Writing is a huge component in my second and third grade classroom. Next to speaking properly, communicating through the written word is an important life skill that needs to be developed which will follow children throughout their lives. The sooner the basics of writing are introduced and honed, the easier this skill will become as […]
writing
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Educational Apps, Featured, Special Education, Technology
iPhones in the Classroom are Game Changers
Dyslexic Students Becoming Independent with Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and Mac Devices Imagine constantly being presented with the printed word and not able to read it. Imagine being in class listening to the teacher, actively participating in class discussions, but then the teacher hands out a worksheet that you can’t read. Imagine the frustration of knowing […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Bringing Writing Back: The SRSD Technique
A common grumble among my colleagues is teaching writing. We are well aware that American students score dismally on writing assessments, mostly because most teachers are scrambling to teach everything else on the menu. Consequently, writing has been neglected. Now that assessments are beginning to move from multiple choice to short answer and essay writing […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching Creative Writing to Younger Kids
I love to teach writing to my first and second graders. These kids can spin stories like no others. The challenge lies in their fine motor skills and being able to write down all of the wonderful ideas they come up with. I have three methods that I use which I have found helps out […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies, Literacy, Uncategorized
Turning that Picture into Writing
On my bathroom wall at home, I have a large framed drawing my son made in first grade. It has a lot of underwater action, including thought bubble over the shark saying “I am the king of the ocean.” Another thought bubble over a fish close to the shark’s mouth reads, “I am going to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Instructional Strategies
Teaching Writing to Struggling Students
The first year that I was in the classroom I was surprised when I assigned a writing task on the play, “The Crucible” that many of the kids were excited to express their feelings about the antagonist, Abigail and protagonist, John. For an entire class period we walked through the writing assignment and discussed possible ways […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
The Basics of Writing
It’s no secret that writers are readers. Anne Lamott, American novelist and non-fiction writer, said “What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Middle School
Rainbow it Up! The Color-Coded Essay
As a secondary English teacher, I teach many pieces of academic enrichments within my curriculum, but my main passion tends to fall at the feet of writing. When I began teaching middle school English a handful of years ago, writing was barely a blip on the radar as we had so much pressure to pass a […]