Category: language arts

Macbeth: Comic Activities to Use While Reading the Play

I don’t think there’s a more fun Shakespeare play to teach than Macbeth. It moves quickly (it’s one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays) and has it all: bloodshed, valor, all wrapped up in a play about what happens when the temptation to get what you want present itself. And it has witches! I

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read more poetry

5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching More Poetry

I’m frequently asked by other people what books I teach. No one ever asks what poems I teach. There’s no question that language arts curriculum centers around novels and our classroom can get pretty novel heavy if we’re not careful. We all know about the need for non-fiction. But let’s

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Silent Discussions in the Classroom

We all know the benefits of discussion in the classroom whether it be teacher-led, Socratic, or any of the other effective strategies for getting kids talking. However, silent discussions can also be a powerful tool for active reading and learning. Silent discussions work well because: All students participate. Classroom discussions

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why students hate annotation

Annotation: Why Students Hate It (And How To Fix It)

Annotation is a common reading strategy used to promote active reading. Annotation is a skill that helps students comprehend what they are reading and leaves a trail of “bread crumbs” for students to follow if they have to respond to the text in writing. Ideally, it will help students make

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Suspenseful Stories in Language Arts: Writing the Story

Writing suspenseful stories in the Language Arts classroom can be a fun way to teach students how stories work. In previous posts I shared model texts that I use to teach kids how suspense works.  In another post I discussed how you can teach literary devices while creating the suspenseful story. In

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