Writing Prompts and Story Ideas – Summer Be sure to learn more about how to use writing prompts with students here: 1. Using Writing Prompts with Kids: Tips, Tricks, Pros and Cons of Writing Prompts 2. How to Use Writing Prompts in Teaching Writing Wishing you and your students total essay writing success! Have a great summer! Summertime [...]
The State of Affairs for “Beginning, Middle, and Endings” in Student Writing The sad truth is students aren’t interested in beginning, middle, and ending. No. I’m not sure that they ever were… but in this modern age… it’s passé. It’s boring. It doesn’t pique their interest… and they don’t see what it is so important [...]
Very few endeavors in the history of human kind have been started and abandoned with such persistency and consistency, as the journal. Elementary and middles school classrooms is where this habit begins, and with each new year, with each new journal, a commitment is made that this time will be different. “Okay kids, the word [...]
Paragraphs have unity and coherence. A paragraph has a single minded focus. There must be no information in the paragraph which does not serve that purpose. We call these “good paragraphs.” The best of the best are known as “perfect paragraphs.” But not all paragraphs are good… let alone perfect. In fact, it doesn’t take [...]
(If your children or students are struggling with paragraphs… be sure to read “Teaching Children Paragraph Writing is Hard!) The Different Kinds of Paragraphs 1. How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph) – First, Next, Then, Finally 2. Compare and Contrast Paragraph – Eggplant is both good…and bad! 3. Descriptive Paragraph – It was a dark and stormy night, yet the [...]
What is the Purpose of Your Writing Prompt? Have You Defined a Goal or Objective? The most important thing about a writing prompt is for the teacher to have a purpose for the writing prompt. Many teachers don’t think a lot about what their purpose is when they put up a writing prompt. The thought [...]