English Language Arts

How to Make Constructed Response Social

September 27, 2018

alternatives to constructed response, constructed response

Make constructed response social! Let’s face it, writing paragraph after paragraph causes student burnout. Why? Kids are social animals. Above all, they love working together. Take a look at three ways…

How to Use Classroom Contests for Test Score Growth

September 20, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts

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Classroom contests bring out kids’ competitive nature. Now you can use them to improve test scores. When your students experience writing burnout, bring on the games. In a short amount of…

How to Create a Constructed Response Burger

September 13, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts

answering questions, constructed response, constructed response burger, constructed response cube, constructed response hamburger

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Build a constructed response burger. On the top, place a topic sentence bun. In the middle, add the meat. (That’s the supporting details, of course.) At the end, finish up…

How to Build a Simple Constructed Response Cube

September 6, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts

answering questions, constructed response, constructed response activities, constructed response cube

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A constructed response cube lets kids practice – and have some fun! When they roll the die, engagement improves. Soon they’ll be writing paragraphs like pros. (more…)

12 Ways to Improve Narrative Writing [Third, Fourth & Fifth Grades]

June 22, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts, Learn

fifth grade, fourth grade, improving narrative writing, narrative writing, revising narrative writing, third grade

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Improve narrative writing in your classroom with a dozen handy hints! Focus on one or two each time kids write, and watch their writing shine! Read on for ideas and…

Teaching Kids to Write Stories [Fiction and Personal Narrative]

June 14, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts, Learn

fifth grade, fourth grade, narrative writing, personal narratives, teaching writing, third grade, writing fiction

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Teaching kids to write stories is a year-long process. To build strong structure, use these four steps. 1) Begin with a simple story line. 2) Help them focus on the…

Teaching the Two Sides of Writing [Fiction and Nonfiction]

June 9, 2018

Brenda Kovich

Engage, English Language Arts, Learn

fiction, fifth grade, fourth grade, informational writing, informative writing, narrative writing, reading writing connection, third grade, two sides of writing, writing fiction, writing nonfiction

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Teaching the two sides of writing is the essential piece in your ELA instruction. First and foremost, kids must understand structures of fiction and nonfiction writing. Fiction writing uses a…

Beginnings and Endings Tie Persuasive Writing Together

February 4, 2018

Brenda Kovich

English Language Arts, Learn

beginnings and endings, persuasive paragraphs, persuasive writing

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Beginnings and endings can unify persuasive writing. To open the paragraph, offer an invitation to read on. For example, hook them with a question, dialogue, or surprise statement. At the…

Transitions Make Persuasive Writing Flow

January 28, 2018

Brenda Kovich

English Language Arts, Learn

persuasive paragraphs, persuasive writing, transitions

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Transitions, or linking words, help readers navigate the text. When students use them, writing flows. For beginners, provide a list of terms. As they become more proficient, ask them to…

Varying Sentences Jazzes Up Persuasive Writing

January 21, 2018

Brenda Kovich

English Language Arts, Learn

persuasive paragraphs, persuasive writing, sentence variety, varying sentences

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Varying sentences improves style. When kids feel finished with their writing, it’s time to shake things up. First, begin every sentence in a paragraph differently. Second, vary sentence types. For…

English Language Arts

How to Make Constructed Response Social

How to Use Classroom Contests for Test Score Growth

How to Create a Constructed Response Burger

How to Build a Simple Constructed Response Cube

12 Ways to Improve Narrative Writing [Third, Fourth & Fifth Grades]

Teaching Kids to Write Stories [Fiction and Personal Narrative]

Teaching the Two Sides of Writing [Fiction and Nonfiction]

Beginnings and Endings Tie Persuasive Writing Together

Transitions Make Persuasive Writing Flow

Varying Sentences Jazzes Up Persuasive Writing

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Brenda Kovich

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