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

