Illuminating Instructions

My husband and I recently moved into his childhood home, and we’re currently upgrading the light fixtures. In an effort to save money, we usually install them ourselves—an endeavor that involves a lot of time and copious amounts of profanity. After an hour of fussing with the first fixture, we decided to call the professionals….

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Are We Skipping November?

I recently went shopping at a popular store and discovered that we’re apparently jumping from October to December. The holiday section had Halloween candy for sale and an explosion of Christmas trees, ornaments, and wrapping paper. I know this happens to some extent every year, but it just seems more dramatic this year. My main…

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Let’s Make a List!

October 30, 2023 is Checklists Day! It’s a day dedicated to all those who use checklists to keep their lives organized and on track. I had a Halloween party this past weekend. The first thing I did Saturday morning? Make a list of all the tasks I needed to accomplish before people started arriving that…

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A Cast of Characters

Deciding who and what to write about can be daunting for students…and adults as well. (An aside: I’m married to a writer and I hear him muttering a lot in his office.) Various graphic organizers can be a big help for students when planning narratives—and we have tons of them on our website! After a…

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Informational Writing

Do you hear that collective groan? That’s your students. They’re aware you’re reading a blog about informational writing. It’s rare to find a child (or an adult) who gets excited about informational writing. But we both know that it’s an important skill. It’s rare to find a career that doesn’t involve some sort of writing…

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Is Cursive Worth It?

For years, my handwriting was mostly printed with a smattering of cursive tossed in. Then I took a dive in some platform heels and sprained my thumb. Subsequently, my printing became awkward and painful so I decided to brush up on my cursive, assuming that it would be easier on my hand. I was right….

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