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 [...]
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 [...]
Improve Student Organization and You Will Bring Lasting Results As discussed previously, there seems to be a link between organizational skills and student success. Improving student organizational skills is one of the surest ways of having a lasting effect on a student’s life. This is especially true with students who are struggling. Here is a [...]
Are Patterns What You Think They Are? It’s likely that you know a lot more AND a lot less about patterns than you think you do! In the movie A Beautiful Mind, there is a scene where Russell Crowe’s character looks up at the night sky and illustrates all the beautiful patterns he can see. [...]
The Research Shows Series: Effective Writing Instruction The research shows that students must write more! However, the research also shows that “fill in the blank” and “short answer” isolated skill drills fail to improve student writing. Do your students regularly practice real writing – authentic writing? “Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay” gets students [...]
The Research Shows Series: Publishing Student Writing What happens when no one ever sees a child’s writing? You guessed it, decreased motivation and lower quality writing. Publishing student writing is a vital part of the writing process. While it’s true many writers write only for themselves, it’s also true that the more people who read [...]