1.800.221.5175
Mathematics
Sadlier Math Grades K–6
Core Program
Full Access
Progress in Mathematics Grades K–6
Core Program
Full Access
Progress in Mathematics Grades 7–8+
Core Program
Full Access
Progress Mathematics Grades K–8
National Program
Full Access
New York
Critical Thinking for Active Math Minds
Grades 3–6
Preparing for Standards Based Assessments
Grades 7–8
Reading & Writing
From Phonics to Reading Grades K-3
Print Program
Interactive Practice Bundle
Fluency Booster Practice Book
Interactive Assessments
High-Impact Tutoring
Sadlier Phonics
Grades K–3
Close Reading of Complex Texts Grades 3–8
Print Program
Interactive Edition
Building Reading Success with Wiley Blevins Grades K–5
Tier 2 & Tier 3 Intervention for Grades K—5
Sadlier Handwriting Practice
Print Program
Progress English Language Arts Grades K–8
National Program
Full Access
New York
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Workshop, Tools for Comprehension Grades 1–5
Print Program
Interactive Edition
Vocabulary Workshop Achieve Grades 6–12+
Print Program
Interactive Edition
Vocabulary Workshop, Tools for Excellence Grades 6–12+
Print Program
Interactive Edition
Vocabulary Workshop Adaptive
Grades 6—12
Vocabulary for Success
Grades 6–10
Grammar
Grammar Workshop, Tools for Writing
Grades 2–5
Grammar Workshop
Grades 6–8
Grammar for Writing
Grades 6–12
Intervention
Building Reading Success with Wiley Blevins
Tier 2 & Tier 3 Intervention for Grades K—5
Professional Learning
Professional Learning
Services

Sadlier's
English Language Arts Blog

The home of Vocab Gal and other educational experts K–12 resources

May 3, 2016 CG Teaching Strategies Test-taking, CG Lessons 9-12, CG Lessons 6-8, ELA K-5, ELA 6-8, ELA Resources - Assessment, ELA Focus - Writing, ELA 9-12, Core Grammar

4 Interactive Writing Activities That Can Serve As Relief From Testing

High stakes assessments are coming to an end. This time period provides the perfect opportunity to introduce a few interactive writing activities in the classroom that can serve as relief from test preparation or testing season.

4 Interactive Writing Activities for Students

The interactive writing activities listed here will put the students at the center of the classroom, interacting with and learning from one another.

Interactive Writing Activities

1. Field Trips

A theme at the 2014 National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference examined the notion of breaking down walls and allowing learning to take place beyond the classroom — in museums, at local venues, and in the community at large. Field trips expand learning. Visit a four-year or community college, virtually tour a museum, or go on an historical scavenger hunt. Allow students to generate organic questions and search for answers. Or assign students a historical artwork using Google Art Project. Have students compose three questions about the artwork and then answer them using their research.

2. Interviews

Want to know what the students really liked about your class? Ask them. Have students compose three questions about the school year. You can design three questions to use as a model. Students can interview each other and record the answers, and responses can then be tabulated and shared.

3. Engage Students in the Curriculum

Students can rewrite endings to traditional stories. Have students publish their writing (on a blog, for example). Use social media venues and have students record a six-second video and post it to Snapchat, Twitter, or Facebook. The topics should be related to the class.

4. Gaming & Writing Stations

Get students energized and engaged in learning with a Grammar & Writing Stations exercise. Simply set up stations around - the classroom where groups of 5–7 students rotate for 10 minutes at a time. Order the stations so they alternate between fun grammar games and interactive writing activities. Some grammar and writing activities you can use are as follows:

Grammar_Baseball_350px

 Download Now

Grammar_GrammarLand_thumb_350px

Download Now

Grammar_Who_Are_You_thumb_350px

Grammar-Exercises

GRMR_DL_GetShakinWithAdverbs_Thumb_@2X

Download Now

Springtime-Writing-Prompts-350px

Download Now

Grammar_Social_QuickWrite_thumb_350px

Download Now

Grammar_Pin_the_Pig_thumb_350px

Download Now

Grammar_Shakespeare_thumb_350px

Download Now

Learning is about more than test preparation. Providing opportunities to have fun and be creative in —and out of — the classroom is a great way to keep students engaged in learning all year long. Use the interactive writing activities above to rejuvenate students after a season of strenuous testing.

 
 
 

RELATED RESOURCES: