What is the "ACED" Formula in Writing?

Many students struggle (at first) with analytical writing, especially if a student is a concise writer who doesn’t always include enough detail, doesn’t explain his or her answer, or doesn’t know how to analyze a fact for its significance.

This semester, seventh and eighth graders have been learning a writing strategy called “ACED” that can work in almost any class and is particularly relevant for short answer responses, extended responses, and essays.

For example, the ACED acronym works well for...

• Short answer questions on tests, especially in social studies, ELA, religion, and science
• Lab reports in science class
• Body paragraphs for essays
• Any situation in which students have to cite a text (novel, article, etc.)

Here’s how it works:

Balancing Reading with Homework & Class Novels

(Reminder: Check out our old post about pacing AR to find out more about what the middle school expectations are and how to use a pacing bookmark!)

The biggest struggles that ELA teachers hear from students are that they either “don’t have time to read” or don’t know how to read for AR and read the assigned class novel at the same time.

While we teachers never want students to be overwhelmed or dislike reading, the reality is that heavy reading is in most of their academic futures; for example, a typical high school or college student might balance several fiction, class textbook, and/or article texts every week, if not nightly. For many people, the struggle to find time for reading doesn’t get easier. Therefore, ELA teachers would rather help students learn strategies NOW to help balance reading, homework, and life.

Understanding the New YA Books Policy in Grades 5-8

At our fall Student-Led Conferences this year, students introduced their parents to our school’s updated YA book policies for grades 5-8. In this post, we want to reinforce what’s changing and why.

Playing the “Grammar House Cup” Game in ELA

This year in ELA, we are continuing the tradition of the “Grammar House Cup”: a friendly, inter-homeroom competition to learn grammar in a fun way. In its fifth year, the game is loosely based on the competition between the four houses in the Harry Potter series.

Tips for Pacing (and Finishing) AR Books

Do you (or your child) have trouble meeting a point goal or finishing books in a timely manner?

Check out this 7-minute video from Mrs. Hardin and Ms. Chiavacci about using a pacing bookmark to help optimize your reading. It also contains helpful guidelines about how many fiction and non-fiction books should be read per month or per quarter...