Welcome to the Shurley English Blog! For the past thirty-four 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!
As a kid, do you remember the first time you took the training wheels off and tried to ride your first bicycle? In the beginner’s mind, it was the next step in being a big kid, and it meant being open to making mistakes and being willing to take a huge risk.
Read MoreAs the calendar year comes to a close, a teacher’s journey is still moving at full speed. (It’s true!) We are not quite to the halfway mark of our year, and we still have much to do! As 2018 comes to a close and before you begin the second semester, I would encourage you to take a moment, stop, and reflect. It is good for the mind and soul to take note of one’s progress. What successes are you seeing in the classroom? Are you on the track you had planned? Do you need to make adjustments?
To help you do so, we've assembled a list of the 10 most significant language arts stories we discussed in 2018. From study skill tips to word analysis strategies to the grammar-writing connection, these articles examine ways to ignite learning while building a solid foundation for #ELAsuccess.
Read MoreTeaching students to vary the word order that they use in their sentences to add interest and variety is a skill that you can model as you support your students in their growth as budding writers. Of course, sentence fluency is one of the effective traits that good writers develop to improve their ability to communicate. Mover and Shaker lessons support
Read MoreThere are only seven shopping days left before Christmas! (Let that sink in for just a minute!) I know that Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but right about now, I’m feeling a little less than wonderful! The very idea that I only have a handful of days left to select, purchase, and wrap gifts for my family stresses me out! I’ve never been this unprepared!
Read MoreIf you have been tracking with my series of silent final e posts, you don’t want to miss Part 4: The Catch-all Rule. My students always enjoy this one because of its name and how it works!
So far, you know the first 3 rules for why an e appears at the ends of some words. It is important that I remind you of those rules before discussing Rule 4. As students become more and more familiar with Silent Final E words, they will be able to
Read MoreChristmas is known as the season of giving, but that might be a difficult concept for children to understand. With the onslaught of holiday ads, it’s only natural for them to ponder “getting” vs. “giving” during the holidays. While receiving gifts usually produces a good feeling, research indicates that giving creates an even greater joy.
Read MoreHave you ever tried to describe something without using a prepositional phrase? Well, it’s almost impossible! Although prepositional phrases are not a requirement in every sentence, they certainly do help us:
Read MoreSniff, sniff, mmmm! There’s something special about the aroma of that sweet, little corner coffee shop. The lingering scent of a creamy caramel latte, mixed with the boldness of jet-black espresso, brings a smile to my face. The dimmed lights and down-tempo tunes playing in the background set the stage for an ideal writing space. I settle in, let the atmosphere inspire me, and begin to write.
A great way to keep your students engaged is by turning your classroom into
Read MoreBack again with Part 3, which I call The –le Ending Rule for Rule 3. If you have been checking in with my blog posts, I have been delving into the hows and whys of Silent Final E. (So far, we have discussed Rule 1 and Rule 2.)
Students easily understand this Rule 3 because it only has two major guidelines:
Read MorePoetry is a special form of writing that allows a student to express ideas, emotions, or experiences directly through words in verse. It is probably the most artistic of all genres of writing because of the delicate juggling act of
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.
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