July 18, 2019

Micro-comprehension: Applying Text Structure

July 18, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

As I continue my series about micro-comprehension, text structure processing is next in line. Earlier, I wrote about sentence structure processing. The process of analyzing sentence structure and text structure shares similarities. However, analyzing at the sentence level gives a close-up picture of the meaning of the sentence; whereas, analyzing text structure provides the bigger picture of an entire essay or any longer piece of writing.

Many fluent readers seem to automatically process text structure, but it is probably subconscious. Take a look at this shortlist of text structures students encounter:

July 11, 2019

Writing Time: Let's start a blog!

July 11, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Journal Writing is an activity that is implemented very early in the Shurley English curriculum. Students are taught how to create a written journal to record their thoughts and feelings. Then, throughout the school year, they are encouraged to respond to specific prompts in their personal journals. (If you’re wondering about the benefits of journaling, please check out my previous blog, “The Value of Journal Writing (…and how to get started).”)

Today, I’d like for you to think beyond the written journal and consider developing a classroom wall blog. This type of activity affords you an opportunity to support your classroom instruction and teach your students how to become responsible writers.

To begin, here’s a blog for you and your students to read:

June 06, 2019

Creating a Writing Inspiration Station

June 06, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

There’s nothing like the dreaded feeling of sitting at your desk with a blank sheet of writing paper staring back at you. You see some of your classmates busily jotting down ideas; you see them creating their prewriting map; or you see some classmates looking upward with a pleasant grin, lost in their imagination. Not you though; your white paper just taunts you with thoughts like these: “So, what are you going to write about this time?” or “There’s nothing to write about; you’re all out of ideas!”

May 16, 2019

Word Choice: Simple is Sophisticated

May 16, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Writing is a tool for communication, and language is the system of words and the methods of combining them that we use to express our thoughts and feelings to each other. As teachers, we want our students to think carefully as they select the words they use to convey meaning, but Word Choice can be a tricky discussion. (Don’t worry! I’m here to help.)

May 07, 2019

Writing Extension: Exploring Appreciative Inquiry

May 07, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Spring brings longer days and more light into our lives. It’s the time of year when flowers bloom and tree buds turn into luscious leaves before our eyes! With everything outdoors transforming anew, it’s so hard to capture the attention of students experiencing spring fever! So, why not capitalize on the fresh change of seasons, using a writing activity that will inspire students to appreciate spring and ‘Carpe Diem’ at the same time!

May 02, 2019

Grammar Reinforcement: Creating Confidence Cards

May 02, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

I love teaching! I love the challenge of finding ways to teach children how academic content connects to their real life. My love of teaching has carried over into the world of life coaching, and in this capacity, I can help teens feel good about who they are.

Let’s be real. Life can be tough for many children these days, and many of them could benefit from a little more positivity in their lives. For this reason, I found a way to connect my

April 30, 2019

Grammar & Writing Toolbox: Don't let contractions confuse you!

April 30, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

A contraction is a word or phrase that’s been formed by combining two words and adding an apostrophe to replace the letter or letters that have been left out. Since the root word “contract” means to squeeze together, the concept of forming a contraction makes logical sense to most kids.

When two words are combined to form a contraction, the first word

April 23, 2019

Spring Bulletin Board: See How We've Grown!

April 23, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

It’s not always easy to see how much we’ve grown in one year, especially for a child. Physical growth might be the most noticeable because we can feel it in several ways. For instance, we can tell when our clothes are too big or too small; they don’t fit right. We know when our feet have grown because our shoes are too tight, and our feet hurt. Also, we can tell when our hair has grown when it starts covering our eyes and ears. Intellectual growth, on the other hand, is much more difficult to notice.

April 11, 2019

ELA Success: Patience is key!

April 11, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Most of my blog content comes from questions I’ve answered at one time or another from teachers and administrators who use Shurley English. I often hear the urgency in their voices, and they seem to be looking for a quick fix to the problems their students are experiencing. Sure, we all want quick results, but usually, by the time you manage to find just the right curriculum or just the right supplement to your teaching, the students have moved on. Then, you get a new batch of students with similar but unique struggles, and you’re back at it again, trying to find what works and what works fast.

Even though we, as a society, rely on instant gratification, immediate feedback, and quick results, the outcome of an exemplary education won’t happen that way. Honestly, we all know there are NO quick fixes that produce the quality results we’re seeking, not in life or in curriculum.

April 09, 2019

The Playbook of Literary Success: Composition

April 09, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

The Playbook of Literacy Success highlights the necessary knowledge, skills, and practice required to win the game of literacy development. Great players gain confidence when they own and use a broad vocabulary and a strong grammar foundation. These two core concepts serve to prepare all players for one of the greatest plays of all: composition! If you missed Part I and Part II of the Playbook of Literacy Success, you might want to go back to the starting line to catch up with some calisthenics we call Shurley English Jingles and then move into our version of the wishbone formation, which we call the Question and Answer Flow. Today, our focus is on composition and the writing process.