🌿 Welcome to Rooted Teaching

A place where literacy, science, and strong teaching practices take root.

Hi there, and welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m the educator behind Rooted Teaching, and I created this space for early childhood teachers, preservice educators, and anyone who believes that teaching can be both purposeful and joyful.

After years of teaching in elementary classrooms and now mentoring future educators at the university level, I saw a need for something more grounded than Pinterest, more practical than a textbook, and more inspiring than a checklist.

So I built Rooted Teaching.

Why “Rooted”?

Because great teaching doesn’t happen by chance.

It’s rooted in research—especially in what we now know about how children learn to read and how they develop scientific thinking.

It’s rooted in relationships—with our students, with families, and with one another as professionals.

It’s rooted in meaningful content—the kind that sparks questions, supports vocabulary growth, and builds strong thinkers through books, experiments, and conversations.

What You’ll Find Here

Each week, you’ll find posts that blend:

• 📚 Picture books with real instructional power

• 🔬 Science and literacy integration you can actually use

• 🧠 Science of Reading strategies for early childhood

• ✏️ Preservice teacher support grounded in real classrooms

• 💬 Classroom management that centers relationships and reflection

Everything here is meant to be actionable, authentic, and aligned with what matters most: your students and your craft.

What’s Coming Up

This month, we’ll explore:

• How to build a powerful science read-aloud lesson

• Vocabulary strategies that stick

• A peek into my favorite books for starting the year with inquiry

• Tips for preservice teachers who are about to enter the classroom for the first time

  
  

Let’s Grow Together 🌱

If this sounds like your kind of teaching space, I’d love for you to stick around.

• Subscribe to the newsletter so you never miss a resource

• Comment below with your favorite science-themed picture book

• Follow along on Instagram @RootedTeaching for weekly visuals, tips, and free tools

• Or just say hello—I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

  
  

Thanks for being here. Let’s grow something meaningful—together.

With gratitude,

Kelley Spahr

Founder, Rooted Teaching