Often student writing is not held to the same high standard that student work is in many of the other subjects.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. Writing is an art. There is not an “easy answer key” for the writing teacher.
2. The way writing is taught can often seem “esoteric” to children. It [...]
In the inner-city of Los Angeles there are many “year round schools.” On quite a few of my vacations I have taken over classrooms that were “without a teacher.” These are classrooms where others “did not” or “would not” stay. They are challenging. They contain many, many reluctant and remedial writers.
I have experienced these “extreme [...]
Research based report writing deals extensively with the organization of information and ideas. That’s a VERY, VERY important part of what “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” teaches! After using “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” your students will easily be ready for these “Fifteen Steps to Fantastic Research Reports!” (I’ve outlined the [...]
A Paragraph Beautifully Defined
A paragraph is a collection of sentences with unity of purpose. A paragraph handles and exhausts a distinct topic.
Alexander Bain – 1871
This description of a paragraph is about as good as it gets! Alexander Bain is also credited as having been the first person to have formally laid down the rules [...]
Teaching Sentences as Grammar VS. Teaching Sentences as Writing
Do you teach “grammar” when you teach children about sentences… or do you teach “writing” when you teach children about sentences? Let’s take a quiz. Read this sentence:
Do you still eat pizza every day?
Which of these four kinds of sentences is this?
• Declarative Sentence – Makes a statement.
• Interrogative Sentence [...]
State Standards, Standardized Tests, and… Writer’s Workshop?
In the real world of state standards and standardized tests, it can be a little difficult for a teacher to get their head around what Writer’s Workshop is. As long as I have been teaching there has been a continuing push towards making teachers more and more accountable for [...]
Controversy in the World of Writer’s Workshop
Teaching writing… in the world of teaching… is “controversial.” So few teachers really feel they know how to teach “writing” well. Everyone feels they teach “grammar” just fine, but writing… This feeling of uncertainty creates defensiveness and high emotions.
But even in the world of teaching writing… just the mention [...]
Three Important Questions about Middle School Writing Instruction
1. Are your middle school students remedial writers or are they on grade level?
2. How do you bridge the gap between your remedial writers and your high achieving writers?
3. What are appropriate goals and objectives of middle school writing instruction?
The Six Traits of Effective Middle School Writing Instruction
Many students are ready [...]
What is a paragraph and how do you teach children to write a paragraph?
“A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea or topic. A paragraph usually contains between 5-8 sentences about that one main idea or topic. All of your sentences in the paragraph must be about that one main idea or [...]
State Writing Standards Simplified
State writing standards can be a little difficult to digest. Here is a combined list of elementary and middle school state writing standards that provide a very good overview of what is important in both elementary and middle school writing.
“Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” will provide a rock solid foundation [...]