slice of life

It’s time for Slice of Life Tuesday!

This call for slice of life stories includes a quote from novelist Katherine Center that emphasizes the transformative power of stories related to healing and nourishment. As always, you're invited to share and connect through your personal stories.

early childhood · outdoors · preschool

“There was a long tree…” Observational Drawing and Talking in the Pre-K Classroom

Observational drawing provides many wonderful opportunities for young children to connect to the creative process that will eventually lead to writing.

handwriting · letter formation · letter writing

Effective Strategies for Teaching Handwriting in Grades 3-8

With the rise in digital technology, it's easy to forget about the importance of handwriting. But remember, it's not just a lost art. It's the key to unlocking deeper reading and writing capabilities for your students.

slice of life

SOL Tuesday

It's that time of the week again! Please join us for Slice of Life Tuesday.

dialogue

A Simple Scaffold for Constructing Dialogue

Whenever my conversations with colleagues focus on helping kids with dialogue or quotes in their writing, there’s almost always a defeated vibe. “Kids just struggle with using good quotes and punctuating them!” is a common refrain. Today's post focuses on a scaffold that is fun, effective, and easy to implement.

handwriting · motor development

Building Strength and Coordination for Writing

When you think about the impact of strength and coordination on writing, it helps you realize that big movements lead to smaller movements. Therefore, paying attention to the development and progression of large motor skills can help develop writers.

slice of life

Slice of Life Tuesday

It's that time of the week again! Please join us for SOL Tuesday.

writing workshop

Building a Language Playground: Higher-Level Vocabulary Skills

I'm always looking for ways to deepen students' understanding of vocabulary. Today, I’ll share a few strategies, tell how they help my writers, and list how much time I expect those activities to take in the classroom.

writing workshop

Weaving Writing into Morning Meeting

Morning Meeting isn’t just a joyful way to start the day…it’s a perfect time for building both social and academic skills. Learn how small shifts, like intentional Morning Messages and shares, can give students meaningful opportunities to practice and strengthen their writing.

slice of life

It’s Slice of Life Tuesday!

Join fellow Slicers at NCTE by filling out the form for a meetup in Denver. Even if you're not attending, share your slice of life story link by leaving a comment.

foundational skills · Ready-to-Go Tip · spelling · vocabulary

Morphology in Minutes: Ready-to-Go Tip

Morphology doesn’t require lengthy lessons. A few intentional minutes can transform how students see and use words. These easy, ready-to-use ideas and linked activites will help you bring morphology to life in any classroom K-8.

agency · Voices from the Community

You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers

Lighten your mental load by placing more agency in your writers’ hands. Here are simple ways to empower your writers and make your life easier.