Word knowledge has particular importance in literate societies. It contributes significantly to achievement in the subjects of the school curriculum, as well as in formal and informal speaking and writing. Most people feel that there is a common sense relationship...
Why You Should Teach Your Students Morphology and Word Building
Morphological instruction is a part of vocabulary instruction, and vocabulary instruction is a critical component of everything we teach students across the curriculum. Put simply, vocabulary instruction and morphological instruction improves students’ reading...
Teaching Children Creative Writing
The Research Shows Series: Elementary School Creative Writing What is creative writing? Poetry is considered creative writing. That should be no surprise! Where things get tricky is “narrative writing.” At its heart, a narrative is a story. Stories can be true and...
Changing Views on Teaching Children to Write
The Research Shows Series: Changes in Teaching Writing How has writing instruction changed over the last few decades? What are the most effective strategies for teaching writing? What is the difference between product and process when teaching writing? Which is more...
Research on Effective Writing Instruction
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...
Teaching Students How to Revise
The Research Shows Series: Revision What does the research show about teaching students how to revise their own writing? Do teachers and students perceive revision the same way? Are computers a help or a hindrance in teaching students how to revise? Most important of...
Student Journal Writing – Tips and Traps
The Research Shows Series: Journal Writing in the Classroom Are you considering using journals in your classroom? If so, you certainly want to know what the research says. This research article has five sections: 1. Journal Writing in Experiential Education 2. The...
Ideas for Publishing Student Writing
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...
Lessons on Authentic Writing Assessment
The Research Shows Series: How to Assess Writing Authentically I teach writing as a “how-to” activity. Everyone enjoys learning how to do something! So often, the skill of writing is taught as information. Students have little interest in the information surrounding...
Today’s Best Practices in Teaching Writing
The Research Shows Series: Current Views on Teaching Writing and Writer’s Workshop What are today’s best practices in teaching writing? Decades of research have shown that isolated skill drills do little to improve student writing. All of the research indicates that...