Milwaukee Public Schools: Ready Sub Plans for Grades 1–5 Classrooms
Milwaukee Public Schools: Ready Sub Plans for Grades 1–5 Classrooms
For a Milwaukee Public Schools classroom that opened 2026–27 without an assigned teacher, or for any MPS teacher who needs sub plans on file, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle puts 50 no-prep substitute lessons, daily ELA practice and math warm-ups for Grades 1–5 in one download. A long-term sub or a paraprofessional can open the folder and teach the same morning.
Open the sub plans bundlePriced at $69.99, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle contains six resources: 50 No-Prep Substitute Lessons for Elementary Classrooms, Daily ELA Practice task cards and morning work, Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-up worksheets, math warm-up activities for Grades 1–4, and a soccer escape room. It is meant for days or weeks without the regular teacher. It is not an MPS curriculum and does not replace the district's literacy program.
The resources
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle, Grades 1–5
6 resources in one download: $69.99 instead of $112.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle | 50 No-Prep Lessons, Daily ELA, Math Warm-Ups & Escape Room | Grades 1–5
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle | 7 Practice Packs + Warm-Up Bundle | Grades 1–4
The real problem
What covering an MPS classroom looks like this year
Milwaukee Public Schools started the 2026–27 school year on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Teacher vacancies are down from last year, but some classrooms still opened without an assigned teacher and are being covered by long-term substitutes and paraprofessionals. At the same time, the district is in the middle of a science of reading literacy plan: a new elementary literacy curriculum came in during January 2026, and teachers, principals and support staff took literacy training over the summer. That puts a long-term sub in a hard spot. The core literacy block runs on a curriculum they may not have been trained on, and the rest of the day still needs something to teach. Paraprofessionals stepping in face the same gap, often with less planning time. A teacher writing emergency plans has a related problem: plans need to work for whoever walks in, without a login or a long explanation. What fills the gap is material for the parts of the day around the core program, morning work, warm-ups, short independent lessons, that any adult can hand out and check. The district's literacy curriculum stays where it belongs, in the literacy block, taught as the school directs.
Why it fits
How the six parts cover a day without the regular teacher
The bundle handles the edges of the day so the person in the room can follow the school's plan for core instruction.
- With 50 substitute lessons on hand, a long-term sub has material for weeks, not one afternoon.
- Daily ELA Practice task cards and morning work start each day the same way, which helps a class settle.
- Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-up worksheets fill the first minutes of math with no planning.
- Math Warm-Up Activities for Grades 1–4 cover the younger grades in the same building.
- The Soccer Escape Room gives a Friday or end-of-week activity that keeps students working in teams.
- Everything is printable, so a paraprofessional can run it without access to a teacher account.
Getting started
Setting up a sub folder that works in MPS
One possible setup for a teacher or a school team. Adjust it to your building's routines and the literacy block your principal expects.
- Pick lessons that fit your gradeGo through the 50 substitute lessons and set aside the ones that suit your grade and class. Mark the order you would use them in, starting with the easiest to run.
- Print a week of morning workPrint Daily ELA task cards and morning work for five days. Morning routines matter most when the adult in the room is new to the class.
- Add math warm-ups by gradePut the Grade 3 or Grade 4 warm-ups in the folder, or the Grades 1–4 activities for younger classes. These open the math block before the regular lesson.
- Write one page about your classAdd a short note with routines, names of helpful students and where the literacy block materials live, so the sub knows what the district curriculum covers.
- Keep the escape room for laterSave the Soccer Escape Room for the end of a long stretch. It works well when a class has had several days with a substitute and needs something different.
What to buy
What to have in the folder
For classrooms in Grades 1–5 without a regular teacher, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle at $69.99 is the core purchase; its six parts bought separately cost $112.94. If you need extra literacy practice by grade, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99) adds 24 packs of grammar, writing prompts, phonics and reading stories. A sub covering Grades 1–4 for months may want the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99), all 20 elementary history units with lesson plans. For more math practice, the Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle ($34.99) has seven practice packs plus warm-ups.
Honest limits
What a sub folder cannot replace
These lessons are not written for Wisconsin or for MPS and contain no Wisconsin standards codes, so check them against the Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics and your school's expectations. They do not replace the district's new elementary literacy curriculum. You supply printing and classroom materials. One purchase is licensed for one teacher's classroom; a school or grade team that wants to share should contact Teach Lessons ahead of time. Not what you need after all? A 7-day exchange for store credit of equal value applies.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Are these lessons aligned with Wisconsin standards or approved by MPS?
No. Neither the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction nor Milwaukee Public Schools has endorsed or approved the bundle, and it is not aligned with Wisconsin standards. It was written for general elementary use. Compare the lessons with the Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics and check with your principal before using them for anything beyond sub days and practice.
Will this conflict with the MPS science of reading curriculum?
It should not replace it. The district's new elementary literacy curriculum belongs in the literacy block. Use this bundle for morning work, warm-ups and independent lessons around that block, and ask your principal or literacy coach which parts of the day should stay with the district materials.
Can a paraprofessional run these lessons?
The materials are printable and no-prep, so any adult covering a class can hand them out and follow them. Whether a paraprofessional may lead a class on their own is a building and district decision, not something the product decides. Check that with your principal first.
Is there enough for a long-term substitute?
There are 50 substitute lessons, a set of daily ELA task cards and morning work, and math warm-ups, which can stretch across many days when combined. For a placement that lasts several months, add one of the subject bundles so the class also gets continuing content.
Can our whole school use one purchase?
Each purchase is licensed for one teacher's own teaching. When several MPS teachers or a whole building want access, a quick note to Teach Lessons before you order lets you ask how team or school use works. Until that is settled, keep the files off shared drives that colleagues outside your classroom can open.
How fast can I have it ready?
Very fast, because it is a digital download. The link lands in your email the moment the purchase completes, and your customer account keeps the files under Orders. You can print a first week of plans the same day and leave the folder on your desk before you go.
Get your sub folder ready before you need it
The product page lists all six parts and shows how the 50 substitute lessons are organized, so you can judge the fit before buying.
Open the sub plans bundle