Good Writers Read Out Loud

We have all heard of book signings where authors read excerpts of their books. And who hasn’t happened by an open mic poetry reading at niche coffee shop? We even buy books on tape. So why don’t we encourage our students to read their own written work out loud?

Reading out loud is an excellent tool for students to learn about the flow and pacing of good writing. If reading a sentence makes him feel tongue tied or rushes by so fast that he runs out of breath, chances are that the sentence needs revision.

Good writers use their ear to HEAR mistakes even when their fine tuned brain compensates for errors that they SEE on a page.
An added bonus of learning to read out loud properly is a big boost in selfconfidence. Public speaking skills are sorely lacking in many students partly because they don’t have the opportunity to practice and get good feedback along the way.

So the next time your child hands you a draft to read, hand it right back and say, ”Let’s hear it!”
Tuesday

Top 10 Uses for the Comma

10. Dates and Addresses: place a comma between cities and states or cities and countries; place a
                                         comma between the day and year in a date.                    

London, England                   January 12, 2016  

9. Numbers: place a comma in large numbers each three places right of the decimal.

5, 567, 543  

8. Dialogue: place a comma between the line of dialogue and the tag which tells who is speaking.

Mary said, “Pass me the sugar.”  

7. Direct Address and Interjections: place a comma after the                                                                       name that you are speaking                                                                directly to as well as after                                                                    words that indicate                                                                              exclamation or emotion.

Wow, I love chocolate!  

6. Between Adjectives: place a comma between adjectives that are                                        side by side and used to describe the same                                          noun.

                                    It is a big, blue house.   

5. Appositives: place a comma around the noun or noun phrase that renames another noun beside it.

The mosquito, an insect, leaves red bumps that itch.  

4. Conjunctive Adverbs: place a comma after a conjunctive adverb used to join two main clauses.

I love the holidays; however, I often work too hard.   

3. Introductory Elements: place a comma after introductory phrases, clauses and words that appear
                                             before the main clause of a sentence.

After breakfast, I leave for school.   

2. In Lists: place a comma between three of more items in a list.

I like pizza, pasta, and garlic bread.   

1. Compound Sentences: place a comma before the conjunction that joins two independent clauses                                              in a compound sentence.

Harry hit the ball, but John caught it. 

Education: The Great Equalizer

   

With Online Scribblers immersed in its 5th year, it is only natural to reflect upon its continued development and growth. In doing so, one question continues to present itself: What are the advantages of online learning?    

The answer appears evident. Online learning affords students a unique educational experience emphasizing superior accessibility, individualized pacing, and custom feedback.    

First, online learning allows every student access to experts in their field no matter where they live. Previously, students in metropolitan areas had greater access to higher education and renowned professional experts. Now even students in rural, less inhabited areas can learn from the best. Even more importantly, these students can collaborate and learn together. Their diversity lends a greater depth to the learning process. Online learning equalizes opportunity among all students.      

Secondly, online learning allows students to progress at their own pace and around their schedules. No longer must one student spend an hour on a lesson that made sense to them in 20 minutes. Similarly, a student who struggles with a concept has the chance to repeat and review it as many times as needed to fully grasp it.

Online learning also allows students and families to forge their own academic experience. It is flexible.

A family might travel frequently: no problem. 

A student might deal with intermittent health concerns: no problem.  

A student might be pursuing a competitive talent: no problem.  

These students don’t need to choose between their specific  interests or circumstances and a quality education. Online learning makes everything possible.    

Finally, online learning allows teachers to provide individual and customized feedback to each student. The teacher can push an excelling student a bit harder while praising and encouraging the smaller accomplishments of a struggling student to affecting greater confidence. It eliminates the competition in education and focuses on the outcome. No two students are the same and neither should be their education.

     In many ways, online learning is akin to having your own private tutor. And similar to the special relationship that develops between a student and their tutor, a unique relationship evolves between online students and their teachers. There is no hiding in the back row of the classroom or sinking low in a chair. There is no waiting for the outgoing student in the front row to answer all the questions. Online teachers get to know each student personally. Each student is held to a higher level of accountability and responsibility for their work.      

In a traditional classroom, a teacher has a finite amount of time to communicate a lesson, discipline, and develop a rapport among students. What a feat! However, online learning accelerates this one to one relationship between student and teacher. And once a level of comfort is achieved, the real nitty-gritty of learning can flourish.      

