Blog

Glasses on a book

The Best Laid Plans: Literary vs. Expository Prompts

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | November 1, 2021 | Comments Off on The Best Laid Plans: Literary vs. Expository Prompts

Good afternoon, Dr. Louis: Please see below a prompt that I made for our students this week on Chapter 6 from Of Mice and Men. If you have time, let me know what you think and what changes need to …

Pen writing on paper

Does Your Prompt Actually Prompt?

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | May 17, 2021 | Comments Off on Does Your Prompt Actually Prompt?

DECODING A WRITING PROMPT We have all heard students exclaim, “I don’t know how to start!” The Jane Schaffer Writing Program® (JSWP) was designed by Jane to remove that thought from their minds. From the prompt to the final draft, …

Smiling/writing student

Generating Commentary with a WOW Factor!

By Vanessa Hunt | April 10, 2021 | Comments Off on Generating Commentary with a WOW Factor!

Dear Dr. Louis, What is a WOW sheet? – A. Stout, AP® English Literature Endorsed Consultant, Boise State Writing Project Fellow   Dear Mr. Stout, Thank you for your insightful question! “WOW” stands for the “Web-off-the-Word”™.” It is one of …

Students sitting around table

Weaving: Moving Beyond the Structure One Student at a Time

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | February 8, 2021 | 0 Comments

Dear Dr. Louis, How do I teach weaving? Scott Dear Scott: “Weaving” is Jane Schaffer’s integral step of blending concrete details (CDs) and commentary (CM).  When a student demonstrates his/her ability to identify and understand CDs and CMs and when …

Child holding on to adult's pinky finger

From Formula to Freedom, Part I

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | January 8, 2021 | 0 Comments

Dear Dr. Louis, “For the synthesis question on the AP Language exam (which is basically an argument prompt but the students have to use  sources as CDs),  I’ve heard much talk from other AP teachers that the commentary should still …

Writing in notebook

DISCERNING EVIDENCE

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | December 18, 2020 | Comments Off on DISCERNING EVIDENCE

Dear Dr. Louis, Could you remind me of that wonderful three part phrase about concrete detail? With gratitude, Marie S. Dear Marie, Of course! For student writers, knowing how to evaluate what evidence to use in an essay is a …

Student writing on laptop

A Vertical Vision: A Recipe for Success Part I – Core Literature

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | May 20, 2020 | Comments Off on A Vertical Vision: A Recipe for Success Part I – Core Literature

The Vertical Vision: A Recipe for Success is a four-part webinar series that provides teachers with a practical and effective approach to teaching novel and drama selections while integrating vocabulary, grammar/syntax, and writing strategies. Teachers attending this webinar use their …

Child reading by a tree

Summertime, and the Reading Is Easy.

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | May 8, 2020 | 0 Comments

Dear Dr. Louis, Our district is considering summer reading. What is your opinion? Delainey Dear Delainey: One answer: the best of times; the worst of times. I say that because summer reading and any outside reading requirement can be a …

Person journaling in a field

In Search of the Truth: The Dialectical Journal

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | April 15, 2020 | Comments Off on In Search of the Truth: The Dialectical Journal

I am wondering about the Dialectical Journal form. My students complete dialectical journals as we read our novels, but I love this form that you attached . . . we do them in a journal notebook in class. Now that …

Person writing in jounal

Making a Difference with The Concluding Sentence

By Dr. Deborah E. Louis | January 7, 2020 | Comments Off on Making a Difference with The Concluding Sentence

Hi Dr. Louis! Happy New Year! I have a question for you regarding expository writing. In filling out the T-Chart for a body paragraph, how do you explain the difference between the commentary sentence and the concluding sentence? The ideas …