The Value of Journal Writing (...and how to get started)

Mrs. Riddle, my sixth grade teacher, is one of the reasons I became a teacher.  I’ll never forget the year I was in her class; it was my final year as an elementary student.  I have so many memories, like the day the total solar eclipse happened; it was so dark!  Then, there was the time I cried because I got a “D” on my Social Studies test.  That’s the day I realized I wasn’t perfect.  Another memory I’ll never forget was the day my classmates and I watched the Challenger explode on television during Science class!  All of these were big events and are still vivid scenes in my mind, but there was something else that set Mrs. Riddle’s class apart and that I still hold dear.  Every day after lunch, she would give us time to write in our own personal journals.  She created an opportunity for us to write about something personal, or we could follow a given prompt.  We could even share what we wrote with the class if we liked.  You see, Mrs. Riddle was that teacher who, of course, was dedicated to our academic success.  She cared about our lives outside of her classroom, so she took Journal Time seriously. Believe it or not, I still have my 6th grade journal!

I confess. I didn’t really enjoy writing because I never thought I was very good at it, but in my journal, I always had a lot to say and write.  I don’t remember learning such detailed writing structure as what Shurley English teaches, so I never really knew how to organize my writing.  That’s why I enjoyed journaling-there were no rules! 

I do believe journaling gives learners a chance to really tap into their creative side, and get outside of the rigid box of structured writing.  Journaling secretly gives students a tool to clear their minds and relieve stress.  If we can de-clutter our minds, especially of the negative junk that moves in and takes over, then maybe we can free-up space for more creative thoughts to reside.  What an invaluable tool to teach our young learners. 

In my own classroom, I chose to follow Mrs. Riddle’s lead.  Shurley English was the curriculum that supported my Journal Time.  It supplied specific prompts from which my students could choose, or it allowed for students to create their own interesting prompts with my approval, of course.  Yes, reading 25-30 journals took some time, but the result of doing so allowed me to develop a connection with my students that was unique and rewarding! 

I think journals are special and meant to be a safe way for people to get creative without judgement.  As I reflect 31 years later, I do believe that Mrs. Riddle saw the value in journaling; she knew this was much more than a time-filler.  She knew it was a tool that her students could take into adulthood. I'm so glad I did!

Below are some tools to help you get started with Journal Time in your own classroom.

How to Choose the Best Homeschooling Curriculum

SPOILER ALERT:  I’m going to get personal and invite you to ask yourself some tough questions. Stay with me. I promise you'll be glad you did!

At a recent educator’s convention, I interacted with a parent and teacher who was searching for a Grammar and Writing curriculum.  I gently offered her some verbal information, a flyer about Shurley English, and gave her some space.  I observed her leaf through the pages of an older, black and white version of the curriculum with convincing focus.  Then, a confused look on her face invited me to initiate further conversation, so I asked her if she was looking for anything specific… “Grammar and Writing” was her response.  I assured her she was in the right place and began sharing with her the big picture of how Shurley English makes the Grammar-Writing Connection.  I let her know that our latest edition was in a digital format, she immediately said, “This isn’t for my son; I don’t want him on the computer because he gets too distracted,” and she bolted out of the booth.  A surge of questions rushed through my head as I was choking on the dust her trail left behind.  The question that lingered in my mind most was, “Is this curriculum not a good fit for YOU or YOUR CHILD?"

Learning styles are groups of common ways people learn.  We all have a mix of learning styles that may suit us, and some learners have a dominant style.  We utilize different styles based on the situation we are in, too.  We are able to develop our less dominant learning styles and further develop our preferred style.  This experience really nagged at me because the next question that popped up in my mind was, “I wonder if she even knows what type of learner her son is, and does she know what type of a learner she is?”  Whether you’re teaching one child or 30 children, knowing students’ preferred learning style is vital to being an effective teacher!  As a side-note, as an adult and life-long learner, life can be much simpler if you understand YOUR preferred style of learning.

Get familiar with these different styles of learning:

1. Verbal
2. Visual
3. Auditory
4. Kinesthetic
5. Logical
6. Social
7. Solitary

Source Credit: https://bonniegillespie.com/is-your-learning-style-the-problem/

Sadly, many schools and teachers still use more traditional teaching methods which equates to a limited range of teaching and learning techniques.  Sitting in individual desks (cubicles) and book-based teaching with lectures, reviews, and exams work for some learners, but not all, and many that don’t fit into that box have been labeled with behavior issues, learning disabilities, and even less intelligent.  Hmmm?  That would explain why I struggled in certain subject areas growing up, and why the field of Teaching was so appealing to me; I knew there were multiple ways to learn.  We are all different, so why would anyone think that there is just ONE way to learn? 

