/

I makes me wonder if I would have fallen in love with reading a little earlier if my teachers had done Read Alouds which would have introduced me to literary worlds far earlier than I was able to visit on my own. Read Alouds were first introduced to me by Molly Ness’ book, Read Alouds for all Learners, which uses Jerrett Lerner’s great poster on the left.

What types of books do you like to read?

https://www.amightygirl.com/

Is it any wonder that my first love instilled in me a love a previous time? I love historical fiction. If you add in some mystery and a female protagonist I am hooked! I love A Mighty Girl for great resources for books featuring female protagonists.

List some hobbies and activities you like to do outside of school.

I love to be active and cozy in equal measure. I love to cross-country ski, mountain bike, walk my dogs, lift weights, and spin. But then I love a hot bath followed by cozy pyjamas, and to watch a good show, read a book, do cross-stich, or attempt to water colour paint (this is a new hobbie and it is not to be congratulated in any way shape or form).

Every once and awhile my family will agree on a movie (it gets tricky when you have a 9 year old and an almost 17 year old!) and we will all get cozy together. Otherwise I love to be with my family even if we are all doing our own thing (parallel play 2.0).

Who are your favorite authors?

Kate Quinn, Martha Hall Kelly, L.M. Montgomery, and J.K. Rowling (her kids books more so than her adult books).

Tell me about the last book you really enjoyed?

https://fashionmagazine.com/flare/celebrity/why-women-need-anne-of-green-gables-more-than-ever/

I just finished The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling. I really enjoyed it. The story was engaging and I think it would be good for a lot of young readers. Particularly those readers who are not drawn to sentimental stories. But….

Before that I read, for the first time ever (!!!), Anne of Green Gables. I cannot believe I have gone my whole life without reading that book. My mom and I watched the CBC show when I was little, but I never read the books.

My family got me the rest of the series for Christmas so I will be diving into those next.

What I did over Christmas Break?

I worked as an EA from December 1-19. Then I did almost all the things I love to do around the holidays. I baked cookies, watched many Christmas movies (though I did not get to them all because of the aforementioned movie negotiation with the children), spent time with my family, exercised, and slept!

What subjects or topics do you like learning about?

I like learning about various wars through the perspective of women. I like to learn about gardening. I also love to flip through magazines that are all about interior and exterior home design.

If you could read a book about one thing, what would that be?

I would love to find more historical fiction written by authors who tell women’s stories. I feel like I have run out of books and I am always waiting for Quinn or Kelly to write more! I also want to learn more about indoor gardening because our climate is too cold for year-round growing.

References

Curriculum. (n.d.-a). https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

First peoples principles of learning. First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC. (n.d.-a). https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Pearson, K. (2011). A handful of Time. Puffin Canada.