So, while knowledge is power and the road to success, online learning just might be the modern face of education in today’s world: the great equalizer.  

Top 10 Homophone Mistakes

Homophones are two or more words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. Mixing up homophones is one of the most common mistakes students make in their writing. Below are the most frequent errors that I see in student work:

10.  Tale: a story      
       Tail: the hind part of an animal

9.  Site: a place or location
     Sight: what you see

8.  Threw: having thrown something
     Through: passing or complete  

7.  New: not having been used before  
     Knew: understand (past tense)  

6.  Weather: the state of the atmosphere (rain, sunshine)
     Whether: if, depending

5.  Effect: noun—a change or consequence of an action
     Affect: verb—to make a difference

4.  Your: belonging to you  
     You’re: you are

3.  To: referring to direction or place
     Too: also, in addition, an extreme amount

2.  Their: belonging to them
     There: a place, where something is

1.  Its: belonging to it
     It’s: it is

Scream Out Loud makes a SPLASH in San Diego!

This past February, I had the unique opportunity and privilege to take part in the San Diego Local Author’s Exhibit. Over 300 local authors were recognized at the annual event, and I was honored to be included with my recent novel, Scream Out Loud.

Aside from seeing my book showcased beside other talent in the lobby of our Central Library, perhaps the highlight of the evening was listening to the personal story of the esteemed keynote speaker, Brian Selznik. Mr. Selznik is the author of several best selling novels as well as the Oscar Award winning movie Hugo.

Excitement and thrilling milestones continued in the month of March as I visited with a local book club that had read Scream Out Loud. What a treat to be able to interact with my readers! It was a surreal to hear the many ways that my characters impacted these women and the emotion that arose as the controversial topics of abuse and suicide were discussed.

When I write, I am completely consumed by my characters and immersed in their world. But to see this fictional world come to life for readers was beyond a dream come true. Definitely a highlight of my writing career!

 

Get the "Math" Kids Writing

I can’t count the number of times parents ask for help teaching their student to write “because they are more math oriented.”

So make it more like math. Appeal to the math concepts that these students absorb easily.

Every child has a specific learning style and subjects that they like more than others. The key to teaching any subject is to find what resonates with each student and adjust your presentation. Once the student acquires the skills and concepts—and once she begins to find success and builds confidence—the rest will come more naturally.

So find the math in writing… 

Here are some ways to bring the principles of logic and organization to writing:

1. Teach the art of diagramming sentences. Sentence diagramming is geometric. Students learn to compartmentalize words into their function in a sentence. Every word has a job.  Students learn how words fit together to form grammatically correct sentences and they learn how to avoid incomplete and run on sentences. Suddenly introductory elements jump out of  sentences and punctuation becomes easier to place.

2. Use graphic organizers to teach paragraph structure and focus. These help students visualize a large piece of writing and provide a framework to begin the arduous process of paper writing.

3. Create formulas to explain concepts of writing.  Hook + Thesis + Blueprint = Introduction Paragraph Formulas provide a familiar concept that allows students to plug in parts of a whole to achieve a final outcome.  So don’t write off  “math kids”. Instead help them to be successful “writing kids” too!

Ten Classic Novels for Teens

Classic literature is replete with imagery of the time it was written and lessons for the 

ages. It also demonstrates the excellence of well written works where emphasis was 

on quality of words and structure rather than quantity of books published.  These are 

some of my favorite and most important works of all time!

10. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

          This is a tale of two displacd migrant workers during the depression in California.

9. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

     

           This is a true story of a young girl in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi   

           occupation of the Netherlands. 

8.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

          Set in the post war South, this story paints a picture of he people and places 

          along the Mississippi River. 

7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

          This story follows the experiences of Jane Eyre on her journey from youth to 

     

          adulthood including her moral sensibilities of the times.

6. Animal Farm by George Orwell

          This is an allegory that questions the role and responsibility of government to its

          people to rebel.

5. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

          This novel courageously addresses adolescent themes of anxiety and alienation.

4.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

  

          This classic is a book about the strength of women and the validation of virtue

          over wealth in a family setting.

3.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

          The story follows the main character as she deals with issues of manners,

           morality, education, and marriage in high society of early 19th Century England.

