Sentence Writing: First Step or Side-by-Side Skill?
There is an ongoing back-and-forth argument about writing instruction. Some say that before students are ever ready to write a full page, story, essay, or even paragraph, they must master…
Sneaky Ways to Teach More Writing
More and more (thankfully), there is a cry for greater focus on writing in today’s classrooms. The reason most often cited? That NAEP writing scores are even lower than reading. …
Rethinking the Best Writing Programs: What Really Works
As reading reform sweeps the nation, one question continues to pop up across many Facebook groups: what are the best writing programs out there? The realization that writing is crucial…
Student Motivation for Writing: The Core We Can’t Afford to Miss
After all the kids had gone home for the summer on the last day of school, I came upon a team of teachers huddled together, listening intently to their colleague…
Stop Calling It a Story: Clarity in Nonfiction Writing
Sometimes, the words we use are confusing. As a northerner who moved to the south as an adult, it took me a while to figure out that in the south,…