English Language Arts
Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in English language arts.
How I Balance Direct Instruction and Student-Driven Workshops
Using accordion-style pacing—pressing students into small groups, then pulling the whole class together for direct instruction—teachers can create a rich environment for building key literacy skills.341Social Media’s Favorite English Teacher
“Taking the time to be engaging” and setting high expectations are key to good teaching, says TikTok influencer and middle school teacher Claudine James.776Here’s What the Science of Reading Looks Like in My High School Classroom
Teachers can design lessons around these five components to deepen student understanding of and engagement with reading material.3.1kUsing Movement to Teach Vocabulary
When students explore new words through movement, they understand them better, retain them longer, and feel more empowered to use them.17.2kUsing Variety to Support Writing in Middle School
Middle school students may get inspired about writing if they’re offered exercises that support different methods of expression.288How to Move From the ‘Main Idea’ to ‘Background Knowledge’
Traditional approaches to reading instruction—such as finding the “main idea”—are less effective than a knowledge-rich approach, the research shows.3.2k3 Great Discussion Models for High School English
These models move beyond Socratic seminars to provide students with authentic, engaging class discussions.5005 Ways to Support Students Who Struggle With Reading Comprehension
These strategies can help students who are able to decode well but have difficulty understanding what they read—and they’re beneficial for all students.43.9k4 Reading Strategies to Retire This Year (Plus 6 to Try Out!)
A look at a few popular literacy practices that shouldn’t make the cut—along with fresh strategies that experienced teachers and literacy experts recommend instead.27.2kVocabulary-Building Activities for Young Students
Early elementary teachers can use these fun activities to help make vocabulary lessons accessible for all of their students.490Reading Aloud to Middle School Students
Hearing books read aloud benefits older students, enhancing language arts instruction and building a community of readers.45.3kCreative Writing in the Early Elementary Grades
A project that incorporates both standard and creative elements of storytelling can help young learners strengthen their literacy skills.452Encouraging Secondary Students to Read
When students are reading below their grade level, these different approaches can motivate them to engage with texts and improve their literacy skills.1.6k50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels
Sometimes students need a little push to activate their imaginations.47.8kWhat Doesn’t Work: Literacy Practices We Should Abandon
The number one concern that I hear from educators is lack of time, particularly lack of instructional time with students. Although we can't entirely solve the time problem, we can mitigate it by carefully analyzing our use of class time.49.8k