Get young writers thinking about how to write a great beginning for their narratives. After examining examples of solid beginnings in literary text, young writers discuss the criteria for a compelling introduction. Then, independently,...

English teachers around the world cringe when they come across fragments and run-ons in papers. A handout on these poor imitations of sentences helps bring relief by reviewing the basics of sentence construction and by offering...

Introduce readers to Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with a instructional activity that sets the context for the novel. Class members research the bigotry in Mississippi during the Great Depression and identify examples in...

As scholars begin reading more difficult text, they need to acquire an arsenal of comprehension strategies. Here are few helpful ones to guide new readers through the informational text About Trees, which is linked here for...

A lesson begins with a description of a diamante poem and the rules to follow while writing one. Scholars examine the ins and outs of synonym and antonym diamantes, then compose an original poem using their newfound knowledge. 

Poor organization often destroys an otherwise good paper. After writing a first draft, individuals consider the organization of ideas, a topic discussed in the 16th handout in the 24-part Writing the Paper series. The resource covers...

A very good 13-slide presentation on similes and metaphors is here for you. It introduces young poets to each term, gives examples, and prompts them to work together to identify similes and metaphors in several different sentences.

There's something about the classic volcano demonstration that can grab any learners' attention. Scholars begin with a reading and grand conversation about volcanoes, construct an erupting volcano using vinegar and baking soda, then...

Have everything you need to know about the elements of poetry with a nine-page handout. Split into four categories—word sounds, meanings, arrangement, and imagery—budding poets may reference terms, read definitions, descriptions, and...

In this slang words worksheet, students read the sentences and select the slang word that corresponds to each bold word. Students complete 7 examples.

Looking for an auditory approach to phoneme manipulation? You'll find everything you need here for an independent practice activity to get youngsters changing initial, medial, and final phonemes to create new words. They begin with a...

A repetition poem is the focus of a lesson that challenges scholars to compose an original piece. To add meaning to their poem, authors choose words to repeat at the start of most lines.  

Don't simply proofread ... revise instead! Revising drafts is the topic of the 17th handout in UNC's Writing the Paper series of 24 lessons. Writers discover the importance of revision, as well as steps to follow during the process.

Elementary learners create an ABC grammar book. The project begins with class members taking digital pictures of items that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Depending on level, they then add a word or a complete sentence to...

Students participate in phonemic awareness and phonics activities and develop a list of vegetable vocabulary words. They break up words into beginnings and endings, and trace and write the letter s. Students then create a Vegetable...

Accept and except: although these two words sound similar, their meanings are very different. With a 10-question worksheet, grammar enthusiasts prove their understanding of the two commonly confused words by reading...

Add additional meanings to root words! Scholars show what they know about suffixes and root words with a activity that challenges them to create words and complete sentences. 

A degree in communications incorporates disciplines such as business, law, and media as well. A writing handout offers prospective communications majors information about what kind of assignments to expect in a typical course....

Students read any play (A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example.) They participate in a teacher-led relaxation exercise designed to help the students review specific lines from the play. They write about the experience and answer other...

Use a fill-in-the-blank lesson plan template to enhance your guided reading lesson plans with details surrounding decoding strategies, fluency and phrasing, vocabulary strategies, comprehension, and more! 

In this vocabulary skills worksheet, students complete 8 sentences by selecting the words from the provided list that are closest in meaning to the boldfaced words in the sentences.

Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...

Scholars explore an expository text to answer questions about its structure.

Students demonstrate the ability to participate in conversation/ dialog during a job interview. They demonstrate how to produce these pronunciation features, recognize the contrasting sounds, distinguish between the sounds when heard,...