If you’re teaching Shurley English, I don’t have to tell you that our method of teaching and the strategies used are for ALL STUDENTS…Shurley students SEE IT, HEAR IT, SAY IT, & DO IT!  As for my convention experience, I respect the parent-teacher’s opinion and decision, but I can’t help but wonder, “What if her child doesn’t learn in the exact same way she does?  What if the child could be engaged in learning and not distracted while on the computer?”  Did this teacher fail to consider the topic of learning style and just miss a huge opportunity for her son/student to become a competent, confident communicator…for life? Being an effective educator is not just about reading from the teacher’s manual in each subject, it’s all about getting below the surface-know your child, know your students, and know the curriculum you teach!

Sensory-Based Activities for Spelling

As you approach the end of your instructional year, it’s time to pull out all the stops. It's a great time to reinforce the skills your students have learned throughout the year. Here are several cool ways to have some spelling fun:

Idea #1: Let Your Fingers Do the Learning

Tactile learners need extra stimulus through their sense of touch. No doubt, you have one or two in your bunch who learn best through touch. You can tap into their strengths by using shaving cream spread thinly on a large, solid, flat surface. Students can practice spelling basic phonemes in the shaving cream by drawing the letter symbols with their fingers in the thin shaving cream covering on the work surface. Sometimes, your kids may exhibit fine motor or gross motor issues—for instance, in their handwriting.

Idea #2: Piping Sounds and Words

Finally, for a completely edible and delicious way to review spelling strategies or phonics concepts, melt some chocolate chips and add a bit of paraffin wax to the mixture. Scoop some chocolate into plastic decorator bags or zip-lock baggies with a small hole cut out of one of the bottom corners. Announce a group of phonemes you want to review, or whole words to spell, and challenge the kids to “squeeze” out chocolate sounds and words onto wax paper. Refrigerate them after the review and enjoy eating them for a tasty and positive morsel of reinforcement!

By giving your students multiple sensory experiences with various mediums, such as shaving cream, you can review skills in a fun way and also help ease some of their frustration. Don't limit this activity to just sounds; you can have students spell out entire words, too. You can also turn this into a small-group activity and let students take turns.

Supplies Needed:

Shaving cream (foam, not gel)

Chocolate chips

Paraffin wax (the kind used in home canning)

Decorator bags or zip-lock baggies

You can always change-up the sensory activity by utilizing other materials. For example, consider using colored art sand or colored dusting sugar on a large, flat surface. Letting their fingers do the learning and the reviewing can stay with them for a lifetime if you play it up right.

Across the Curriculum: Sentence Construction

Across the Curriculum activities are intended to be purposeful and meaningful, but coming up with a great idea that truly connects content can be tough. Today, let's explore an Across the Curriculum activity that you can utilize during your ELA block using Sentence Blueprints. 

What is a Sentence Blueprint?

Sentence Blueprints are a unique feature in Shurley English. Writing Sentence Blueprints helps students make the connection between grammar and the writing process. Writing Sentence Blueprints from grammar labels establishes a foundation for sentence composition. Then, students learn to expand and improve their original sentences, using revision strategies to write improved sentences. In addition, Sentence Blueprints sneak in many other skills, including sentence analyzation and sentence sense work while the student is experiencing the power of revision as they focus on only one sentence.

In our Across the Curriculum activity, your students will use vocabulary from an area of focus to help them build understanding in two ways. First, they will learn to build and revise their writing. Secondly, they will grow in their knowledge of the content area you are exploring.

Getting Started:

First, decide on a theme or topic from another subject area. For example, if your school is focusing on the theme of fitness- emphasizing exercise, healthy eating, good sleep habits, and living a balanced life, you can design a lesson with Sentence Blueprints that helps your students focus on the vocabulary related to that emphasis. Here's a quick checklist that you can follow:

1. Select your area of focus/theme.
2. List the parts of speech your students have learned.
3. List the sentence patterns your students have learned.
4. Model a themed Sentence Blueprint for your students.
5. Provide your students with a Sentence Blueprint worksheet.
6. Let your students get focused while being creative!

Here's an example of a completed Across the Curriculum Sentence Blueprint using a fitness theme:

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Don't forget, an important step in this process is going through the sentence showing the six revision strategies. This will help your students see the power of revising as they participate in the writing process at the sentence level. (We'll dive deeper into the six revisions strategies on another day.)

