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EAL


Engaging Earth Day Literacy Activities for Grades 4–9
Elevate your classroom discussions with these Earth Day literacy activities for grades 4–9. From analyzing the history of the environmental movement to mastering evidence-based persuasive writing, discover how to use scaffolded lessons to build critical thinking and empower student voice.
Anne Markey
1 day ago4 min read


Earth Day Projects: Using Sustainability Scenarios to Build Critical Thinking
Empower your students to solve real-world environmental challenges with these Earth Day sustainability scenarios. Explore three hands-on Earth Day projects designed to build critical thinking by analyzing human impact, ethics, and global problem-solving in the K-12 classroom.
Anne Markey
Mar 245 min read


3 Reasons Your Students Miss the Meaning (and How to Fix It)
Discover 3 Reasons Your Students Miss the Meaning and how to fix it with a structured Weekly Reading to Writing Cycle. Enhance comprehension now!
Anne Markey
Feb 175 min read


From Fragment to Fluency: Simple Sentence Expansion Strategies
Middle-grade writers often struggle with sentence fragments, short choppy sentences, or run-ons. Even students who understand grammar in theory may produce writing that feels disjointed, simplistic, or hard to read. This is especially true for EAL learners, who are simultaneously building language skills while learning how to write fluent, coherent sentences. The good news? Sentence combining and daily micro-writing tasks can transform even hesitant writers into confident, f
Anne Markey
Dec 23, 20254 min read


How to use spiral review in reading Lessons
If you’ve ever taught a reading comprehension skill in September only to have students forget it by October, you’re not alone. As teachers, especially those working with English language learners, we know that mastery doesn’t come from a single lesson. It grows through consistent, repeated exposure. That’s where spiral review becomes a game-changer. Today, I’m breaking down why spiral review works best for reading comprehension and exactly how to use spiral review in readin
Anne Markey
Dec 16, 20255 min read


How to Connect Reading and Writing Instruction in 5 Easy Steps
A Practical Guide to Step-by-Step Reading to Writing Instruction When teachers talk about literacy instruction, reading and writing often get separated into different lessons, different blocks, and different skill sets. But the truth is this: students learn best when reading and writing work together . For many learners, especially EAL/ELL students, the jump from understanding a text to writing about it is enormous. They can answer comprehension questions orally, but when as
Anne Markey
Dec 9, 20253 min read


How to create a weekly reading to writing cycle & Beat the Post-Holiday Slump
The winter months are tough, aren't they? Post-holiday fatigue sets in, the days are short, and student engagement can feel like trying to pull a wool sweater over a grumpy cat. As ELA and EAL teachers, we face a big challenge: how do we keep the academic rigor high—pushing for deep comprehension and evidence-based writing—when student energy is running on fumes? The answer isn’t more flashy activities; it’s creating a weekly reading to writing cycle . Unstructured ELA tim
Anne Markey
Dec 2, 20254 min read
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