Quantcast
Channel: essays – Pennington Publishing Blog
Browsing latest articles
Browse All 12 View Live

Why Johnny Can’t Use Good Grammar

Some years back, the principal walked into my room while my student teacher was delivering a lesson. After a few minutes, the principal signaled me to step outside. “I would never hire Johnny to work...

View Article


How to Teach the Writing Domains (Genres)

Students need to understand the natures and peculiarities of the many different forms of writing. As students are first exposed to the imaginative/narrative domain (genre) of writing via story books,...

View Article


Essential Study Skills

From a child’s point of view, there are advantages and disadvantages to having a teacher as a parent. The time off over holidays and summer vacations certainly provides plenty of options for family...

View Article

Free Resources to Teach the Writing Process and Writer’s Workshop

The Writing Process and Writers Workshop are not simply processes by which students explore and refine their writing on their own. The teacher plays an active role in teaching and modeling the writing...

View Article

Free Writing Style Resources

Writing style is an umbrella term that includes writing rules and conventions, the voice or personality of the writer, how the writer interacts with his or her audience, what the author says, his or...

View Article


Free Essay Strategies Resources

In my first year of teaching, I assigned a group of eighth grade students what I thought was a rather straight-forward assignment: a five paragraph essay on the causes of the Civil War. I had...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

How to Grade Writing

How can we effectively assess student writing? Should we grade upon effort, completion, standards, achievement, or improvement? Is our primary task to respond or to grade? Here’s my take. We should...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Eliminate “To Be” Verbs: Convert Nouns and Adjectives into Vivid Verbs Lesson

Eliminate “To Be” Verbs Ah, summertime! After a few weeks of avoiding any thoughts whatsoever about school, I’m now back in planning mode. How I can improve my students’ essays this next school year?...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Eliminate “To Be” Verbs: Substitute with Stronger Linking Verbs Lesson

Using a “to be” verb is like putting on a BAND-AID®. Simply open up the protective paper; peel back the two plastic sections; and apply over the wound. Quick and easy. However, removing that same...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Eliminate “To Be” Verbs: How to Revise Was and Were

Both developing student writers as well as professionals struggle with eliminating (or reducing) the overuse of the forms of the “to be” verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been. Any teacher...

View Article
Browsing latest articles
Browse All 12 View Live