The Power of Adjectives

Competent writing begins with understanding basic sentence structure. It's true! Today, let's talk specifically about the POWER of the adjective.

Learning the Shurley English Adjective Jingle during Jingle Time is the first step to leaning about adjectives!  The basic information recited explains (1) what an adjective is, (2) what an adjective does, and (3) how to locate an adjective in a sentence. 

Reciting the Adjective Jingle regularly helps students easily remember the grammar concept.  Once they grasp the basic understanding, they can begin to effectively and strategically apply adjectives when speaking and writing. 

There’s more to adjectives than the information provided in the jingle.  You see, adjectives are a part of speech with POWER, and their job in the sentence is exclusive!  Only an adjective can modify a noun or pronoun by telling what kind, which one, or how many.   Only adjectives can be used to describe how something feels, looks, sounds, tastes, and acts!

Besides common adjectives like short, last, and ten, there are five distinct categories of adjectives you should know:  (A) article adjectives, (B) proper adjectives, (C) demonstrative adjectives, (D) interrogative adjectives, and (E) indefinite adjectives.

Five Categories of Adjectives:

1. Article Adjectives:  Only three commonly used adjectives are called article adjectives.  They are a, an, and the.   We use them on a daily basis when speaking and writing without giving them much thought.  The article adjectives actually restrict the meanings of the nouns they modify.  For instance, the article “the” is a definite article, meaning a specific person, place, or thing.  A and an are indefinite articles, meaning one of several.

Hint:  Use the sound of the noun’s first letter to select a or an. 

-If the noun begins with a consonant, use the article adjective “a” before it.    

-If the noun begins with a vowel, use the article adjective “an” before it.

2.  Proper Adjectives:  Adjectives formed from a proper noun are called proper adjectives.  Proper Adjectives are always capitalized no matter where they are located in the sentence.  (I love Mexican food, English is my second language.) 

3.  Demonstrative Adjectives: The adjectives we use to point out a particular person, place, or thing are called demonstrative adjectives.  These adjectives modify the noun or pronoun by telling “which one,” specifically.  (This coat is mine.)  To use the correct demonstrative adjective, you must use the following Tips:

Ask:  Is the demonstrative adjective modifying a singular or plural noun? 

-Use the demonstrative adjectives “this or that” to modify a singular noun. 

-Use the demonstrative adjectives “these or those” to modify plural nouns. 

4.  Interrogative Adjectives:  The adjective used in front of the noun it modifies to ask the questions what, which, or whose is called an interrogative adjective.  (Which desk is Nancy’s?)

5.  Indefinite Adjectives: An indefinite adjective is an adjective formed from an indefinite pronoun.  It modifies a noun instead of replacing it.  Indefinite adjectives are used to qualify nouns and express the indefinite idea of quality or quantity.  Some common indefinite adjectives include words like any, each, few, many, more, several, and some, etc.    (Each student contributed several food items during the food drive.)

Use any category of adjectives with competence and confidence by learning about them and applying them when you’re speaking and writing.  Before long, you’ll be effectively and strategically using them as you speak and write for all purposes!

How to Create a Positive Learning Experience

Remember a day when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, spilled your coffee on your way to work, your students ended up not being the angels you taught the previous day, and it was nowhere close to being Friday.  Can you remember how you approached teaching your students that day?  Were you “on-edge,” grumpy, upset, impatient, irritable, or even lacking compassion towards them?  Don’t forget, YOU’RE HUMAN and this happens because life happens!  My point in bringing this up is to remind you that your students respond to your approach to teaching them; they sense the positivity or negativity you bring to the lesson and will model themselves after their teacher.

Simply put, the KEY ingredients in creating a positive learning experience are...

1. your attitude,
2. your energy,
3. and your vibe.

I believe this information is valuable in teaching, especially when teaching Shurley English, because your attitude/energy/vibe can directly affect student engagement, and by now you know how much student-teacher interaction is incorporated into the curriculum.  Whether you’ve had a sub-par day or you haven’t quite fallen in love with teaching Shurley English yet, your students are still depending on you to deliver the tools they need to become good writers.  If you approach teaching Shurley English with an open mind, some humor, and an intention to have fun while learning, you and your students will be set up to have a positive learning experience.

