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!
Welcome back to the third entry in my series about sentence patterns. Remember, if you recognize the pattern of a sentence’s core parts, the grammar of the sentence (or its word arrangement) will make more sense. So far, you know about Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and Pattern 3.
Now…on to Pattern 4. For this sentence pattern, you need to pay careful attention to the verb. Take a look at our sample sentence:
Read MoreLast week, we began our study of sentence patterns. Remember, if you recognize the pattern of a sentence’s core parts, the grammar of the sentence (or its word arrangement) will make more sense. Last time, we discussed Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.
Today, let’s start our study with a new Pattern 2 Sentence:
Read More
Learning English grammar can be tough, but, as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. So, I am taking the high road on this series and making it visual—thereby sparing well over 980 words…and your sanity!
If you are up on your brain science, you know that our brains seek patterns to make sense of the world. In English, even our sentences fall into patterns. If you recognize the pattern of a sentence’s core parts, the grammar of the sentence (or its word arrangement) will make more sense. Look at this:
Read More
As 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 More
Many students seem to have a difficult time locating even the most basic parts of speech like the Subject Noun and Verb. If they’ve had little to no grammar instruction in grades 1-8, it’s no surprise. With that being said, there is a curriculum that can completely turn a grammar deficit around. It’s
Read More
It’s no secret that English as a subject area is a complex field of study that’s full of concepts and rules necessary for everyday speaking and writing. In education, the subject is separated into five basic categories, including: (1) reading, (2) writing, (3) speaking, (4) listening, and (5) viewing. The bulk of the concepts and rules for these categories are taught, reinforced, and mastered during elementary school (K-8). The real shocker is that if students don’t grasp all of them before entering high school, they are destined to struggle until they do.
Can anyone master the basic concepts and rules of language arts?
Read More
The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to help your students show appreciation for someone special in their lives by creating a special, handmade memento.
I’ve got a great activity that will take your students through the entire writing process to create a heartwarming essay to share with their loved ones. Here are the details…
Read More
This week, I evacuated from my home in North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence. I headed out of town alone, following the others trying to seek safe shelter from the life-threatening storm. Nine hours later, I arrived at my turnoff, and it was completely dark except for my vehicle’s headlights. Imagine this…
I’m in the middle of a mountain range that is unfamiliar to me, and the GPS (yes there’s service) tells me to turn right, up this steeeeep hill! For a split second I questioned Maggie, my GPS, as if I thought I might know better or more than her. In that second of hesitation, my car stalled on the steep incline and a wave of panic came over me. I took a deep breath, restarted my SUV, and said to myself, “Just go with it!” I did, and I pushed the gas pedal to get going.
With fluttering in my stomach, I made my way up the dark and winding road that had been paved before me. Once I made it to the top of that steep hill, I still had no clue where I was going exactly. I could only see the next step in front of me, and I knew I had to keep going.
When I arrived, the destination home where I will be staying until the storm passes was also completely dark and unfamiliar. So, with my measly headlamp and suit of “No Fear!” armor, I followed the steps given to me to let myself into the home to get it up and running. I found the key. Then, I found a light, and from there I just went with it!
The fear of the unknown can be incredibly scary, testing your patience and faith. But, trusting the road that has been successfully paved for you can sometimes lead you in just the right direction!
Some teachers might feel the same way I did on the steep hill when they begin to teach Shurley English. I imagine you’ve heard someone say, “Just trust the process.” It seems this phrase has become a part of our daily verbiage. I know that I’ve even said it while leading Shurley English trainings. So, let’s take a closer look at how Merriam-Webster defines the words: trust & process.
Trust
a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something
b : one in which confidence is placed
Process
a (1) : a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result-the process of growth
So, what does “trusting the process” mean when it comes to Shurley English?
- It means trusting that each feature of Shurley English has a purpose in the big picture of teaching students how to make the Grammar Writing Connection.
- It means trusting that the cute little Jingles actually help to lay the foundation for the Question and Answer Flow by using domain specific language.
- It also means having confidence in the format and sequence of the Q&A Flow, trusting that it will teach sentence analysis and reinforces sentence fluency and proper sentence structure.
