Learning Proper Debate
Learning to debate can help students think better about the arguments they are making, and how they back up what they say.
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Book Series Can Help Kids Love Reading
While book series such as “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Fairy Magic” and “Artemis Fowl” may seem silly to adults, these types of pleasure reading can help kids develop their reading skills and encourage them to read more.
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Writing Marathon
To give your child’s writing a serious workout, it might be time to try a writing marathon. This does not mean writing the same sentence over and over, but is a way to combine seeing different sights with writing.
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Writing Less Can Take More
Sometimes, writing something short can be far more difficult than something longer.
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Solving The Mystery
If your kids love reading mystery stories, but have trouble keeping track of all the details, the website Read Write Think may have the answer for you – a mystery cube.
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Comics To Help Kids Learn
One way to engage students in writing is to let them write and explore in a genre that speaks to them. For many students, comic books and comic strips may be closer to their taste than many chapter books.
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Connect Students' Study To Their Interests
Writing, reading, math, or science – school subjects become interesting and relevant for students when they can find ways to connect their interests to what they study in class.
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Encourage Writing for Success in College
Successful college writers are flexible and invested. They know that writing takes time and energy, and that they need to care about what they write. But how do they learn this?
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Writing With A Purpose
Keeping a writing and sketchbook can help kids retain more of what they see and experience over the summer. A small notepad that can fit into a backpack or pocket will work well.
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Write To Win!
Writing contests can give your child real life motivation for writing.
While writing for a parent or teacher can be valuable, writing for a judge you have never met can help children focus on clarity and persuasiveness.
There are contests in every genre, ranging from the Olive Garden Pasta Tales contest, to the Amazing Kids Short Story Writing Contests.
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Read To Succeed
Encourage your child to try reading again some of the books that they read during the school year.
What may have been a challenging read, or something you read to your child earlier this year, may now be much easier. You may even have your child reading books to you that he or she could not read in the fall.
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Creative Writing Techniques
Creating stories from interviews is a powerful way of engaging students to write.
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Creative Writing With Comic Books
For many kids, creating comic books can be a great way to tell a story.
For kids who want to do this on their computer, the website Read Write Think features a comic creator, that allows kids to choose a character, create bubbles that contain thoughts or words, and props. They can create a single frame, or an extended story using the website.
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A Play On Words
Word games are a great way to get your children to see the magic of language. And playing with language can be a start toward good writing.
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Small Moments Writing
Your child’s writing does not need to always be about the big topics of life. Many children, even those just learning how to write stories, do well working on “small moments” in their writing.
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Expression Through Artwork
As a parent, you can use your child’s art to build their literacy skills.
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A Poet And Ya Don't Know It!
Poetry writing can be a creative outlet, but for some teens it can seem intimidating. One way to encourage your middle schooler to try out poetry writing is to use a strategy called “found poetry.”
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Writing: A Public Teen Activity
Writers love to see that their words have an impact on other people. Help your adolescent make writing a public activity in their electronic neighborhood!
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Sidewalk Extravaganza
Writers love to see that their words have an impact on other people. What better way to see that impact than to make writing a public activity in your neighborhood?
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College Essays
If your child is interested in applying to a selective university, you may want to help him or her get used to the idea of a college essay.
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Readers Theater
For many kids, reading seems boring compared to playing outside or on the computer. But you can bring books and stories to life using the technique of readers theater, in which a story is used as the beginning of a play that kids can put on themselves.
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Make Your Own Newspaper
Children love to make their own newspapers and magazines. 826 Michigan, a writing non-profit based in Ann Arbor Michigan, has worked with students from elementary to high school creating their own homemade magazines or newspapers to showcase student writing.
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Get Caught Listening
Recent studies have shown that one in every five American households listen to audiobooks. Get Caught Listening is a nationwide public service campaign intended to promote the joys of audiobook listening.
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MEA's Encouraging Radio Spto
Reading is one of the most important skills your child will ever learn. Reading spark children’s imaginations and it also forms the foundation for their success in school and throughout life.
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Reading Skills Remain Basis of Success
Visualize this: lrn 2 read 2day.
When I started teaching, I never dreamed that I'd have to remind students not to use shorthand like that to write, "Learn to read today."
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Read On
The Michigan Educator’s Association’s guide to reading.
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Scrapbooking Your Summer
Save those summer memories! Make a summer scrapbook with your preschooler.
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Getting Published
All writers love to have their work published.
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Make a Book!
If you have access to a word processor and a printer, then you can help even the youngest of learners create their own books.
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Avoid Computer Writing Fatigue
When your child is writing on the computer, it is important to schedule some time for breaks. This helps keep your child’s mind sharp and body active.
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EMU Writing Project
For more resources on the teaching of writing, see the Eastern Michigan Writing Project homepage. This program, run by faculty in English Education at EMU, includes programs for parents, students, teachers and administrators.
The EMU Writing project holds a series of "Inkstains" writing camps for middle and high school in the summer. The project also offers family nights, held at your school for parents. Information for these can be found at this link.
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Early Childhood Education - Reading
The early childhood years, the time from birth through age eight, provide an opportunity for parents to help children develop skills they will use for learning throughout their lives.
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Making Your Child A Better Writer
Everyone can write. And as a parent you can do so much to help your preschooler feel like a writer.
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