Welcome to my blog index page featuring posts for upper elementary students who want to improve their writing skills. Teaching writing can be challenging, so I’ve compiled a range of posts to help you with your lessons.
My post categories include writing strategies, writing skills, capitalization and punctuation, narrative writing, teaching text structures with songs, teaching text structures, teaching persuasive techniques with commercials, and parts of speech. You’ll find ideas and free teaching materials to make your lessons more effective and engaging.
You can browse my posts by clicking on the images below or using the search bar on the right. You can also subscribe to my newsletter for updates on new posts and freebies. Whether you’re looking for tips on enhancing your students’ skills, making writing more fun and interactive, or integrating writing with other subjects, you’ll find something worthwhile on my blog.
I hope these posts will support your upper elementary students’ writing development and inspire them to become confident writers. Happy teaching!
Feb 02
Teaching students to write strong narratives is an ongoing journey, much like convincing them that “said” isn’t the only verb in existence. Before students dive into crafting stories, they need a solid foundation in character traits, point of view, setting, theme, and plot development. Once they grasp these story elements, they’re ready to apply practical …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=306
Jan 26
Have you ever read a student’s narrative that was one giant paragraph, stretching across the entire page like it was trying to set a world record? For some students, paragraph breaks come naturally—for others, it’s like they never learned where the Enter key is. If you’ve ever wondered when to start a new paragraph in …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=2683
Jan 19
Let’s be honest—when we tell students to “show, don’t tell,” most of them look at us like we’ve just asked them to write a novel in ancient Greek. It’s one of those writing skills that sounds simple… until they try it. This post walks you through a ready-to-go mini-lesson that helps students understand what “showing” …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=285
Jan 05
Teaching narrative hooks is one of the most effective ways to help students strengthen their storytelling skills. Students love writing stories, but crafting a strong opening isn’t always easy. Many begin with “One day…” or “Hi, my name is…”—not exactly gripping starts. The good news? Students can learn clear patterns for writing powerful narrative hooks. …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=2665
Oct 06
If there’s one topic that instantly gets upper elementary students talking, it’s superheroes. Instead of battling their obsession (we all remember the Great Spider-Man Drawing Phase of September), why not harness it for learning? These superhero writing activities turn capes, villains, and secret identities into creative writing gold. I’ve pulled together five of my favorite …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7640
Sep 28
Persuading students to write can sometimes feel like convincing your dog to take a bath. You offer snacks, encouragement, maybe a pleading tone… and they still look at you like, “Are you serious?” Luckily, switching up writing prompts can work wonders. When students get excited about what they’re writing, their pencils (and imaginations) start to …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7287
Sep 22
Have you ever noticed that newspaper articles don’t waste time with suspense? They hit you with the most important facts right away. Boom—who, what, when, where, why, and how—all in the first few lines. That’s not laziness; it’s strategy. It’s called the Inverted Pyramid, and it’s the writing style journalists have been using for over …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=5817
