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!
Oct 07
Understanding how to identify similarities and differences is crucial for students, as it helps them organize and process information more effectively. In this post, I explain four graphic organizers to compare and contrast various elements in reading and writing. I’ve also included a video lesson demonstrating the use of these organizers with a fun and …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3563
Sep 02
Understanding how to organize information is important for students comprehending nonfiction texts. Teaching them to order information in chronological, sequential, and consecutive order can significantly enhance their grasp of the material. Activity #1 – Go Over Definitions for Chronological, Sequential, and Consecutive Order Before reading the post, please download the organizers and activities. The handout …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=591
Apr 22
Double negatives have a way of creeping into everyday speech—and even more so into the music students love. That’s what makes them the perfect grammar target: tricky enough to challenge learners, but familiar enough to spark curiosity. Even better? You can turn their favorite songs into your secret weapon for teaching it. In this post, …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=1037
Jan 22
Let’s face it—student writing can sometimes sound like a list of thoughts scribbled on sticky notes and shuffled around by a squirrel in a hurry. You’ve probably seen it: sentence after sentence with no clear connection. Sometimes student paragraphs read like GPS directions with half the turns missing. That’s where transition words come in. Think …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4140
Oct 27
Let’s talk audience. No, not the kind clapping politely at a school talent show while someone’s recorder squeaks out “Hot Cross Buns.” I’m talking about the kind of audience your students should be thinking about every time they put pencil to paper – or fingers to the keyboard. Getting kids to shift their tone and …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=8116
Oct 23
Before students begin their informative essay writing journey, they must learn the necessary skills. One such skill is the art of writing hooks, which captivates readers and makes their writing stand out. This blog post will explore four activities to help your upper elementary students master the art of writing hooks. With some practice, their …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3999
Sep 25
Firsthand and secondhand accounts are one of those things that are easy to say but a little trickier to teach reading skills. Before we dive in, here’s a little story from my family archives. My dad was a genealogy buff. The kind of guy who had color-coded binders and could connect us to people like Frances Scott Key. …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3097
