The Playbook of Literary Success, Part 2: Grammar

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The Playbook of Literary Success, Part 2: Grammar

Let’s get back into the language arts huddle to go over some key plays that will help your students win the game! If you missed Part I of the Playbook of Literacy Success, you might want to go back to the starting line to capture the necessity of a strong vocabulary. As for today, we’re going to focus on Part II: Grammar. We’ll begin with some calisthenics we call Shurley English Jingles, and then we’ll move right into our version of the wishbone formation! We call this feature the Question and Answer Flow.

Remember, English is like a competitive sport, and every K-8 teacher is part of the coaching staff charged with developing players’ language arts knowledge and skills. The playbook contains plays designed to help each team member achieve literacy success, which is the ultimate goal of the game, and the action plan involves the following equation:

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Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

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Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

In a word…YES! If you are seeking a great writing prompt, look no further than a picture book, a local art gallery, or a collection of great works of art from one of those coffee table display books.

When I was a kid, we used to

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Writing Extension: A Valentine's Day Haiku

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Writing Extension: A Valentine's Day Haiku

Do you need a new idea to get the creative juices flowing in your classroom? The Haiku offers that opportunity to your students by channeling their creativity into this unique form of Japanese poetry. Here is a great lesson plan to get you started. The best part is that it has a Valentine’s Day twist!

(You can find this lesson, along with many others, in the Unit Studies Section of your Shurley English book!)

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The Right Tools for Writing Success

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The Right Tools for Writing Success

The Shurley English Writing Folder will help your students move through the writing process with ease. This foldout, four-pocket folder keeps students organized with a dedicated space for their prewriting, rough draft, revised draft, and edited paper. It is packed with handy references, checklists, and tips to ensure students have exactly what they need to produce a polished piece of writing. The Writing Folder…

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ELA Tips for a Successful Second Semester

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ELA Tips for a Successful Second Semester

As a classroom teacher, returning from holiday break was always bittersweet. On one hand, I knew the pressure for “test prep” would be more intense, but on the other hand, the satisfaction of witnessing my students grow into wiser beings put a validating smile on my face.

It was a common practice of mine to

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Language Arts Success: Top 10 List, 2024 Edition

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Language Arts Success: Top 10 List, 2024 Edition

As the calendar year comes to a close, a teacher’s journey is still moving at full speed. (It’s true!) We are not quite to the halfway mark of our year, and we still have much to do! As 2024 comes to a close and before you begin the second semester, I would encourage you to take a moment, stop, and reflect. It is good for the mind and soul to take note of one’s progress. What successes are you seeing in the classroom? Are you on the track you had planned? Do you need to make adjustments?

To help you do so, we've assembled a list of the 10 most significant language arts stories we discussed in 2024. From motivation techniques to writing extensions to language arts centers, these articles examine ways to ignite learning while building a solid foundation for #ELAsuccess.

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Holiday Activity: Let's address the envelope!

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Holiday Activity: Let's address the envelope!

‘Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, and holiday cards! I am one of those people who love to send and receive mail. I think I am a dying breed, but it gives me joy to create a holiday card and send it to my friends and family. Of course, this can be a prime teaching and learning opportunity.

Do your children know how to properly address an envelope?

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Holiday Activity: My 12 Days of Christmas

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Holiday Activity: My 12 Days of Christmas

Coloring sheets, word puzzles, tinsel, glitter, and glue are just some of the items you’ll find scattered around many classrooms during the holidays. There are so many wonderful craft ideas and activities people have used to make the season a memorable one at school. Here’s a fun way to keep your students engaged in writing during the weeks before the holiday break.

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Holiday Activity: The Kindness Calendar

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Holiday Activity: The Kindness Calendar

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Some of the words associated with kindness are affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care. The act of being kind often requires courage and strength, but a simple act of kindness can have huge effects individually and globally.

Think back to a time when someone was kind to you or when you were kind to someone else. Do you remember the feeling you felt when that person held the door open for you? Did you happen to see the other person smile or light up when you acted with kindness?

Take a look at how kindness affects a human being:

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Writing Extension: The Acrostic Poem

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Writing Extension: The Acrostic Poem

Are there times when you wonder, “what is my child thinking?” Well, let me clarify. Are there times when you wonder, “what are my child’s thoughts on a particular topic?” (Yes, that’s better phrasing.)

I find that this question usually hits me around the holidays. While the pageantry, hustle, and bustle of the holiday season surrounds us, I have a desire to know, "what are you thinking?!?" I have found a great way to “tune in” with acrostic poems.

In an acrostic poem, the letters that

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