The Writing Rope: Syntax
Syntax is one of the five strands of Joan Sedita’s Writing Rope. Syntax is a grammar skill, and an important one. It helps us know the order in which words go in a sentence. It also helps us to understand the literal (and often non-literal) meaning of what we hear and read. Syntax helps us […]
The Writing Rope: Writing Craft
Once students have a solid foundation of mechanical writing skills, they should begin experimenting with different aspects of writing craft. This is what will distinguish their writing from that of others, and help them develop their “voice” as an author. Word Choice One aspect of writing craft is word choice. When students are first learning […]
The Writing Rope: Text Structure
Text structure refers to the way in which authors organize their writing. The structure an author uses depends on both the text type and purpose. It’s important for students to learn these different text structures and be able to apply them appropriately to their own writing. Are you a passionate educator? Do you love helping kids […]
The Writing Rope: Critical Thinking
One of the strands of Joan Sedita’s Writing Rope is critical thinking. Just as critical thinking plays an important role in developing all cognitive skills, it also plays a big part in helping students become competent writers. But what exactly does critical thinking look like when it comes to writing? General critical thinking skills require […]
Fitting Grammar Into Writing Instruction
Strategies for teaching grammar in the classroom have evolved over time. Although it gets less focus today than in writing classrooms of the past, students still need instruction in basic rules of grammar in order to be able to write, communicate, and understand others effectively. Grammar skills can be divided into several major categories, two […]
The Transcription Strand of the Writing Rope
The transcription strand of the writing rope includes skills that schools used to view as the most important in writing. In many classrooms, students learned little more than handwriting and spelling in the writing classroom. While these skills are important, recent years have seen a decline in the focus on these skills. Instead, students are […]
Composition Strands of the Writing Rope
Joan Sedita’s Writing Rope, based on Harris Scarborough’s Reading Rope, provides an excellent visual for how kids learn to write. Just like the Reading Rope, the Writing Rope consists of strands that represent the key components of writing. These strands intertwine and work together to build strong writers. Four of the five strands of the […]
Developmental Milestones of Young Writers
As with any big skill, children learn how to write in stages. Some parents are surprised when they hear that their kindergartner’s incomprehensible scribbles are age appropriate. Others may balk at a teacher’s suggestion that their high schooler’s writing, which seems eloquent, is underdeveloped. The evolution of a writer’s development is complex. But students generally […]
Research 101
Many students struggle with knowing how to begin the research process. They might have a topic, but don’t know where to begin finding the information that will help them create a product to demonstrate their learning. While there isn’t exactly a formula for conducting research, there are a number of strategies that can help students […]
How Much Homework is Too Much?
When it comes to homework, we firmly believe that quality matters way more than quantity. We’d much rather see students working on a task for 10 minutes that effectively grows their thinking and expands their understanding than spend hours solving monotonous problems that reinforce the same skill over and over again. The “Right” Amount That […]
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