2.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

          This story reveals the unprecedented economic prosperity and flagrant culture

           of the 1920's.

1.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

          A disturbing look at the racial and financial inequality of the South in the 1930's.

6

Real Writers Read Out Loud

We have all heard of book signings where authors read excerpts of their books. And who hasn’t happened by an open mic poetry reading at niche coffee shop? We even buy books on tape. So why don’t we encourage our students to read their own written work out loud?

Reading out loud is an excellent tool for students to learn about the flow and pacing of good writing. 

If reading a sentence makes him feel tongue tied or rushes by so fast that he runs out of breath, chances are that the sentence needs revision.

Good writers use their ear to HEAR mistakes even when their fine tuned brain compensates for errors that they SEE on a page.

An added bonus of learning to read out loud properly is a big boost in self-confidence. Public speaking skills are sorely lacking in many students partly because they don’t have the opportunity to practice and get good feedback along the way.

So the next time your child hands you a draft to read, hand it right back and say, ”Let’s hear it!”

The Top 10 Literary Devices Everyone should Know and Use

10. Irony: words used that often mean something different or the

                   opposite of what they mean  

  

A man who is a traffic cop gets his license suspended for unpaid parking tickets.

             

 9. Parallelism: repetition of word or phrases to emphasize a point

My favorite foods are pizza, chocolate, steak and donuts.

8. Metaphor: compares two things where one is the other

He is the apple of my eye.

7. Simile: compares two things using like or as

He is as fast as a cheetah.

6. Oxymoron: the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated words

The paper tablecloth flapped in the wind.

5. Onomatopoeia: words that represent sounds

The floor board squeaked as I ran across it.

4. Personification: using animals or inanimate objects are given

                                   human qualities  

The clock screamed the time.

3. Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of

                           words

Sister Susie sat in the sun.

2. Hyperbole: an exaggeration

The dog weighed a ton.

1. Imagery: descriptive language that attempts to invoke one or

                         more of the five senses

The azure sky melted into the horizon across the tumbling waves.

Ability Grouping?

     In recent years, it had become taboo in schools to group children according to performance and ability. There is no Minnow math group for struggling students, nor is there a Shark math group for those students light years ahead in their math skills. Grouping has become a thing of the past...and full of negative connotations to boot.

     The overwhelming view among educators is that assigning groups degrades children and prevents growth out of said group. Instead, non-grouping allows struggling students to learn from their peers.

     According to an article by Vivian Yee in the New York Times (Grouping Students by Ability Regains Favor in Classroom), teachers have begun speaking out in favor of grouping. Without establishing proper groups, teachers say, only the middle of the road students have their needs met. Essentially, teaching is aimed to the middle 1/3 of the class and leaves both the high achieving and struggling students to fend for themselves.

     It seems that grouping by ability allows teachers to address specific needs of each student and to provide positive feedback for all levels of achievement across the board. This results in increased self-esteem for all students which in turn leads to greater ambition and performance.

     Change simply for change sake is not beneficial to our students. Listening to teachers about what works and is practical in a classroom is essential and not to be overlooked in favor of educational theorists who have never taught a group of students.

     No wonder so many of our nation’s students are now being homeschooled where their individual needs can be met and the praise and positive reinforcement doled out freely and frequently!

              

Keep Calm and Study...Latin?

Veni, Vidi, Vici.

I came. I saw. I conquered.

Julius Caesar’s famous words of victory to the Roman Senate still hold meaning for many students of today.

The ancient language of the Roman Empire has long been studied by academic scholars. But in recent years, Latin is seeing a resurgence among students of all ages and walks of life—and for good reason! The study of Latin can make learning across all curriculums easier and more fluid.

1. Latin improves vocabulary and the ability to decipher words in day to day reading.

2. Latin improves grammar through understanding the way sentences are put together and subject/verb agreement.

3. Latin is understood much like a puzzle...it improves logic.

4. Latin provides a precursor to understanding current scientific and legal terminology for future study.

5. Latin provides a foundation for understanding history and the philosophy of government and art.

End the Cycle of Reluctant Writers

We’ve all heard the old adage that “children learn what they live.” Children learn to be kind when they are shown kindness. Children learn to be honest, when people are honest with them. In the same way, children learn to read when they are read to. This is precisely why parents read to their children before bed and why preschool teachers read to their class on a daily basis. Children are read to and therefore children can read. We, as a society, don’t accept any less for our children.

