Tag Archives: language arts

Miscellaneous, Parents, Teaching Tips

Lessons in Empathy and Proactivity: Two Great Summer Reads for Upper Elementary Students and Middle Schoolers

Comment

For those of us parenting through these uncertain times, one thing has felt absolutely certain: our children have not been getting all the education they have needed or would normally receive. And now summer is here.   Our children need to be outdoors running, swimming, reestablishing connections to others and to the world that once was. … Continue reading Lessons in Empathy and Proactivity: Two Great Summer Reads for Upper Elementary Students and Middle Schoolers »

Parents, Teaching Tips

5 Parent Hacks for Discussing a Novel You Haven’t Read

Comment

Your child is reading a novel. That is a good thing! But you might actually like to know a bit more about the subject: What lessons or ideas does the novel have to offer? What is my child taking from it? How well is my child understanding it? Why this book?  If you are like … Continue reading 5 Parent Hacks for Discussing a Novel You Haven’t Read »

Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature—Part 2: An Important Scene

Comment

(Read the first installment of this series here.) This week we are continuing our series of examining literary elements as you teach novels in your classroom. The article below describes an approach to using an important scene. Use the ideas to create classroom activities or to engage your students in whole-class or small-group discussions. An … Continue reading Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature—Part 2: An Important Scene »

Classroom Activities, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature

Comment

Our reading habits are changing. This has a lot to do with what we are reading. Tweets, posts, snaps, infographics, and other contemporary text types are ideal for communicating ideas quickly and visually. They have a place in our society — and in our classrooms, too — but they are not substitutes for actual literature. … Continue reading Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature »