Teaching Adult Literacy Writing, Reading Personalized Books

I've been privileged as an educator to have taught many people, young and old, to read. Teaching adults to read is delicate; you can't use children's books and there aren't many adult interest books written at emergent reader level. They're aren't developmentally disabled. They just lack literacy. Finding appropriate curriculum is challenging. So I had students write personalized memoir-style books, about themselves, and read those. Using everyday vocabulary, natural, familiar expressions boosts fluency and comprehension immeasurably. Throw in some phonics practice and word families and you can't miss. How do you write personalized stories? Easy. Here's how. Teaching Reading for Adults: Personalized Books

Ice Cream Dreams and Michigan Memories

Here's an example of personal memoirs writing. Use this for an example of nostalgia or local history writing.

Ice cream has spelled summer since the Chinese invented it 3,000 years ago. It was primarily for nobility and the upper class until 1776, when the first public ice cream parlor opened in New York City. Ice cream went portable when edible coronets, or cones, made from waffles were introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair. My grandmother remembered buying ice cream squares wrapped in paper, from street vendors in Grand Rapids, Mich. When I was a kid, the Good Humor man still sold frozen novelties, accompanied by a cheerful tune. Ice Cream Dreams and Michigan Memories 

Sample Commentary for Current Events Essay Writing

Looking for guidance on essay writing? In an essay, the writer takes a stand on an issue and backs it up with fact. The essay should employ literary devices and some elements of creativity--it shouldn't just be dry fact. It's similar to creative non-fiction in that fact is written about creatively.

Essays are similar to commentaries (also called editorial or op-ed), in which the writer comments, from his own opinion and experience, on trending news stories. Typically, other stories or facts are employed to back up the author's contention. Writers need to be careful not to write too much fact with essays/commentaries. The piece is then an analysis. Essays should clearly reflect the writer's opinion. Here's an example from a piece I wrote for Yahoo!

--Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to censor. Take the matter of online photo sharing--there's sometimes a fine line between offensive content and freedom of speech (or share). Who's to say what constitutes offensive material. There's no one-size-fits-all model  that works for every situation.

Like a fly, Facebook keeps getting tangled in the censorship web. Time and again, photos are banned that shouldn't be. Case in point are the images from a breast cancer survivor which Facebook deemed obscene. Read more at...Facebook's Odd Photo Bans Highlight Censorship Dilemmas 

How to Write a Nostalgic Tribute, Experience Memoir

Nostalgic tributes or memorials are my terms for writings that describe feelings in retrospect. Nostalgic tributes are similar to memoirs except that they focus on how the individual was impacted by a larger experience in history. Here's an example I wrote from a the Vietnam War as it impacted me as a child.

On June 8, 1972, I was your average 7-year-old, happy to be out of school and looking forward to summer vacation. Soldiers were fighting in a place called "Vietnam" but that was far away and didn't really affect me in my happy little beach town of Muskegon, Mich.
Over meatloaf and mashed potatoes, we watched news reels on television. As callous as only a child can be, I got used to seeing the graphic images. In fact, it used to annoy me when war updates interrupted "Tom and Jerry."  Read more at Photo of Girl in Vietnam Napalm Bombing Brings Back Memories

Free Poetry Writing Guide: How to Write Free Verse Poetry

 Poetry gives voice to the soul. Writing poetry is like singing;it should flow from the spirit, as a lament, a rhapsody or an aria. Unlike tangible things poetry is not so easy to dissect, critique or explain. There are some devices that poets employ to create poems. Having created some poetry myself and taught courses in poetry in creative writing, I'll try to distill the essence of poetry in this guideline. Poetry Writing Guide: How to Write Free Verse Poetry 

How to Write a Musical Review

I write musical reviews for Associated Content and Yahoo! Here is an example of how to write a 400 word musical review for online or print publications.

"Croatian virtuoso pianist Maksim Mrvica plays classical cross-over and is himself a world class act. Since performing his first concerto at age 11, nothing, not even war, has prevented Maksim from creating beautiful music. Mrvica gives heart-stopping performances, made all the more memorable and poignant by the fact that this young man learned his art while his nation waged an epic war." Read more...

