ELAsuccess
Some people are born with a natural ability to put their thoughts into words, but the ability to effectively put those words on paper requires a lot of hard work and practice. Good writing is a skill that develops over time; therefore, consistent instruction to develop the knowledge and skills
ELAsuccess
In order to meet the challenges of today’s work force, students need to be equipped with a broad base of knowledge and the tools necessary to communicate with competence and confidence. Our Discovery Time enrichment will stimulate students’ interest in a variety of topics, broaden their knowledge base, and
strategies
This week, I evacuated from my home in North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence. I headed out of town alone, following the others trying to seek safe shelter from the life-threatening storm. Nine hours later, I arrived at my turnoff, and it was completely dark except for my vehicle’s
Let's Get Creative
Did you know that a verb can tell time? It’s true! Within every verb is a little piece of information called tense. The tense of the verb tells you when the action of the verb takes place. Mastering the use of correct verb tense is a critical skill that
Back-to-School
[caption id align="alignnone" width="507"] “Without continual growth and progress, such words such as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” -Benjamin Franklin [/caption] Dear Educators, Welcome aboard Shurley English flight ABC. Please find your seat, stow your baggage in the overhead bin, and buckle-up
ELAsuccess
While the jury may still be out regarding the importance of teaching handwriting/penmanship, from where I sit, it isn’t something we want to leave out of our teaching repertoire. Though some might think the time needed to develop fluent handwriting would best be spent teaching keyboarding skills, I
In the Spotlight
In the 1960’s, a researcher by the name of Paul Diederich asked a group of language arts professionals a simple question: “What makes writing effective?” As the responses rolled in, Diederich was able to configure them into six distinct traits and coined them as the Traits of Effective Writing.
ELAsuccess
Are complex sentences all that complex? Not really! If you want to see how simple complex sentences can be for young writers, read on. When I work with young, developing writers, I like to make new concepts seem like they’re no big deal, even if they are a bit
In the Spotlight
One of my favorite strategies to teach writers is the effective use of appositives. I like to show kids how appositives, like prepositional phrases, can create a wonderful context for the sentence. So, what’s wrong with adjectives? Usually, with younger writers, we might simply encourage the use of strong
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
ELAsuccess
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