Tips and Tricks for State Testing Writing Prompts Most writing prompts across all of the 50 states look very much alike. They have a similar structure, they use similar language, and they involve similar situations. While it’s true that writing prompts do change across grade levels, it’s also true that fourth grade writing prompts looks [...]
Should you teach thesis statements? If so, in what grade should you teach thesis statements? Hey, are thesis statements even important? Most people don’t really understand what a thesis statement is, and even the people who do know what a thesis statement is don’t really understand why it is important. Until a few years ago, [...]
Time for Journal Writing The main issue with journals is “time.” Is it worth the time? There are so few hours for all we need to accomplish, are journals a good use of time? Truth is, teachers need to use precious classroom time wisely. I’m going to give you a lot to think about in [...]
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 [...]
Two Kinds of Writing Assignments for Student Essays and Reports 1. The topic has not been assigned. Students choose the topic. 2. The topic has been assigned. Students must follow the directions and stay on topic. Teachers must find the right balance between these two methods when giving assignments. These ideas will help when you do [...]
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 [...]