Why then do we accept it when our children are less than proficient writers? Why do we not write with our children daily? Why do we not write TO them daily? Why is this not part of our family habit? If children model what their parents do, we need to show our children that writing is not painful or boring. We need to embrace writing as an opportunity for personal expression and meaningful communication.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate writing in to a nightly habit:

1. Each week write a letter or card to an elderly person or service man or woman. Once you have a pile of cards, deliver the stack of cards to a nursing home or military organization. Make it a family affair by getting out the construction paper, markers, and dictionary. Challenge each other to write the most meaningful message.

2. Write notes to each other and leave them around the house. Let your children see you leaving notes for other adults and express your own joy at receiving them.

3. Write a poem together as a family and frame it. Hang it somewhere prominent where visitors will see and enjoy it.

4. Enlist the help of your children in writing lists for you. Keep a grocery list on the fridge and encourage everyone to add to it during the week. For dad’s birthday, ask everyone to make a list of what they would like to get him and then compare notes.

It doesn’t matter what you are writing, the important thing is that children see writing as an integral part of your family life. If you break the cycle of reluctant writing and pick up a pencil, chances are they will too!

Music as Inspiration

Music moves me.

It doesn't have to be a certain genre or a particular artist, but the right song with the right lyrics can really inspire me. Perhaps it's because a good song is really just poetry set to music. So for me, great music is kind of like reading a best seller while driving the car or making dinner...

When I was in the middle of my first novel, I happened across my husband's James Blunt CD in the car and, being too lazy to change the setting (or maybe just too pregnant!), I discovered the songs that would be my motivation each day. As my story began to delve into topics that were often dark and painful...childhood abuse, suicide, loss of a parent...it was a daily challenge to find my heroine's 'truth' as a real person with a heart and mind of her own.

But there on that James Blunt CD, I found the "theme songs" of my hero and heroine and I played them religiously on the way home from dropping my kids off at school each day. I'd listen to the songs (tracks 4 and 5 respectively...) and instantly reconnect with Andie and Tony and know what they would do next. It was largely this music that let me see my characters in my mind's eye as real and human.

I still listen to the CD, though less often, with a certain wistfulness of days gone by.

So now, I'm currently stumped at 8000 words on my latest work and wonder if maybe I'm just missing the requisite music. I've heard of method acting: maybe this is my "method-writing". But finding that just right piece of music that particularly moves me is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I'm driving myself crazy!

I'm sure it's like anything else and when I stop looking - or listening - I'll find it. Until then, I'll plod along getting to know Sadie, my new heroine, by what she chooses to do today...and tomorrow...and the next day...

As a writer, the process just keeps amazing me! I love feeling like I'm reading the book even as I'm writing it!

So Good...

Not only is Gone With the Wind a staple American classic novel, but Margaret Mitchell wins the award for my favorite quote of all time:

"In a moment of weakness I have written a book..." 11-19-1935

Me too, Ms. Mitchell, me too.

Photo of my favorite magnet hanging on my refrigerator!

Possession!

Remember that when you are indicating belonging or possession, you must add an apostrophe s.

For example:

The dog’s toy is lost. = The toy belonging to the dog is lost.

The girl’s hair is brown. = The hair belonging to the girl is brown.

Do not forget the apostrophe s!

Family Wordsmithing: Ferhoodled

Ok, so I love words. I do. I'm a word-a-holic. I love the way a good word feels when it slips off your tongue. I love getting the word of the day e-mailed directly to me from dictionary.com. But I especially love finding words that say just what you mean...words that can stand alone and yet say everything. I have found that using the right word can literally save a sentence otherwise doomed to boredom. It is one of the greatest pleasures I know to stumble upon that perfect word.

So I want to share with you my very favorite word on the planet: ferhoodled. 

Yes, ferhoodled. Go ahead, don't be embarrassed - say it. Say it out loud. Now say it with a little pizazz. Admit it...it's a great word! I happened upon it while reading a work by Beverly Lewis and instantly fell in love. The official definition (as per dictionary.com, of course!) is to confuse or mix up as in: Don't ferhoodle things in that drawer! But the way I read it in context the first time was in describing a woman as so completely ferhoodled that she couldn't do anything quite right. 

