Language Arts Education Articles for Teachers - Page 10

March 2nd is the birthday of one of the most adored children’s authors, Dr. Seuss. Schools across the nation participate in Read Across America Day to commemorate this day. Read Across America is a literacy program that encourages and celebrates reading. There are many ways you can celebrate this...

A good way for students to demonstrate their comprehension of a text is through compare and contrast activities. By analyzing the similarities and differences between events and characters, students can better comprehend what they are reading. Students can do this by using graphic organizers, wri...

Learning how to identify, characterize, and analyze various forms of nonfiction can be a creative literary experience for all students. Although we are surrounded by nonfiction, the ability to identify and analyze it can seem daunting for some. My sixth graders often groan when I announce the nex...

Published student writing can come in a variety of forms. It can include everything from final drafts in plastic covers that have undergone rigorous revision to work that is in handmade covers and binding to online and magazine contest entries. No matter which option you choose, taking the time t...

As soon as students return from Thanksgiving break, we begin one of my favorite units. I look forward to teaching lessons about Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” each year due to the fact that students are familiar with the story, but few understand the time period or political message of the ...

As we near the 100th anniversary of Samuel Clemen’s death, his autobiography is scheduled to be published. Most historians agree that there won’t be any new information or revelations in his autobiography, but because Samuel Clemens is regarded as one America’s finest authors, this should still b...

“Creative writing” is one of those skills that comes easy to some students, but is difficult for others. In my experience, creative writing can be particularly frustrating for reluctant writers. They struggle to find an idea to write about; we’ve all been there. I like students to think of creati...

Learning centers should provide essential practice, support, enrichment, or reinforcement of skills and concepts taught. As a middle school language arts teacher, I incorporate learning centers to differentiate my instruction. The goal is to set aside a time each week to focus on individual learn...

The 1991 Newbery Award winner "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli never fails to capture my sixth grade students’ attention. The characters and events tend to engage even my most reluctant readers. This novel also lends itself to numerous opportunities for reading and writing instruction. The follow...

Lois Lowry’s novel "The Giver" is an enthralling story of a young boy faced with accepting the truth about the utopian society in which he lives. It involves issues such as euthanasia, climate control, genetic engineering, and the exclusion of individual rights and freedoms in order to gain perfe...

While it may seem easy, setting up the format for writer’s workshop in the beginning months of the school year can be a pretty challenging task. A lot of teachers wonder how to stay organized, teach mini-lessons, and conference with students throughout their writing block. Even though I have been...

Finding a middle school student without an opinion is unheard of. Finding a middle school student ready to defend his/her opinion with factual evidence is a rare occurrence. In my sixth grade language arts classroom, students often struggle to support literature-based opinions with factual detail...

Independent reading is an integral component of effective literacy programs because it helps students to continually build and practice their literacy skills. However, it can be difficult to motivate those pupils who need the practice the most, to read independently. In an effort to increase inde...

In my teaching experience, I have found the study of literary elements is best accomplished using an organized approach. My preference is to begin with characterization and then move to plot events, and from there study tone, mood, irony, and the use of figurative language. In order to maintain o...

Developing reading comprehension is an ongoing process that begins the moment a child becomes engaged with literature. From learning the skills to navigate a picture book to reading an assigned chapter in a chemistry text, good readers acquire and initiate comprehension skills and techniques in o...