If you, the teacher, have not been properly trained, have questions or concerns about the curriculum, and have a difficult time trusting the process, your students may be modeling your current viewpoint, which could be resulting in a lack of participation and overall interest in the subject matter.  The K-8th grade Shurley English curriculum is designed for your students to “See It, Hear It, Say It, & Do It!”  All the teacher has to do is approach each lesson with some positive enthusiasm and raise his/her eyebrows every once in a while to get a few smiles and 100% participation.  Don’t hesitate to call our corporate office to get your questions answered, schedule a webinar training, or invest in some on-site training with one of our Certified Consultants; we truly want you to have a successful year teaching Shurley English. 

I previously posted a blog called, The Perfect Shurley Teacher, which might be helpful if you feel like I’m speaking to you.  Also, consider this…when I lead teacher trainings, my goal is to make sure everyone sees and understands the big picture of what Shurley English was created to do while also stressing the importance of consistency and using the curriculum with fidelity to give your students the opportunity to be the best writer they can be.  Shurley English is a treasure chest full of gems waiting for you to bedazzle your classroom, so do what you, personally, need to do to give your students the BEST version of their TEACHER and have an enjoyable Shurley experience!

Grammar Study: How it can develop critical thinkers

In a previous post, I shared my keen interest in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. I discussed how the Shurley English Jingles give the intelligences of Word Smarts, Picture Smarts, and Body Smarts a workout. Now, I would like to take it just a bit deeper into the next level in Shurley English.

After students master the Shurley English Jingles, the jingles become a fertile knowledge base upon which the Question and Answer Flow (Q & A Flow) is built. The Q & A Flow is a simple, pattern-based system of questions that the students learn to ask aloud orally. Yes…Shurley English teaches kids to talk to themselves; rather, to ask themselves questions—questions that elicit logical answers that their brains know to be correct, based upon what they have learned from the jingles. I call this kind of questioning “Thinking Out Loud.”

After much practice and rehearsal, using the Q & A Flow, the students then know how to analyze every word in a sentence. We call this Sentence Classification, but it goes way beyond just determining if the sentence is a statement or a question. Students learn to classify the words in a sentence based upon the specific questions they answer from the Q & A Flow. Compared to the way English grammar was always taught years ago, students learned to classify words, but usually only so that they fit into a static list of seemingly unchanging vocabulary. With the Q& A Flow, something quite different and extraordinary replaces that old system. Instead of grouping words into lists that have parts of speech headings, students learn to evaluate how specific words are actually functioning in a sentence, based on context. You see, by the old system, the word basketball is just one of the words that fits into a Noun list. But with the Q & A Flow, students begin to think in terms of the attributes of a word and its use in the context of a sentence. For example, take a look at the following sentence:

We cheered loudly at the basketball game!

Students, using the Q & A Flow, determine that the word basketball, in this context, is really an adjective. I don’t know about you, but when I am working with students and trying to help them comprehend what they read and to be able speak and to write with expertise, I would prefer their brains be adept at this kind of analysis! Can you see how a student’s Word Smarts and Logic Smarts can benefit from this kind of thinking? I consider it nothing less than brilliant.

What is an idiom?

If you understand every word in a text and still fail to understand what the text is all about, chances are you are having trouble with the idioms.  This has happened to me on occasion, so my guess is that you’ve been in the same boat.  Let’s attempt to conquer idioms together.

(Note: This blog contains several idioms.  They have been italicized and underlined for clarity.)

What is an idiom?

An idiom is an informal expression that cannot be understood simply by understanding its parts.  It is a figure of speech that has a separate meaning of its own, which is figurative and not literal.  When two or more words are expressed together to create a unique meaning that is different from the meaning of each of the individual words, an idiom is created.

One-word idioms can occur when a word is used in a surprisingly different way to express a different meaning from its original one.  For instance, the word lemon can be used to describe a car that has multiple manufacturing defects which affect the safety, value, and use of the vehicle.

American English is considerably idiomatic, and most Americans use these words, phrases, or expressions without much thought during every day conversation.  Idioms seem to make language more colorful, and can help people express something more vividly and sometimes more briefly.  They also help create imagery for the reader or listener. 

Here’s an example:

“When I think about days gone by, I can clearly see beyond a shadow of a doubt that my parents and grandparents used a lot of idiomatic phrases when they chewed the fat or shot the bull.  I was always all ears, so it should come as no surprise that they handed down some of the slang, regional, informal, cliché, and proverbial expressions they used day in and day out.  If the truth be told, it would be difficult for me to express myself without using those same idioms now!”

Shurley English teaches the Traits of Effective Writing, and during Trait 3: Word Choice, students learn to incorporate idioms:   

What are the different types of idioms?

