Hello!
My name is Steve Reifman, and I am a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA.
SteveReifman.com is a resource for elementary school teachers and parents. My mission is to teach the whole child—empowering students to succeed academically, build strong character, learn valuable work habits and social skills, and take charge of their health and wellness.
Blog
Discover over 100 posts filled with teaching tips, links to YouTube videos, and other useful ideas and strategies for teaching the whole child.
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Teaching Resources
Explore these print books, e-books, courses, and other resources that offer effective, proven ideas and strategies that improve student learning.
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Chase Manning Mystery Series
Each book in this award-winning mystery series for kids 8-12 features a single-day, real-time thriller that takes place on an elementary school campus.
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Workshops
Looking for a presenter for your next conference or workshop? Check out these engaging, innovative sessions that address a wide variety of topics.
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In this Teaching Tip I provide a link to a short YouTube video I created. The video features a movement-oriented strategy that I use in my classroom to help students improve their reading fluency. I call the strategy “Reading Around the Room.†This activity was inspired by an idea described in Marcia Tate’s terrific book, Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites. I particularly recommend this strategy for children who have the tendency to read through commas, periods, and other end punctuation and, as a result, have difficulty with comprehension. Doing this activity for a few minutes per day over a period of days will make an important difference in children’s ability to read with fluency. Give these ideas a try in class with your students or at home with your children.
In this Teaching Tip I provide a link to a short YouTube video I created. In my classroom it is very important to me to teach the whole child. Academics, of course, are a top priority, and so are matters of character, health, work habits, and social skills. One of the most important social skills I strive to develop in my students involves using great manners. Specifically, I encourage children to say “please†and “thank you†and to use a positive tone of voice when communicating with others. In this video I share three strategies that you can use to help kids develop great manners. Give these ideas a try in class with your students or at home with your children.
In this Teaching Tip I provide a link to a short YouTube video I created. At the beginning of each school year, I make a concerted effort to help students become more organized with their papers, folders, and backpacks. As parents and teachers, sometimes we just assume that kids already know how to organize their materials, and they may not. So, it’s important that we model, practice, and hold children accountable for this aspect of their learning. The video features some ways in which I accomplish this task each fall. Give these ideas a try in class with your students or at home with your children.
In this Teaching Tip I provide a link to a short YouTube video I created. At the beginning of each school year, I have my students set 3-4 individual reading goals, and together we set a class goal - to become quality readers. This class goal involves following the six recommendations listed on a “Quality Readers†chart that I share with my students and that we later sign during a special ceremony. I describe these six recommendations in the video. Give these ideas a try in class with your students or at home with your children.
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