Writing Assistance
Vocabulary Building
Vocabulary Building
Stuck on a writing assignment? Try some of these helpful resources:
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Follow the steps in The Writing Process with this Purdue University resource, and check out their other great writing and research aids as well.
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Write an Outline with help from this University of Washington Guide.
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Craft the Introduction, with these tips from the University of North Carolina.
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Conclude Effectively using these resources curated by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
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Revise for Grammar and Style with these tips from Ms. Daugherty, a former high school English teacher.
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Grammar Girl (a.k.a. Mignon Fogarty) can answer almost any grammar or writing question you have, and she'll explain it in easy-to-understand terms.
Reading Strategies
In addition to developing your vocabulary muscles, there are a number of strategies that can help you make sense of complex texts, improve your comprehension and retention, and even take notes effectively. Try these resources, and experiment until you find what works for your learning style:
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Reading Strategies compiled by Ms. Daugherty
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Seven Strategies of Effective Readers from All About Adolescent Literacy
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Graphic Organizers for Every Situation from Education Oasis. Why wait for your teacher to give a graphic organizer to you?
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Note Taking Systems explained by California Polytechnic State University
A strong vocabulary is useful for both reading and writing, but no one can possibly know every single word. That's what makes the ability to break a word into its component parts so important. Learning some of the most common roots and affixes will help you decipher unfamiliar words and learn new ones more easily. Check out these resources:
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Common Word Roots, a list from the Center for Development & Learning
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Common Affixes, also a Quizlet flashcard set
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Roots and Affixes in the Content Areas, an NCTE chart
Increase your conversational subject knowledge by staying up to date with Penn State Research. Topics include Science and Technology, Health and Medicine, Earth and Environment, Society and Culture, and Public Events. For a variety of interesting articles, try the Probing Question tag.