Holiday Lessons/Resources
Have you ever asked your students to use a newspaper or magazine to highlight adjectives or adverbs? I tried this with 3rd-5th graders, and I admit the results were underwhelming. A more effective and interactive way to help your students practice this same skill is to have a little fun
Holiday Lessons/Resources
Are there times when you wonder, “What is my child thinking?” Well, let me clarify. Are there times when you wonder, “What are my child’s thoughts on a particular topic?” (Yes, that’s better phrasing.) I find that this question usually hits me around the holidays. While the pageantry,
Holiday Lessons/Resources
The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to help your students show appreciation for someone special in their lives by creating a special, handmade memento. I’ve got a great activity that will take your students through the entire writing process to create a heartwarming essay to share with
Holiday Lessons/Resources
It’s that time of year when all things Halloween are tripping about, including thematic lessons like the one I’d like to share with you today. Since it can be exhausting to come up with new, exciting ideas to engage kids during the holidays, hopefully, you will appreciate the
Writing
The ideal scenario for the first couple of months of a new school year would be a classroom running smoothly. You want to be comfortable with your daily schedule and know that you can meet the needs of all of your diverse students. Realistically, some of you may already feel
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
Dear Educators, Welcome aboard Shurley English flight ABC. Please find your seat, stow your baggage in the overhead bin, and buckle up as we take off into your new school year! This year’s destination is progress and growth. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us; so, sit
Back-to-School
Visualize this scenario: It’s early August, and as you scroll through your inbox,stuck in a rut 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
Back-to-School
So, you have purchased your Shurley curriculum, you open the book or access your digital teacher’s manual…and then it hits you! “What’s all this? How am I going to cover all of it? Can I even do it?” If you have had these or similar feelings, don’
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
Summer Learning
Summer vacation is coming soon! So, what are your plans? Have you included any activities that will help your child keep their language arts skills sharp over the break? (Haha! I’m almost positive that most of you just knitted your brows and sarcastically muttered the words: “Ugh, NO!”) Before
Summer Learning
Slurpees, sunshine, swimming, sunbathing, relaxing, travel, camping, barbecues, bike rides, fireworks, friends, and LANGUAGE ARTS! Of course, summer vacation might include some of these foot-loose and fancy-free things, but it’s also an opportunity to keep parents engaged in their child’s learning over the summer months. Remember, the key