http://doristhesaurus.com Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:32:30 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A nice alternative to subject and predicate worksheets, and a fun way to support language arts lessons, is a subject and predicate game I like to play with my students called, “Silly Sentences."  Prior to playing, students need to have knowledge of what is a complete subject, and what is a ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=957 If you have a child in school, these simple tips can lead to student success, achievement, and good self-esteem as they head back to school.   1. Provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks so that your child has the fuel they need to have a productive day.  Make sure they get regular physical activity. 2.  Our ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=880 Need an alternative to the much-hyped "Word Wall" in your elementary-school classroom?  It's been so overused, it's hard to think of new word wall ideas.  Instead of just a vocabulary building tool, use this idea to connect vocabulary to writing through synonyms.   The use of higher-level vocabulary can give children's ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=854 As a first-day-of-school writing activity, I ask my students to show me what they've learned from the previous year regarding writing and language arts.  I do this for four reasons:  1) At the beginning of each school year, students are trying their best to impress me so they diligently work to show off. 2) This ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=1200 It's hard to finance a long vacation given the current state of our economy, so many families are trying out the "staycation" idea.  One fun thing you can do that doesn't cost very much is to take a one-day road trip someplace near where you live that you haven't yet ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=806 Let's face it.  It's hard to keep the kids busy at the end of the school year.  Their minds are focused on getting out of school and where they might go for summer break.  So, harness that mental energy with a fun summer vacation creative writing assignment that gives them ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=641 It doesn't take much effort to buy a gift for a child's father on his special day; however, presenting him with a poem, handmade card, and/or their favorite treat can be very well received, not to mention save some money.  Here are three types of father poems that might spark ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=653 Are you wondering how to keep your child busy and productive over the summer?  Here are some ideas that will help make time away from school enjoyable while retaining and improving skills.  Children who do this are usually very prepared for the upcoming level in school and have increased self-confidence ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=586 I give this elementary school writing prompt to my students every year during the last week of school.  It's a writing prompt kids love as it makes them feel good about doing something for someone else.  In addition, it gives students practice writing a friendly letter and is something next year's students love ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=603 A cinquain (SING-kayn) is a five-line poem.  Cinquain poems use nouns,  adjectives, and verbs to describe a topic.  The layout is as follows: Line 1:  one noun (topic) Line 2:  two adjectives that describe the topic Line 3:  three action verbs that end in -ing Line 4:  a phrase comprised of four words that describes the ... http://doristhesaurus.com/?p=567