Category Archive: grammar

154 Comments

Patterns of Power: Review + Giveaway

by

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

18 Comments

Rethinking the “I-Rule”

by

Many of us were taught that first person pronouns had no place in academic writing. But is that rule still being followed by professional writers?

5 Comments

Warming up with grammar games

by

Before my daughter plays a soccer game or scrimmages, her team goes through several warm-up exercises. Watching the go through the motions, I’m impressed that they all seem to enjoy the warm-ups, and they also can explain the purpose of them.

It has helped me to think of these grammar games as the girls think of their soccer warm-ups. They’re quick, they’re fun, and they’re relevant to writing.

31 Comments

Conventions & Presentation: Solving Predictable Problems

by

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.

13 Comments

Five Grammar Lessons With Sneaky Double-Duty Goals 

by

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

15 Comments

Micro-Workshop: Making Time for Conventions and Grammar

by

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

9 Comments

A Love of Grammar

by

Here is a round-up of some of my favorite grammar-related websites and resources. You will notice that there are no worksheets here.

38 Comments

Do you need a copy editor?

by

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.

7 Comments

Grammar Lessons: A Time and A Place

by

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.

144 Comments

Grammar Matters + a Book Giveaway

by

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.

41 Comments

Five on Friday + Book Giveaways

by

Want to obtain some high quality professional development at no cost to you? Need some books to sink your teeth into this summer? Feel like kicking back and just enjoying some time off? If you answered “yes,” to one of these questions, then read on!

13 Comments

Editing Wonderings

by

I’ve been thinking a lot about editing and conventions and writing workshop. My ideas keep twirling around and I’m trying to grab hold, but they don’t seem to want to be pinned down… Continue reading →

5 Comments

Siri

by

Last month I finally got of my cell phone that didn’t have a qwerty keyboard and upgraded to an iPhone 4S.  It took me awhile to convert to an iPhone since I first… Continue reading →

4 Comments

I’ve been studying sentence structure…

by

I was watching or listening or reading something this week — I don’t remember what — but the message was: You can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader. True. (And probably… Continue reading →

8 Comments

Misused Apostrophes

by

The day I went into labor with my daughter I was transferred from a labor and delivery room to a postpartum patient room back to a labor and delivery room.  By the time… Continue reading →

1 Comment

Punctuation Police

by

Today was my first day back to the classroom after being under the weather and out for two-and-a-half-days. I hesitated jumping back in, realizing I had a lot to catch-up on in my… Continue reading →

5 Comments

The “No Worksheet” Zone

by

I started teaching a unit of study on Conventions yesterday.  (I really think I need a more dazzling name for this, but for now, it’s going to be known as the “Conventions Unit… Continue reading →

Verbs in Revision

by

Georgia Heard’s Book The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work is one of the best books on the teaching of writing that I own.  If it’s not in your bookshelf, then click here… Continue reading →

1 Comment

Teaching Students to Master Conventions in a Modern Way

by

I read through the comments on Ruth’s latest post this morning.  It seems like many folks are feeling a little angst when it comes to grammar instruction.  You’re pulled between teaching kids grammar… Continue reading →

1 Comment

“But I don’t have time to teach grammar!”

by

Ever feel like you need more time for grammar instruction, but just can’t seem to find the time? That’s certainly how my colleagues and I feel. Hence, one of them went off on… Continue reading →