Category · 395 articles
Writing
Using Music to Develop a Productive Writing Climate
Using the craft of songwriting as a guide, the writing teacher can develop a productive writing climate. Combining resources, collaboration, and competition with an atmosphere of…
Using Music to Develop a Creative Writing Culture
Music, and songwriting in particular, can help teachers develop a creative writing culture. Learning the lessons of musical composition can improve student writing.
How to Teach Essay Strategies
Coaching writing, especially essay strategies, is a lot like coaching football. We are all product-centered. We need to have the culminating event in mind, be it…
Teaching Fact and Opinion: When, What, and How
Helping students understand and apply the differences between fact and opinion is crucial to analytical reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Distinguishing between fact from opinion is…
How to Differentiate Instruction
With the Response to Intervention (RTI) model now being incorporated into many school districts today, it has become increasingly important to help frame the differentiated instruction…
How to Teach Conjunctions
Upper elementary, middle school, and high school students will need more examples of all three types of conjunctions to assist in accurate identification, and more importantly,…
Assessment-Based Differentiated Instruction
Our understanding of the characteristics and proclivities of our students should inform both the what and the how of instruction. Consider this: students don’t know what…
Teaching Essay Style: 15 Tricks of the Trade
“Never start a sentence with But.” Countless middle school and high school English-language arts teachers cringe when their students faithfully repeat this elementary school dictum. “Never…