Back to School
Visualize this scenario: It’s early August, and as you scroll through your inbox you see the first of many emails from your school administrator. “Already!?!” you say to yourself as you hesitate to open it. You guessed it! It’s your new school year Welcome Letter and Professional Development
k-12 education
I have been dabbling with curriculum since I was a baby teacher and could barely crawl. If you’re a teacher, too, you probably have a similar story. I cut my teacher teeth on theories and practices from many different models, but the one that makes my brain do a
Back to School
Although summer is in full swing, we all know that August is just around the corner and school will begin soon thereafter! I feel like a killjoy for bringing this up, but I know from experience that now is a great time to work on a few of those back
Back to School
What is the value of giving the Shurley English Pretest if students are not familiar with the curriculum? As a consultant, I’ve heard this question before, and I want to urge you to listen up! Even though the pretest may appear extraordinarily difficult, you should never avoid it! Let
Back to School
When I began teaching at a small private parochial school, I learned quickly that even though I was teaching two grade levels of Shurley English in the same room, there was a disparity in the way I had to instruct each level. Each group had different developmental needs and learning
ELA Success
A broad, diverse vocabulary is essential to good writing, and that’s a fact! Since vocabulary directly affects Word Choice and Voice, two of the Traits of Effective Writing, meaningful vocabulary instruction is absolutely imperative. As you decide how to approach vocabulary instruction in your classroom, look for effective strategies
In the Spotlight
Knowing how to use punctuation marks correctly is important in any type of writing. As many of you know, it takes years of practice to apply punctuation rules like an expert. Recently, the proper use of a hyphen sparked my curiosity, and even though I’ve been using hyphens for
ELA Success
In an earlier post, I explained how the Sentence Blueprints we use in Shurley English provide a targeted skill practice in writing well-constructed sentences. In this post, I want to build on that idea with another exceptional strategy that bolsters our young writers’ word choices and helps them think very
Summer Learning
Summer Break is here, and our thoughts are revolving around words like vacation, relaxation, rest, getaway, and so on! Words like homework, project, and assignment instantly turn into bad-words the minute summer vacation begins, so I encourage you to avoid them at all costs! Instead, try to generate creative ways
Summer Learning
Have you ever thought of scheduling a weekly family meeting during the summer months? It really is a great way to boost communication skills at home! Kids of all ages, when given the chance, can participate in structured discussions to recap the previous week and plan for the next one.
Ideas for your Classroom
As you relax into your summer break and feel the freedom of each day, consider thinking about those learning centers you wanted to create during the school year but never had the time to do. With a clear mind and more time to tap into your right brain, creating Shurley
Summer Learning
Here’s an idea to kick your kids’ spelling prowess into high gear. While it’s true that some kids are just naturally good spellers, my experience has been that most are not. They need a sure-fire way to lock in accurate spelling, especially when summer time rolls around and