Here are sentiments against teaching the five-paragraph essay. (Whew… these people were hot under their collar!)
• In High School, I was “taught” to write five-paragraph essays (and when I say “taught,” I mean “forced.”) The five-paragraph essay was the only form allowed in Sophomore English class.
• I hope it’s not taught anymore.
• -my daughter hated it. She would [...]
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 about [...]
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 [...]
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 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 process usually [...]
Should You Teach Your Students to INVENT a Good Story, or to TELL a Good Story?
The truth is that there is very little difference between a personal narrative essay and a fiction story. After all, who doesn’t look at a fiction story and then look at the author and say, “Oh, I didn’t know…” And [...]
The Dentist
A while back I was having some rather annoying dental issues. My dentist, Dr. Karen, had all sorts of ideas. She was saying, “Well, we could try this procedure or we could try that procedure…”
In the end I explained to her that my bottom line was, “I want it fixed. The truth is… I [...]
What Exactly is an “Essay?”
The term “essay,” can be a little confusing to many students (and teachers.) What exactly is an essay? There is also a little confusion as to when and how to teach essay writing. The truth is much of what students write in both elementary and middle school can be considered an [...]