Looking for an authentic audience for your students’ work that will have a wide reach? Do you want your students… more

This lesson describes how Sentence Structure can be used to keep a story more interesting and engaging. I’ve done this… more

Pixar’s Storytelling Rule #4 is a strategy used at Pixar Studios to develop their stories. It can help a young… more

In this activity, students begin by engaging in close reading or attentive listening. Then they complete a graphic organizer by… more

Each genre of writing has its own unique skills and text structure. Teach their differences using the Smekens Education Genre… more

Revision is about the writer re-entering the draft, improving, and strengthening the piece. However, classmates often don’t know what kind of… more

There is a video explanation that can be accessed at this link. The college and career-ready standards expect the three… more

Click here to access a video explanation. Rather than using a worksheet with isolated sentences, it’s better to have our… more

Stories are built on the characters that inhabit them, but we don’t often spend a lot of time learning how… more

Stories are built on the characters that inhabit them, but we don’t often spend a lot of time learning how… more

Create your own Mystery Dinner Theater script from scratch to use as an Educational Fundraiser for the Community! Or use… more

This download will reveal how the 6 Traits of Writing are integrated within the Common Core writing standards. Each page of this document includes a… more

A strong summary highlights the most important information presented in a logical organization. Often students recall the less-than-important information in an illogical… more

Looking for engaging catalysts for creative writing? These prompts were favorites at the WNY Young Writers’ Studio this year.  Subject… more

A notebook nook is a cozy corner that is filled with an ever-changing supply of resources that inspire and sustain… more

As a writing teacher, I longed to help my students take ownership of their notebooks and use them in meaningful… more

Click here to access a video explanation. Transitions are essential to strong organization. They are what writers use to create… more

Quite a few years ago, in the midst of trying to support the most resistant writers I’ve ever known, I… more

Ready to begin moving makerspace experiences into your writing workshop? This list will help you gather some great supplies without… more

Adapted from the work of NWREL, this poster pack defines each element or trait of writing and provides a clear… more