- It means trusting in the value of teaching the reverse approach to the Q&A Flow through Sentence Blueprints, in order to help students learn how to build and revise creative sentences independently.
- It means having faith that your diligence in teaching all the skills introduced in Grammar, Writing, Reading, and Speaking & Listening, while having students apply them daily, will pay off!
- It means relying on the Writing Evaluation Guide and Traits of Effective Writing to help guide your students through the 6-Step Writing Process so they can become confident and competent writers.
To completely trust the process in Shurley English:
…you need to let go of the need to know what is unfolding next or why.
…you need to be able to have the confidence to simply experience how the curriculum spirals language arts concepts, using repetition.
…you need to have confidence that Shurley English will give your students the skills they need to make the grammar/writing connection!
Just go with it and be fearless!
Formative Assessment plays an important role in education for both students and teachers. It’s a powerful tool that can enhance learning and education when aligned with outcomes and instructional methods.
Students clearly benefit from the feedback they receive on formal assessments. It tells them how they are doing and helps them improve their performance on future assessments. Research shows that immediate feedback increases student engagement and improves academic achievement.
Assessments also provide a benefit to the teacher. The information derived from an assessment can help identify what the teacher taught well and what they need to work on.
So what about Shurley English? Does the curriculum provide Formative Assessments? YES! Shurley English provides two ancillary items that contain formative assessments: The Shurley English Student Workbook & the Shurley English Test Book.
A Shurley English Student Workbook contains three important learning tools:
1. Classroom Practice pages are used to give students several opportunities to practice new concepts in each chapter. They can also be used to give daily grades, and the number of points possible for each section is provided in the Teacher’s Key. (*See suggested grading below.)
2. Chapter Checkups can be used as a review or as a formative assessment.
3. Student Writing Rubrics are used by students as a roadmap for their writing. When their writing is graded, the Student Rubric will be used to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the paper and to help determine the points for a grade.
A Shurley English Test Book contains three important learning tools:
1. Pretest information shows what the students know or do not know about grammar, mechanics usage, editing, and writing. (You can learn all about the value of the pretest here!)
2. Chapter Tests can be used as a review or as a formative assessment.
3. Posttest information shows what students have learned during the school year. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores will show the gains students have made with Shurley English. These scores can be used to compare first year scores with subsequent years to verify the tong-term success of the curriculum.
These tools are used in conjunction with the Student Textbook to increase students’ learning. The teacher must follow the Student Objectives and Teacher Instructions closely as Classroom Practice pages are assigned.
*Suggested Grading: Most Classroom Practices, Chapter Checkups, and Chapter Tests are divided into three sections: Grammar, Skills, and Editing, and the number of points possible for each section is provided in the Teacher’s Key. Most Shurley English Writing activities are completed on a separate sheet of paper and a Writing Rubric is used to assist with scoring the paper.
· You may total all the sections on the page to give one grade per page, or
· You might consider giving separate grades for each section. The advantage to giving separate grades for each section is that you can visually identify a student’s strength or weakness in each section at a glance.
“Without continual growth and progress, such words such as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” -Benjamin Franklin
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 keep your eye on the prize: progress & growth! Throughout the journey this year, you may experience some turbulence, making you feel a bit outside your comfort zone, but don’t worry! Simply refer to the previous posts called: “The Perfect Shurley Teacher” and “First Year Freak-Out.” They are loaded with information to help guide you; you can find them in the archives.
Passengers sitting in the “New to Shurley English” seats, please remember:
1. Stick to the Script!
2. Repetition & Consistency build Mastery!
3. Trusting the Process leads to Success!
Passengers sitting in the “Seasoned Teacher” seats, please remember to:
1. Aim for Progress over Perfection!
2. Practice what you Teach!
3. Get Outside of your Comfort Zone!
Keep in mind that Shurley English Curriculum is installed with a built-in support system, including modifications, extra-practice, and SEDA lessons, should they be necessary. In addition, the “Always Keep Learning & Be Brave Enough to Keep Growing” light will stay lit for all passengers for the duration of our flight. We are here to support you as you teach students to become competent, confident communicators that will be prepared for any and all future destinations!
On behalf of the entire flight crew, “Welcome aboard!”
Shurley 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.
