Editing Level 1 Writing, Part 2
Here again is an example of a 3rd grade student’s weekly writing, this time tied to the story, The Night Crossing. While it was pointed out that the student didn’t describe an inanimate “object or objects” tied to Christmas or…
Editing Level 1 Writing, Part 1
There is a wide range of ability encountered when it comes to Level 1 writers as this post will demonstrate. Students entering the third grade who have been using our curriculum, have been introduced to the whole of phonics (for…
Writing is NOT Calculus!
When we teach a student calculus, we are teaching them to attend to small parts of a larger form. The word calculus comes from the Latin, meaning small pebble. When teaching our students to write, we should begin by teaching…
The Character of Characters
When readers open the cover of a book and enter the pages of a story, they begin a journey. Each of our Literature and Writing Discovery Guides, Earlybird through Level 4, is a personal journal of that journey. Each section…
Comprehension is Comprehensive
Students working in our CORE Literature and Writing Discovery Guides will, each week, respond to “comprehension” questions that chronologically review the plot points from the week’s reading. But here, “comprehension” is an exercise that both draws students deeper into the heart…
Treasure Trove of Words
Exploring vocabulary is so much more than an activity to check off the list! Words are the building blocks of language, are what we humans use to communicate our ideas, and each one holds certain specificity. Specificity is a pairing…
Introducing Intermediate Composition
WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME TWO BRAND NEW UNITS: Intermediate Composition: Little Worlds This intermediate unit is developed to teach high school students how to translate a BIG idea tied to a little story into an essay. Over the course…
Person, Place, Thing: Writing Beyond the Noun
WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME OUR BRAND NEW UNIT: Advanced Composition: Person, Place Thing as Long Form Research Our unique scaffolding guides 11th and 12th grade students over the course of 30 weeks, each step of the way, in the…
Jumpstart Essay Writing with Pages Online!
Using Blackbird & Company composition units? Enroll now to jumpstart fall learning! We are delighted to announce the following five classes to support students as they prepare to dive deep into the art of essay writing. We’ve something fun planned…
Earlybird Introduction to Animals
WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME OUR BRAND NEW UNIT: Earlybird Introduction to Animals! There are two types of things in the world: living and non-living! Everything you can imagine is one or the other. Taxonomy is the science of sorting…