One Giant Step—The Revision Process

One Giant Step—The Revision Process

As a teacher, you know the effortful task of teaching students about the six steps of the Writing Process.  The steps should be taught and repeated so that students will always know how to communicate thoughts and ideas in competent, confident way. Now, I’d like to let you in on a little secret.  As a student, I enjoyed the subject of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. I even loved journal writing.  But, the truth was that I loathed formal writing.  I had most of the pieces of the writing puzzle, but I didn’t know how to fill in the gaps to bring it to completion. 

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Word Choice: Simple is Sophisticated

Word Choice: Simple is Sophisticated

Writing is a tool for communication, and language is the system of words and the methods of combining them that we use to express our thoughts and feelings to each other. As teachers, we want our students to think carefully as they select the words they use to convey meaning, but Word Choice can be a tricky discussion. (Don’t worry! I’m here to help.)

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How to develop "Word Choice" in your writing.

How to develop "Word Choice" in your writing.

Writing is a tool for communication, and language is the system of words and the methods of combining them that we use to express our thoughts and feelings to each other.

Did you know that good writers use certain traits that make their writing more successful? They’re called the Traits of Effective Writing, and although they take a lot of hard work and practice, they consist of skills that can be learned and mastered.

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How to develop "sentence fluency" in your writing.

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Some people are born with a natural ability to put their thoughts into words, but the ability to effectively put those words on paper requires a lot of hard work and practice.  Good writing is a skill that develops over time; therefore, consistent instruction to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to write well is imperative. 

That’s where Shurley English makes a huge impact!  Each year, our curriculum teaches and reinforces the Traits of Effective Writing so that students have a better chance to develop a strong foundation in the writing process.  The curriculum is designed to teach students how to communicate their thoughts effectively and write for all purposes with competence and confidence!

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Sentence Fluency

Sentence Fluency is the 5th Trait of Effective Writing.  It is defined as the ability to use various types of sentences and transition words to make writing sound smooth and polished.  The skills required to master Sentence Fluency take time to develop; however, they make a huge difference in the overall effectiveness of a writing piece.

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We encourage you to help your students master the art of sentence fluency. If you need assistance, the Shurley English curriculum is here to help!

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Jamie Geneva

Jamie Geneva is the Senior National Consultant at Shurley Instructional Materials and is a seasoned subject matter expert in the realm of English Language Arts.  Her career with the company began during the days of the Shurley Method binder, which was pre-1st Edition, and has spanned across three decades.  Over the years, her various roles have included teacher, presenter, state representative, consultant, manager, and most recently, a Shurley English Digital Assistant.  You might not recognize her face, but her voice could certainly sound familar.  That’s because she’s recorded Jingles, Q&A Flow Sentences, and other Shurley English content for many, many years. 

Jamie and her husband, Garret, live in the foothills of eastern Oklahoma. She loves spending quality time with her family, traveling, reading, cooking, and staying connected on social media.

Ms. Geneva received her B.S. degree in Elementary Education and her M.Ed in Public School Administration from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK. 

How to help your students develop "voice" in their writing.

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In the 1960’s, a researcher by the name of Paul Diederich asked a group of language arts professionals a simple question:  “What makes writing effective?”  As the responses rolled in, Diederich was able to configure them into six distinct traits and coined them as the Traits of Effective Writing.  Amazingly, these six traits are still being used today as a framework for teaching and assessing all types of writing at every stage of writing development. 

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Voice

Teaching “voice” doesn’t have to be difficult!  The key is to establish clear goals and objectives to help students understand and apply the 3rd Trait of Effective Writing.  Today, I will provide you with some background information and give you a few tricks to help students effectively demonstrate voice

Let’s begin with the definition.  “Voice” is the individual way a writer expresses himself or herself; it’s that personal, unique style of using words and expressions to convey meaning in a way that jumps off the page and leaves the writer’s imprint on the reader.  The same words and expressions that tend to flow freely during conversation are often difficult for writers to express effectively.  One reason is because there are no set rules for “how” or “where” to include “voice” in a piece of writing. 

Teachers need to understand that words and expressions that convey voice do not always magically appear.  Students must be taught how to apply voice in their writing.  Good modeling is important.  As students’ knowledge, skill, and practice pertaining to the use of voice increases, their personalities are sure to shine through.   It’s up to you to nurture the development of voice and help students hone their skills by providing lots of practice!

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Comment /Source

Jamie Geneva

Jamie Geneva is the Senior National Consultant at Shurley Instructional Materials and is a seasoned subject matter expert in the realm of English Language Arts.  Her career with the company began during the days of the Shurley Method binder, which was pre-1st Edition, and has spanned across three decades.  Over the years, her various roles have included teacher, presenter, state representative, consultant, manager, and most recently, a Shurley English Digital Assistant.  You might not recognize her face, but her voice could certainly sound familar.  That’s because she’s recorded Jingles, Q&A Flow Sentences, and other Shurley English content for many, many years. 

Jamie and her husband, Garret, live in the foothills of eastern Oklahoma. She loves spending quality time with her family, traveling, reading, cooking, and staying connected on social media.

Ms. Geneva received her B.S. degree in Elementary Education and her M.Ed in Public School Administration from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK.