Aug 25
Varying sentences is one of those sneaky skills students often overlook until their writing starts sounding like a robot stuck on repeat. While young writers often default to short, choppy, or run-on sentences, mastering sentence variation is key to creating engaging writing. But don’t worry; I’ve got fun strategies (and some teacher-tested survival tips!) to …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=2675
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
Feb 27
Students should use different ways to start sentences. Teaching students to use a variety of sentence structures can greatly improve their writing. This post contains a step-by-step lesson plan with printables for teaching students this very important skill. The activities in this lesson can easily be divided across multiple days into mini-lesson or taught as …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3446
Dec 16
Let’s be honest—teaching students to eliminate wordiness isn’t exactly the highlight of a student’s writing journey. Most upper elementary students believe that if they write more words, their story will be better. Meanwhile, you’re reading something like: “I went on a really long, extremely tiring walk across the very big and really wide field.” Good news: teaching concise …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=1990
