Close reading is a key component of any successful literacy program. It’s the practice of breaking down texts and analyzing them in order to better understand the author’s meaning and purpose.
Three Necessary Lessons for the Beginning of the Year in ELA
The beginning of the school year is a time to reintroduce students to routine, classroom procedures, and the habits of homework and studying…. but I don’t need to tell you that! For us as English teachers, the beginning of the school year means reviewing and reteaching skills that our students will SWEAR they were NOT taught “last year.” We know the joke; we know that isn’t true!
Ideas for Pairing Classic Lit with Modern Lit
Connecting classic pieces of literature with high-interest modern texts is a great strategy to engage students in the classics while maintaining their interest. Not only that, but intertextuality (making connections between texts) allows students to extend their analysis into a compare/ contrast format that enables them to analyze literary elements and techniques on a deeper level.
TEN Children's Books for Secondary ELA
Five ESSENTIAL Questions to Guide Textual Analysis
Satire Through Subtlety-- Using the Comics of Savage Chickens to Teach Satire in High School English
Jack the Ripper + "Mack the Knife": A Nonfiction Lesson on Deciphering Tone and Bias Through Diction
Murder stories are highly engaging topics for secondary students… and for all students alike. But bringing the crime story of Jack the Ripper into secondary ELA is a sure-fire way to keep students engaged and motivated. Crime stories even motivate at-risk students through engaging content. Jack the Ripper is one of those iconic mystery stories that captures the imagination. Crime stories provide an excellent means to engage the writing process.
Famous Love Letters: A Unique Approach to Rhetorical Analysis and Creative Writing for Valentine's Day in Secondary ELA
15 Computer Games to Target the Common Core in Secondary ELA
20 Great Quotes to use as Mentor Sentences in Secondary ELA
Setting up & Assessing Book Club in Secondary ELA: FOUR FREE GUIDES FOR SUCCESS!
Book club is now considered to be one of the “best practices” in English Language Arts. Book clubs differ from traditional literary circles in that they are less teacher-directed. The students take on the responsibility of selecting their roles, making their assignments, keeping track of their reading, and much more.