It’s important to know that idioms are usually peculiar to a particular group of people (region, country, etc.), and they may be difficult for people from other parts of the world to comprehend.  Also, non-native speakers of English often have a hard time understanding them at all. 

Idioms can add real flair to students’ writing, so here is a Lexicon for different types of idioms to explore.  Encourage your young scholars to use them as a word choice strategy!

Slang Expression: a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.

Regional Expression: of or relating to a particular region, district, area, or part, as of a country; sectional; local.

Informal Expression: suitable to or characteristic of casual and familiar, but educated, speech or writing.

Cliché Expression: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, which has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox.

Proverbial Phrase or a Proverbial Expression:  a type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context.

Extend the Lesson:

Did you know that William Shakespeare coined many of the idiomatic phrases we still use today?  Take a look at the following list of idioms Shakespeare used in his plays.  Look some of them up to understand their meaning.  Also, try to use some of them in a sentence.

Helping Parents Understand Shurley English

I love it when parents want to help their children at home. This kind of attention and assistance can make all the difference. But what happens when the parent is not quite sure about your teaching methods, specifically the Shurley English approach to language arts? Not to worry! We have a resource to help parents understand how Shurley English unfolds in the classroom: The Parent Help Booklet.

Here is a step-by-step process to access our Parent Help Booklet from our website:

Step 1:

Go to www.shurley.com.

Step 2:

Click the PRODUCTS AND SERVICES tab.

Step 3:

Scroll to the bottom of the page to the PARENT HELP section.

Click the level desired.

Step 4:

Print the Parent Help Booklet you wish to distribute.

© Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc.

Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

During the past 25 years, I have been presenting Shurley English to educators across the country.  So, as a seasoned presenter, I sometimes forget how uncomfortable some people feel about speaking in front of a crowd.  The very idea that someone would be that fearful of public speaking led me to this week’s topic:  “How to Prevent Glossophobia.”

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking, and it’s a real thing!  Statistically, most people fear public speaking more than death!  So, what can you do if you’re not a natural born speaker, yet you have to rise to the occasion?” 

Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years:

While content is always the most important factor in any presentation, the impact of your ability to effectively deliver the information is not to be underestimated.  Your job is to help the audience receive the message you want them to receive!  Your mind, face, body, and voice are tools that can be used to enhance your message.

1. Be prepared and know your content. 
2. Be genuine and sincere.
3. Organize your thoughts and tell the audience what they need to know.
4. Smile!  Your face is the first thing the audience sees!
5. Have good eye contact.
6. Use an open face that says, “I like you!”  This is the face you show your audience when you elevate your brows slightly and create the horizontal lines in your forehead.  It’s the face of warm, caring, animated conversation.
7. Don’t have a closed face.  This face has a frown and the brows are often drawn tightly together.  Sometimes we get this look when we are thinking or feeling strongly about the subject.  Remember that when the audience sees you like this, they are seeing a negative face.
8. Don’t have a neutral face.  This is the face you show when nothing moves but the mouth.  This face makes the audience feel as though you don’t really care whether they are interested in your topic or not.
9. Use good posture while standing erect.
10. Use your hands naturally; however, don’t over exaggerate your hand movements.
11. Don’t clutch one hand over the other wrist, put your hands in your pockets, stand with your hands behind your back, or fold your arms in front of the chest.
12. Speak in conversational voice.
13. Have good pitch in your voice.  This is the ability to use the highness and lowness of your voice in a pleasing way.
14. Don’t talk too fast or too slow.
15. On a scale of 1 to 10, your volume should be around 6 or 7.
16. Practice speaking without using words or sounds like:  “um,” “uh,” “like,” “kind of,” or “Do you know what I mean?”
17. Use simple, brief, clear, concise, and easy-to-understand words that support the content during your presentation.
18. Be positive and have a good attitude when delivering the content.  Avoid making negative inferences.
19. Avoid telling detailed experience stories.  They can be time consuming and misread by the audience.
20. Be comfortable and confident.  The greater your confidence, the stronger your impact will be!

The key to developing an effective delivery is to practice “a LOT.”  Have confidence that you know your content because you have put in the time.  Turn your focus towards conveying understanding about the subject and to allowing your passion for your subject to come out. 

Practice in front of a mirror.  Watch your facial expressions and your body movements.  Practice in the car.  Practice during every spare moment!  When the time comes, you will hopefully feel the confidence necessary to present your material.

Glassophobia Prevention requires all of these things and more.  Again, you can’t practice too much.  Take my suggestions and run with them because conquering the fear of public speaking will give you a great sense of accomplishment.