Category · 395 articles
Writing
Common Core Literalism
Some educators are taking the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in a wooden literal sense: not at all in the ways that the Common Core authors intended…
Mechanics Quiz for Teachers
See how much you know about mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc.) by taking the 10 Question Mechanics Quiz for Teachers. Don't worry; I’ll dispense with the…
Knowledge of Language | Anchor Standards for Language
The key word in the Knowledge of Language Standard is apply. The somewhat ambiguous term, language, refers to the other five Standards in the Language Strand which encompass…
How to Teach Multiple Meaning Words Vocabulary
The Common Core authors include multiple meaning words in the Language Strand as Standard L.4.a., but word play is also included in word relationships Standard L.5.b.…
How to Teach Writing Skills
Two time-proven solutions to these problems take little time, but do necessitate some instruction and practice: sentence revisions and literary response.
The Serial (Oxford) Comma
The author presents both humorous and scholarly consequences of failing to use the serial (Oxford) comma: lack of clarity, consistency, and conformity.
Literacy Center Rotations
Literacy center (or stations) rotations can be challenging to plan. Here are seven rotation options with colorful visuals for 4-10 literacy centers.
Interactive Notebooks Assessment-based Individualized Instruction
A number of years ago I decided to experiment with teaching interactive grammar notebooks to my seventh grade ELA students. Like many secondary ELA teachers, I,…