Archive
Tag: Mark Pennington
Meaningless Sentence Starters
Avoid beginning sentences with There or Here + a “helping verb” or a “linking verb." Revise to eliminate these words. To delete the unnecessary There or…
Wordiness
Learning how to write concisely (briefly) and efficiently is important. When wording is added which does not contribute meaning, teachers call this padding. Padding includes needless…
Instructional Phonics Order
Teachers often ask about the order of phonics instruction. Is there an instructional sequence that makes sense? First, let's take a look at some general criteria…
Build Vocabulary through Reading
Learn how to build vocabulary through reading, download six vocabulary resources to use with your students today.
Movie First, Book Second
Want your students to get the most out of reading a class novel? Want more of your students to actually read the whole book? What to…
Hyperbole
While hyperbole is used often in everyday speech, in literary dialogue and description, and in poems and songs, it may not be used in formal essays…
Syllable Transformers
Syllable Transformers is a whole-class instructional strategy that teaches students to master the basic syllable patterns. Download FREE this five-week unit.
Rhetorical Questions in Essays
A rhetorical question is a statement formed as a question. Rhetorical questions can be manipulative because they are designed to appear objective and open-ended, but may…