ELA Success
Welcome back to the third entry in my series about sentence patterns. Remember, if you recognize the pattern of a sentence’s core parts, the grammar of the sentence (or its word arrangement) will make more sense. So far, you know about Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and Pattern 3. Now…
homeschool
I’ll never forget returning to my 6th-grade language arts classroom after winter break. Being the social type, I had stopped between classes to say hello to some of my friends, and I barely made it into the room before the tardy bell rang. To my surprise, the desks had
ELA Success
In a word…YES! If you are seeking a great writing prompt, look no further than a picture book, a local art gallery, or a collection of great works of art from one of those coffee table display books. When I was a kid, we used to have a large
ELA Success
Last week, we began our study of sentence patterns. Remember, if you recognize the pattern of a sentence’s core parts, the grammar of the sentence (or its word arrangement) will make more sense. Last time, we discussed Pattern 1 and Pattern 2. Today, let’s start our study with
ELA Success
The overall goal of team writing is to provide an opportunity for small groups of students to collaborate during each step of the writing process to produce a shared piece of writing. If a team writing activity sounds like an implausible dream (considering your students’ diverse stages of writing development)
ELA Success
Learning English grammar can be tough, but, as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. So, I am taking the high road on this series and making it visual—thereby sparing well over 980 words…and your sanity! If you are up on your brain science, you know
ELA Success
Lately, I’ve noticed some confusion with the way people use the idiom “used to” in a sentence. Some write “use to” and others write “used to?” Do you know which one is correct? “Use to” and “used to” cause confusion for a couple of good reasons. We unravel the
ELA Success
If I could travel the world, I would! I love the excitement of finding a new destination to experience. I love having the freedom to go wherever I want or can afford whether I have a detailed itinerary or not! For me, world travel is an adventure. But, what if
ELA Success
I read some information today about what’s missing in reading comprehension instruction, and the research that was provided jumped off of the page for me! I had to get used to some new terminology, but it all made perfect sense! The article stated that the latest research in early
beginner's mind
As a kid, do you remember the first time you took the training wheels off and tried to ride your first bicycle? In the beginner’s mind, it was the next step in being a big kid, and it meant being open to making mistakes and being willing to take
ELA Success
Teaching students to vary the word order that they use in their sentences to add interest and variety is a skill that you can model as you support your students in their growth as budding writers. Of course, sentence fluency is one of the effective traits that good writers develop
Holiday Lessons/Resources
There are only seven shopping days left before Christmas! (Let that sink in for just a minute!) I know that Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but right about now, I’m feeling a little less than wonderful! The very idea that I only