Welcome to the Shurley English Blog! For the past thirty-five years, our mission at Shurley Instructional Materials has been simple. We do all we can to help teachers and students experience grammar and writing success. With that goal in mind, we wanted to create a space where our team of educators could share tips, tricks, and techniques to ignite learning. It’s all about educators helping educators on the Shurley English Blog. We invite you to join the conversation!
Verb tenses can be challenging for students and adults! In an effort to reinforce correct verb tense usage, why not play a little game? Let’s get started with a quick review of verb tenses.
Tense means time. So, that means that the verb in the sentence actually lets the reader know the time of the action.
There are three basic verb tenses that show when an action takes place:
Read More
It’s that time of year when all things Halloween are tripping about, including thematic lessons like the one I’d like to share with you today. Since it can be exhausting to come up with new, exciting ideas to engage kids during the holidays, hopefully, you will appreciate the idea. I think it’s important to embrace and even outdo students’ excitement because kids long to have adults who can embrace fun!
A favorite lesson plan of mine requires 360˚ thinking—a process where you consider a lesson theme and use it to branch into as many academic areas as possible—sort of like the spokes on a wheel. I like to call it 360˚ Thinking because you actually do look at the possibilities from every aspect where it can apply. Since Halloween is coming up,
Read More
Vocabulary development is an important part of a child’s education! Since language is the system of words and the methods of combining them that people use to express thoughts and feelings to each other, it makes sense that a large vocabulary improves communication.
Writers most definitely need a large vocabulary to have the words they need to express themselves in an interesting way. That’s why Shurley English establishes a routine early on to teach students to incorporate new and unfamiliar words. It’s called a Vocabulary Check, and it includes proven strategies to increase vocabulary. Here’s how it works:
Read More
Subject-verb agreement refers to the special way in which a subject and verb work together to make a sentence correct. Basically, the two must agree in number. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
Without correct subject-verb agreement, a reader or listener can become easily confused; therefore, students must be taught to apply three basic rules when speaking and writing. Here’s what they need to know.
Read More
The ideal scenario for the first couple months of a new school year would be a classroom running smoothly. You want to be comfortable with your daily schedule and know that you can meet the needs of all of your diverse students.
Realistically, some of you may already feel like the expectations and duties increase even more as the fall progresses. Before you become consumed with the busyness of the new school year, always remember this: “YOU are a TEACHER!” You are the one that works to mold the future. You make an incredible impression and impact in the lives of all the students who enter your classroom.
This year is a brand new one, and if you’re ready to level-up your teaching, you should consider this question: “What kind of teacher do you want to be this year?”
Read More
When you think of testing, do any of these statements come to mind?
“I want to see what my students have learned at the end of each chapter.”
“I want to make sure I’m teaching effective lessons.”
“My administrator says I have to have a certain number of scores in my grade book.”
“I’d like to see the strengths and weaknesses of each student so I can know how to differentiate my instruction.”
We’re all familiar with national standardized testing, the numerous true/false or multiple-choice tests a teacher gives throughout a school year, along with the benefits these assessments can provide. One school of thought says that assessments are a key component of learning because it helps students see how well they understand subject-specific material. Others say assessments can help motivate students. Still, testing often feels like a necessary evil that all teachers must do to show evidence that students have learned the content teachers worked so hard to teach.
I’d like you to consider looking at
Read More
What is the value of giving the Shurley English Pretest if students are not familiar with the curriculum? As a consultant, I’ve heard this question before, and I want to urge you to listen up! Even though the pretest may appear extraordinarily difficult, you should never avoid it! Let me explain.
Read More
When I began teaching at a small private parochial school, I learned quickly that even though I was teaching two grade levels of Shurley English in the same room, there was a disparity in the way I had to instruct each level. Each group had different developmental needs and learning objectives. Along the way, I discovered a few extremely effective strategies for teaching different groups of students that I would like to share with you today.
Read More
Dear Educators,
Welcome aboard Shurley English flight ABC. Please find your seat, stow your baggage in the overhead bin, and buckle up as we take off into your new school year! This year’s destination is progress and growth. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us so, sit back, stay focused & relaxed, and enjoy the journey!
For some of you, Shurley English might be a new addition to your curriculum. Several of you may already be familiar with the effectiveness and uniqueness of our Grammar, Skills, Writing, Reading, and Speaking & Listening features. Regardless of your passenger status, I encourage each of you to
Read More
Visualize this scenario: It’s early August, and as you scroll through your inbox you see the first of many emails from your school administrator. “Already!?!” you say to yourself as you hesitate to open it. You guessed it! It’s your new school year Welcome Letter and Professional Development Schedule. On the agenda, you notice a full-day training scheduled for Shurley English! Your next few thoughts go something like this: “I’ve taught Shurley English for 5 years now! I don’t need training! Maybe I can get out of it this year!”
Warning: Thoughts like these are exactly why veteran teachers still need our support! Take these thoughts as a sign. I know because I’ve been there.
Read MoreShurley English is the best English Language Arts curriculum available to public schools, private schools, and home educators.Shurley English is a rigorous curriculum that brings back student-teacher interaction, promotes higher-order thinking skills, and provides students with a successful base from which they can achieve mastery, retention, and enthusiasm for English.
Our mission is to inspire and empower ALL students to become competent, confident communicators by providing superior educational solutions and innovative teacher training tools. This will enable all students to positively impact their school, community, and future work environments.
www.shurley.com 800-566-2966
Copyright © 2017-2021 Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc.
All photos/images contained on this site are copyright protected by Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc. or Getty Images.