Now that is absolutely fabulous!!!Ferhoodled. Don't we all get that way now and again, not just confused or mixed up but just completely ferhoodled?

Since my brilliant discovery, my family has adopted 'ferhoodled' into our household vocabulary. This word has changed our outlook on minor infractions and added some fun to the little conundrums (another great word, by the way!) that pop up here and there. 

Yesterday, for example, I found the ice-cream in the refrigerator all liquidy and seeping onto the shelf. I did my usual rant through the house looking for the culprit with fire in my eyes and melted mint chocolate chip still fresh on my fingers. I found my son in his room with a green tell-tale ring around his mouth and said "Aha!" He just looked at me and my sticky hands with big eyes as the realization of what he had done set in and said: "I was having dessert with my homework and the long division completely ferhoodled me!" 

Oh. 

I get that. 

I've been there more than once, like when I found my car keys in my sock drawer...

We all get confused and stressed out now and then...wouldn't it be nice to just throw your hands up in the air and say: Aaahhh, I'm so ferhoodled!

Leave Me Out of It!

Avoid using the pronoun “you” in a piece of formal or academic writing. As the writer, you don’t want to directly address your reader. As your reader, I am not in the story. Instead, your job is to create a visual image for me so that I can imagine myself there without the use of “you.”

Back to Basics

Basic. 

We use this word so often that the true meaning often eludes us. Basic means fundamental, foundation, and starting point. The word is simple to understand, but it is overlooked—especially when it comes to writing.

First consider other academic subjects like math and reading. Basic concepts in math include counting and addition facts. Would a math teacher ever try to teach algebra before a student has a firm grasp of these fundamental skills? Think of reading as well. 

Basic concepts include learning the abc’s and the sounds each letter makes. Would a teacher ever ask a child to read a chapter book, who had never mastered these building blocks of reading?

Writing is no different. I see more and more students lacking the basic, elementary principles of  writing, yet these students are trying to write academic papers and poetry. And what’s worse: we are expecting them to!

It strikes me that we (parents and educators) simply assume that students know the foundations of written language. But it is apparent to me that we need to stop assuming. We need to revisit the basics and hammer these concepts home.

So what are the basics of written language?

The foundations of English writing are the 8 parts of speech. How many of our students can name all of them? (Hint: they are noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and article.) I would guess that if you gathered your entire family around the table and asked this question, few if any could name all 8—though I sincerely hope I’m wrong—and even fewer could define them accurately.

Why are the parts of speech so important? It’s simple, basic really, every explanation of sentence structure and every rule of grammar is explained in terms of these parts of speech. Without understanding or being able to identify these parts of speech, how can we hope to teach the finer points of language?

For example, try teaching a middle school student how to eliminate incomplete sentences from their writing.

A teacher might say: “Remember that every sentence must have a verb.”

Great. Simple. Basic.

But the student asks, “What’s a verb?”

A teacher might try to explain why the word “at” cannot appear at the end of a sentence.

“A preposition must always be followed by a noun object.”

Great. Simple. Basic.

But the student asks, “What’s a preposition?”

What’s a teacher to do? Go back to basics. Reinforce the basic principles of language. Teach students to outline sentences.

These are the ways we learned language as children. And let’s face it, the world has changed to become more technology based and fast paced. But children haven’t changed and the English language hasn’t changed. So why are we changing what worked. We are trying to move so fast that we are neglecting to teach children the basics.

Details, Details, Details!

Very often, when a student submits mediocre work, it is because they have left out the details and examples that prove their point. 

If I asked what you liked about the beach and you just said “sand,” I would walk away a bit bored and wanting to know why. The same is true for your writing. If the prompt poses a question, answer it and tell why. Give details and examples and use descriptive language whenever you can.

“What do you like about the beach?”

“I like the sand best because I have a shell collection, and whenever we go to the shore, I look for colorful additions to my set. I also enjoy building sand castles in the wet sand with my little sister.”

Now this is s a full reason and explanation.  It also uses detail and adjectives (descriptive language) to let the reader form a picture and impression of his own.

Always go back and infuse your work with details and examples that bring your ideas to life!