Writing Traits Posters for 2014

If you're like me, the holiday break gets you thinking about changes, updates, and renewed goals for the classroom. What worked well this semester? Who are the students I still need to reach? How will I reach them? It's almost as if teachers come up with their own New Year's resolutions just for school, which I think is very healthy and reflective! If one of your "school resolutions" is to stock up on new writing resources, I have something perfect for you! I have always been a fan of teaching the 6+1 writing traits, and I finally got around to creating my own posters. I hope there are some hardworking writing teachers out there who find them useful! Happy 2014!

Click HERE to download all 7 posters from my TpT Store!

For All Your Apostrophe Needs

Getting into the "nitty gritty" of grammar rules can be fun! I did a few mini-lessons with apostrophes recently, and we'll be doing these two chants throughout the school year for reminders:

Teacher: Apostrophes are in the air!
Student: Commas are on the floor!

Teacher: Apostrophes have two homes...
Students: Contractions and possessives!

The second chant keeps us from going "apostrophe-crazy." Students can get confused and add apostrophes to plurals or other words that don't need them. I also made a helpful handout for their writing folders!

Download it HERE!

We kept the fun going by reading The Girl's Like Spaghetti by grammar guru Lynne Truss. It's a silly book that points out how the meaning of a sentence can be completely changed by adding, moving, or deleting apostrophes. 

Last but not least, I told my students (in a very dramatic way) that they knew more about apostrophes than many adults! When a few of them said they didn't believe me, I showed them photos of public signs with apostrophe mistakes. You can find tons from www.apostrophecatastrophes.com or www.apostropheabuse.com! (As with any website, be sure to browse the website content before showing your students!) I printed out a few of the signs, and they created "new and improved" duplicates with correct apostrophe usage. 

They have a whole new appreciation for apostrophes now. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that it lasts so they don't grow into the adults that make these embarrassing signs!