Ace the State Writing Test
Does your writing instruction suffer from any of these ailments?
“One-on-one conferencing is time-consuming and the classroom management necessary to make it work is taxing. I soon burn-out on teaching writing altogether.”
“I’m adept at teaching the writing process, but my students still have difficulty generating quality content. What’s more, they’re often sloppy editors.”
“I use the textbook and worksheets to teach grammar, but my students often don’t apply what they’ve learned to ‘real’ writing.”
Merits of National Board Certification Discussed
The National Research Council affirmed that National Board Certification has had a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention and professional development. In the most rigorous and comprehensive study to date about National Board Certification, the NRC found that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by teachers who have not applied and those who did not achieve certification. To read the full article, click here.
How to Host a Writer’s Festival
When seven-year-old Kelsey Drake stepped up to the microphone, she hesitated. Perhaps she felt nervous about presenting her writing before such a large audience. Then again, maybe it was just the mouthful of devil’s food cake she was chewing. After a hard swallow, without regard for the icing on her face or the chocolate fingerprints smeared across her otherwise fresh copy of our student anthology, Yeah Huh!, Kelsey calmly clutched the mike. In a singsongy voice, she proceeded to read her masterpiece:
One day I went hunting with my dad and my big brother and their friends in the woods. I got the biggest deer and it had very big antlers. The big boys cried. We took the deer home and Mom said, “The boys are big babies.” I said, “Maybe next time, babies.”
Hosting a writers’ festival at your school is a fantastic extension to any writing program. Click on the Instructor logo to get the details.
Using Reader’s Theater and Drama to Build Fluency
Have you been wondering why we emphasize play performances in Room 15? If so, check out this article from Instructor magazine about how effective Reader’s Theater is at building reading fluency and comprehension. Just click the Instructor logo!
