Writing Tip: Composing Detailed Sentences
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Okay…so you want your kids to write detailed sentences, right? But, as the saying goes, “the devil is in the details” for most kids. Here’s a good way to help them strike a balance.
Read MoreWelcome 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!
Brain-Based Learning: Would you like me to repeat that?
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Learning is an amazing process that we often take for granted. We seldom stop to ponder just exactly “how” information travels through pathways in our brain to somehow successfully get coded and stored in our short-term or long-term memory bank. The journey is quite amazing, and I believe it’s important to review some of the basics, especially the part about repetition.
Here’s a brief description of the facts that every teacher should know:
Read MoreWriting Extension: Let's address the envelope!
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‘Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, and holiday cards! I am one of those people who love to send and receive mail. I think I am a dying breed, but it gives me joy to create a holiday card and send it to my friends and family. Of course, this can be a prime teaching and learning opportunity.
Do your children know how to properly address an envelope?
Read MoreHow to prepare a competent, confident communicator.
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Welcome to Shurley English (SE) and thanks for checking out our new blog! Whether you’re just learning about the curriculum or you’re a seasoned SE teacher, I’d like to invite you to come back weekly for some English Language Arts (ELA) discourse!
This week, I want to share a recipe for success that’s encoded in your Shurley English Teacher’s Manual. It’s easy to follow and contains three main ingredients:
Read MoreWriting Extension: The acrostic poem delivers insight!
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Are there times when you wonder, “what is my child thinking?” Well, let me clarify...
Are there times when you wonder, “what are my child’s thoughts on a particular topic.” (Yes, that’s better phrasing.)
I find that this question usually hits me around the holidays. While the pageantry, hustle, and bustle of the holiday season surrounds us, I have a desire to know, "what are you thinking?!?" I have found a great way to “tune-in” with acrostic poems.
Read MoreLet's Get Organized with Writing Maps!
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Being organized is a key ingredient to the writing process. It helps everyone stay focused and on-topic. I find that writing maps not only help my students accomplish this goal, but these planning tools also give them a great place to start.
Recently, I had a teacher at a workshop ask me where to find all the Prewriting Maps since they have not yet ventured into the digital version of Shurley English.
Here is a step-by-step process to access our Prewriting Maps from our website:
Read MoreThe "Perfect" Shurley Teacher
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PERFECTION: the quality or state of being perfect: such as
a. freedom from fault or defect: flawlessness
That is how Merriam-Webster defines the word, perfection. In my experience training teachers across the USA, on how to implement Shurley English into their classrooms, I have noticed this one quality in many teachers. Hi! My name is Kimberly, and I’m a recovering perfectionist!
During trainings, I hear questions like:
Read MoreShared Knowledge: The tale of my (our) village...
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Thankful does not even begin to describe what I feel today. Many years ago, when my children were young, I began to contemplate what their educational journey would look like. There were many options, which included public schools, private schools, and home education. I knew, regardless of what path we traveled down, I wanted to be included. I wanted to have my hands in the mix to help encourage and stimulate their minds. Over the years, the path has gone many different directions, but one thing remains the same, I am there—in the thick of it.
Read MoreBrenda Shurley
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Brenda Shurley:
Author and Contributing Blogger
During her first year of teaching, Brenda felt very frustrated because her students did not retain or understand many basic grammar concepts. She was unable to find a curriculum that met the needs of her students, so she decided to develop her own. Brenda wanted her English program to
Read MoreRuth Wetsell
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Ruth Wetsell:
Author and Contributing Blogger
Ruth is a former classroom teacher with eight years of teaching in fourth through sixth grades and seven years in kindergarten. She received degrees in elementary education and early childhood education from Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas, respectively. With Brenda Shurley,
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