Category Archive: conventions

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Patterns of Power: Review + Giveaway

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At a time when  thoughts turn to sandy beaches and alarm clock-less days, it takes a very special professional book to make me wish (at least a little) that it was September and I could start implementing all these fabulous, fun and important lessons now! Patterns of Power: Inviting Young Writers into the Conventions of Language is a book that will make you happy to have the opportunity to be a teacher, working with young writers to help them explore, wonder, and apply the conventions they learn. It’s a book that I believe will transform how teachers and students look at conventions

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How Many Stars? Tools for self-assessment and goal-setting

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The more we show learners what the work looks like at different levels and the reasons for that level, the better they are able to self-assess, set goals, and improve.

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Conventions & Presentation: Solving Predictable Problems

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Proper use of conventions and the aesthetics of writing pose unique challenges in an elementary writing workshop. Here are solutions to eight predictable problems you may be facing with your students.

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Powerful Punctuation!

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Punctuation is a pesky problem. Third grade students often forget their punctuation, writing an entire story without a single period in sight. As I launched writing workshop this year, I’ve been looking for ways to show my students that punctuation can add voice and meaning to their piece of writing.

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Responding to Reflection: Editing

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Professional writers often reach for professional editors in the writing world. Why not create the opportunity for students to be the professionals?

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Snapshots From the NYSEC Conference

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My time at the New York State English Council (NYSEC) Conference through snapshots!

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Five Grammar Lessons With Sneaky Double-Duty Goals 

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Check out these quick, easy grammar lessons that will clean up and power up your students’ writing.

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Micro-Workshop: Making Time for Conventions and Grammar

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How do you find time to put a focus on the littlest pieces of our writing to create big pieces of work?

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Writing Workshop is Hard Work

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Last Thursday, I endeavored to explain writing workshop to parents in my district at Parent University. As I drove home after the presentation, I felt unsettled, like there had been a gap in what the parents were hoping to learn and what I delivered. What would you be sure to include in a presentation to parents on writing workshop?

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Where Do We Go Next? Use a Checklist!

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Do your on-demand writing samples go into a folder or do they help you plan your next steps?

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Do you need a copy editor?

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I don’t have a professional proofreader at my disposal (though I wish I did!). I know spell check isn’t a fool-proof method for getting my writing ready to go out into the world. But now I have Grammarly, a proofreading web application that finds and explains in-depth grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes online.

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Grammar Lessons: A Time and A Place

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Encouraging kids to make decisions about their writing, rather than blindly following grammar rules helps lifts the level of their thinking, and the level of their writing.

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Grammar Matters + a Book Giveaway

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Lynne Dorfman and Diane Dougherty’s new book, Grammar Matters, is for teachers of Kindergarten through 6th grade. It provides lessons as well as grammar references so you can enhance your instruction and get your students excited about learning grammar.

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Does “Published” Need to be “Perfect?”

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There’s a reason for second and third editions of really great books–a writer’s work is never done, and is certainly never, ever perfect.

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More on the Writing Continuum

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It’s late, but I promised to post more about the writing continuum work in fourth grade. Thankfully one of the fourth grade teachers has already documented the early work on her blog. Click… Continue reading →

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Conventionally Speaking

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Just a little list of some things that are on my mind about conventions and teaching conventions and using (or not using) conventions. Conventions are important. Learning to use them in Standard English… Continue reading →

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Paragraphs — Part II

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I took your wise words and put them together in a chart. It’s hanging in my office because I love how it is a reminder of the power of collaboration. It also restores… Continue reading →

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Paragraphs — Part I

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How do you know when to start a new paragraph? Yep, that’s all for this post. Do some thinking and then leave an answer in the comments. It’s an important question and one… Continue reading →

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Best First Draft

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When students move from their notebook to draft, I encourage them to write their best first draft. (Click here to see other posts I’ve written about best first drafts.) Something that I’m always… Continue reading →

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How many exclamation points should one use to end a sentence?

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I changed the way I used exclamation points as a result of reading Dan Feigelson’s Practical Punctuation: Lessons on Rule Making and Rule Breaking in Elementary Writing. Prior to reading Feigelson’s book I was… Continue reading →