I love the Oxford comma. But not for the reasons you might think.
Category: punctuation
Chatting About Conventions with Jeff Anderson & Whitney La Rocca
Let’s talk grammar! Listen-in to a conversation Stacey recently had with Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca about language conventions.
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Using Personal Editing Checklists At-Home
Many caregivers believe that grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling is what matters most when reading their child's writing. Children’s writing should be readable, not perfect. What matters most RIGHT NOW is that kids are engaging in the act of putting words on the page or on a screen. Therefore, we can teach young writers how to use a personal editing checklist to help them make their writing more readable anytime they finish crafting a piece of writing.
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Hands-on Tools for Purposeful Practice with Punctuation
Whether your writers are forgetting to use, incorrectly using, or using punctuation without much variety, these tips and tools can bring engagement and intention to conventions.
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Talking to Caregivers about Conventions and Spelling
More than other skills, most caregivers tend to worry about spelling and conventions when it comes to their child's writing. I get it. Those skills are right there at the tip of the writing iceberg. Those skills are concrete and obvious. Those skills are the ones that they recognize and know how to fix when they sit with their child. So how do we talk to caregivers about spelling and punctuation? Here are three ideas that you may find helpful.Â
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When Conventions Aren’t Sticking–Some Tips and Tricks
Disclaimer: you're not going to find the miracle cure for getting students to use conventions in their writing within this post. I don't have one. And I've read a lot, researched a lot, and tried a lot of things. That being said, you may come across some ideas that apply not only to conventions, but also to the writing process as a whole, and maybe even to life. (That might be a stretch...but maybe---)
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Patterns of Power: Review + Giveaway
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
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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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 GoalsÂ
Check out these quick, easy grammar lessons that will clean up and power up your students' writing.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 