Opinion writing can be a struggle when students don’t even know what they think. Before they can craft a strong argument, they need to form one. Here are five engaging strategies to help students develop opinions—and back them up with solid reasoning. 1. Would You Rather…? Debate in Motion Pose a fun, thought-provoking question: Would […]
Strategies/Craft
Shared Writing: Bringing the Magic of Collaboration Back to the Classroom
Shared writing is a fantastic, collaborative approach that brings students into the writing process. Imagine sharing the cognitive load (and sometimes the literal pen) with your class – it’s a powerful way to model writing skills, strategies, and even the mechanics of encoding. It’s one of those teaching techniques that packs a serious punch. In […]
Writers’ Workshop: Show Don’t Tell
Every elementary Writers’ Workshop teacher has a go-to “Show, Don’t Tell” lesson in which students learn how to show or illustrate what is happening, instead of merely stating it. But do we ever have enough? Do the students ever master this highly important writing skill?? Exactly! So here is another lesson to add to your […]