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
Category: conventions
How Many Stars? Tools for self-assessment and goal-setting
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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?
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
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.
