K-12 For Educators

Whether you want to teach a unit on acting or use theater activities in the classroom. Acting classes can offer a number of activities that help teach many useful skills to young children. An...

A graphic organizer is a visual tool that supports students by organizing ideas and structuring writing assignments. Sequence graphic organizers are designed to link actions or points in time for...

Writing a book report on a work of historical fiction is best accomplished by dividing the task into two parts. The reader of the book report will need to be aware of both the fictional elements...

Third graders are just learning how to write using paragraphs and how to include the elements of a story when they write. They should be able to use five paragraphs to write a story and include...

Tears of a Tiger is a novel written by Sharon Draper. It tells the story of a group of teenagers that face a life-changing experience that is caused by drinking and driving. Lesson plans that...

Before beginning a shared reading session, the teacher can preview the text the class will read together. It may be a large story book that the teacher reads and displays as she goes, or it may be...

Capturing the attention of students is a daily challenge for educators. It can be difficult to compete against vibrant television shows and video games for student attention. Although adding...

When writing a personal narrative, memoir or autobiography, it's important to have a framework from which to build a story. By carefully planning a personal autobiographical event with a graphic...

Second grade students are usually working to make letters that can be recognized when they begin a school year. Give the kids plenty of writing tasks that teach grammar, usage and basic...

When I was around eleven years old, one of my teachers engaged our entire class in a fun, interactive story time. This story time was a chance for children to create a story together, limited...

Technology is important even as early as elementary school. Use technology-oriented lesson plans with your second graders to get them interested in technology and to give them an idea of what the...

A social story is a resource that was invented in 1991 by Carol Gray, Director of the Gray Center for Learning and Understanding, for aiding children who suffer from autism. These stories are...

Creative writing is a skill that can be learned as soon as students can put sentences together. For elementary students, creative writing helps them practice handwriting, sentence formation, and...

Students need reminders when they learn reading strategies. Bookmarks are a great way to give students a handy tip sheet of facts and strategies for improving their reading. You can make your own...

Much of the elementary school curriculum is focused on literacy development. Teachers teach children how to read, answer comprehension questions, and help them begin to acquire higher order...

Teaching the ABC's in sequence for later recall when needed for alphabetizing or spelling depends on your child's age and ability level. This story helps children remember the order. Some children...

Narrative writing teaches students to organize their thoughts concerning a certain event and to describe that event to others in story form. Third graders can learn this skill fairly easily...

When educating children, it is important to remember that kids learn in different ways. Finding the best way to get the knowledge across to a group of children is one of the most important jobs of...

O. Henry's classic tale, "The Gift of the Magi," is a holiday favorite. It has been recreated on holiday specials for years, and taught in classrooms across the nation. If you're preparing to...

Scaffolding, in basic terms, is the process by which teachers can assist students in learning. In construction, a scaffold supports a building site; in education, a teacher supports her students....

Reading comprehension involves a number of critical thinking skills that are used alone, in combinations or simultaneously. The best way to practice and apply these skills is through real reading...

As a teacher, you want to be sure your students are listening carefully while you teach. This is easier said than done, however, with many children not having the essential listening skills they...

Inspiring a love of reading in children, especially a love of fine literature, is every parent's and teacher's dream. It doesn't take money to provide rich reading experiences for young children....

Although the concept of an anecdotal essay sounds simple enough--you are, after all simply telling a story--writing one can be quite challenging. As with any other type of writing assignment, the...

Using social stories is a strategy for reaching children with autism through stories that focus on daily skills and situations. The stories open a door for students with autism by helping them...

Reading to children is a fun activity to do. And it’s also an important one! Story tellers have the ability to inspire children to think critically and to use their imaginations. Make the most of...

Creating characters for a play or story requires pulling from personal experience to give the characters real attributes and personalities. Develop a fictional character with tips from an educator...

A ghost writer is usually hired by people to write books under their name by taking their story and putting into a cohesive story. Discover the ghost writer's job, who is often not credited for...

When writing a creative writing story, focus on the the setting, the characters, the action and the conflict. Write a creative writing story with tips from a writing instructor in this free video...

Fifth grade students should have a basic grasp of the fundamental reading comprehension skills, which are predicting, inferring, questioning, summarizing and clarifying. The fifth grade is the...

Students may feel reluctant and threatened by a blank piece of paper and a request to write a story about a given topic. However, with some inspiration and fun activities, reluctant writers gain...

Write a story in first person by reading other fiction that is written in first person, having the character tell the story, using first person pronouns and revealing information about the...

Teaching children how to write a book is an ambitious project, but by keeping it simple, it can be an enjoyable experience. Before writing, the children will need to know how a book is put...

Writing is a skill that is important throughout life, whether it is the ability to write an essay, a story or a proper email message. Motivating students to write can be a challenge, but it is...

Reading is an important part of our culture and can shape a student's academic and personal future. Motivating students to read can be challenging, but using creativity and honesty will get...

Reading comprehension is a skill learned first in elementary school and is important to master for academic success. Many students have problems understanding the point of a story and remembering...

Students are naturally drawn to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, both to the rhythmic, melodic sound of his poetry and to the mysterious darkness of his short stories. Much of Poe’s work is...

Teachers readily take advantage of the way students respond to a good story opening. After reading the first few sentences aloud, a teacher can often get kids hooked, enticing them to eagerly...

If you are a primary teacher, you will have to know how to teach Guided Reading. If you are a first grade teacher, then you know that this grade level is one of the pivotal years in learning to...

If you're an elementary school teacher, reading strategies are some of the most important skills that you can teach your students. With proper guidance, they can learn how to scan for the main...

A rebus story is a picture book or poem that combines words and pictures to tell a predictable story. In the story, a familiar pictorial representation is used time and time again for a particular...

One of the challenges that English teachers face is making literature interesting for their students. Often the material is old, as in Shakespeare, or it is confusing, as in Whitman. There are...

Here are some simple steps to remember when editing a student’s short story or even your own.

Teaching children to walk in God's footsteps is priceless. This is a time when their minds absorb everything just like a sponge. At this stage, make religious learning an engaging and memorable...

Teaching Sunday school is challenging and rewarding. The key to success is keeping the children interested and focused on the Bible lesson that is being taught. Being creative, having fun and...