Spring and Summer Professional Development Opportunities for ELA Teachers By Julie C. Lyons

Professional development resources for ELA educators

With all of the changes that the Common Core has ushered in, keeping up professionally has been extremely difficult for most teachers during the school year. However, many teachers use the summer months for professional reading, reflecting on past practices, and planning new and improved lessons and activities for the upcoming school year: with that in mind, take a moment to check out the opportunities that are available to ELA educators this summer:
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Summer is Here! Keep Your Child’s Writing Skills Sharp with Online Games – Julie C. Lyons

Like Reading and math, free online activities exist for all subjects… and writing is no exception. Check out the following free interactive writing activities, puzzles, quizzes and games that reinforce writing skills and encourage creativity:

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Primary Level (K-2nd Grade)

“Story Writing Game”

In this game, the child fills in the blanks of a short story. The challenge is for the storyteller to choose words that fit the kind of story that has been selected. For example, if the child chooses to tell a ghost story, then he or she must select words for each blank that would be appropriate for a scary tale… Continue reading

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Summer is Here! Keep Your Child’s Literacy Skills Sharp with Online Games

It’s too hot to go outside. Your kids are “bored”. You’ve run out of ideas of things to do…and there’s still one month left of summer vacation! Many children gravitate towards computers and video games when they have “nothing to do”: so, why not incorporate educational time with the screen time? Below is a sampling of online resources (by grade level) that will reinforce those all-important literacy skills.
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Primary Level (K-2nd Grade)

  • “Primary Games”

  • This site offers numerous reading games that develop vocabulary skills. Identify the picture that matches the word in “Whack-A-Monsta”, or select the correct word to fill in the blanks in “Funland”- a carnival-themed game… Continue reading

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Summer is Here! Ideas to Keep Your Child’s Writing Skills Sharp

According to the National Summer Learning Association, children tend to slip academically during the summer months. In fact, some studies have shown that students may lose between two and three months’ worth of learning in reading, and similar losses can occur in mathematical computation skills as well.

To help your child stay sharp this summer, include some academic activities in your daily routine. However, this doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore for either of you. With a little bit of creativity, these pursuits can be a fun way to keep your son or daughter busy while learning at the same time. Then, when September rolls around, your child will be more than prepared for the academic challenges of a new school year.

This week, we will explore 5 easy ways to keep your child’s writing skills sharp during the dog days of summer… Continue reading

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