Teaching genres at the beginning of the school year makes sense.  But I'd argue it makes as much sense to review it - or teach it - when...

  I know.  You're hanging on as best you can.  Doors are being decorated, kids are decorating themselves, and you don't want to be *...

A little back story here.   Some years ago, I taught a group of students who identified themselves as struggling readers.  And I noticed som...

  You've moved beyond Halloween but kids know there's another break coming up!  Here are 3 fun and creative Thanksgiving activities ...

  Teaching figurative language is funny.  We want kids to recognize the different types, and so we show them poems and song lyrics and they ...

Here are four novels that I think are worth considering for your upper elementary and middle school students.  I read them a few years ago a...

Here are two phrases I don't like:  "It is what it is" and "That's just how I am."  Why don't I like them?  ...

Hi, my name is Mikey and I'm going to tell you my story.... Does that make your hair stand on end?  I cringe inside when I see upper ...

I could see it in their eyes.  Yeah, Johannes Gutenberg created the movable type printing press.   So what?   Don't you know we have int...

Raise your hand if you've brought your teacher bag home for the weekend loaded with papers to grade, and it lived in your car all weeken...

"I don't know what that word meant so I just skipped over it." "Can you pronounce it?   Nope?   Okay, how about any hints...

It's hard to get students to pay attention to spelling and grammar when there's so much else going on in their lives, isn't it? ...

  Your students *sort of* know the different text structures, right?  They might even be able to remember 1 or 2 of them.   But do they real...