"What I am Most Thankful for" An adult's Thanksgiving essay

Thanksgiving Thoughts on Loved Ones Living and Lost How many times have I assigned students to write that Thanksgiving holiday essay entitled, 'What I Am Thankful for This Year'? Young and old, when it boiled right down, children listed their families at the top of the list. After the obligatory nods to the great Thanksgiving food and favorite toys, almost every student realized that what could not be replaced, what was most valuable was to love and be loved. Read more...

"The King's Speech" Oscar Nomination Movie Review

I am a self-avowed "Britophile". What's a Britophile? It's a term meaning "dog-like follower of things British". "The King's Speech" is nicely situated to win Best  Picture at the 83rd Oscars for 2011. Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi are people in this Brit cross-over film. Read on...

How to Write a Musical Review

I write musical reviews for Associated Content and Yahoo! Here is an example of how to write a 400 word musical review for online or print publications.

"Croatian virtuoso pianist Maksim Mrvica plays classical cross-over and is himself a world class act. Since performing his first concerto at age 11, nothing, not even war, has prevented Maksim from creating beautiful music. Mrvica gives heart-stopping performances, made all the more memorable and poignant by the fact that this young man learned his art while his nation waged an epic war." Read more...

How to Write Truly Frightening Horror Fiction

Anatomy and Psychology of a Horror Movie
Halloween is the ripe for horror movies, but what exactly constitutes a horror movie? Does it need a plot twist? Suspense? Mystery? Zombies? Blood and gore? Satanic influence? A presence of evil? Here is a psychological analysis of horror movies.
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How to Write Mystery and Detective Fiction

How to Write Crime Stories and Detective Fiction that Mystery Readers Will Love
Tired of cracker-bland stories that readers only nibble?  What defines a story that readers gulp down whole, beg for more before the first even digests?  Characters, plot, climax and something else. Learn to write the gulp down whole stories!
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Free Printable Poem Templates and Poetry Frames

Free Printable Poetry Frames and Poem Templates
Poetry is one of the most expressive and unfettered forms of creative writing. Writing poetry can be daunting for beginners. I love to empower the inner poet. Here are free printable poetry frames and poem templates to break the creative ice.
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Mystery Writing Prompts, Horror Story Starters for Halloween

Mystery Story Starter Ideas
Need some story starter ideas for your next mystery? How about some creative writing prompts for students? Here are 15 horror, suspense and mystery story starters for you. Print and use for creative writing class. Perfect for Halloween. My favorite is 'The Letter from Yesterday'.
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Essays on Psychology, Mental Health and Recovery

Emotional and Co-Dependent Recovery: Let Pain Be Your Guide
It's so easy, when facing a painful situation, to hide from negative feelings. But anger, frustration, pain, suffering guide us. Doctors say when recommending treatment to 'let pain be your guide'. This works in co-dependent recovery, too.
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Japanese Poetry- Haiku vs. Senryu

Haiku vs. Senryu: Nature vs. Nuture
Haiku and Senryu are Japanese poems, both of which have 17 syllables, of three lines with 5-7-5 syllabication, but the similarity ends there. Haiku are aesthetic nature poems. Senryu are darkly humorous poems.
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Using Popular Search Engine Terms to Find Article and Content Ideas

How to Find Article Titles and Content Ideas Using Search Engines
Veteran online writers usually have more ideas for articles than time to write the articles. If you struggle to find content ideas and article topics that will sell, however, here are effective strategies using search engine terms.
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Using Onomatopoeia: Make Your Writing Sing and Dance

Onomatopoeia: Words that Name Sounds
Onomatopoeia (ah-nuh-mah-tuh-pee-uh) is as much fun to say as it is to write. Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek words meaning 'name' and 'I make'. Onomatopoeia is a long word that means 'sound words'; words named for the sounds they make.
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How to Write Japanese Haiku Poetry

How to Write Japanese Haiku Poems
Haiku poems are more than just 17 syllables in three lines of 5-7-5 syllabication. Haiku are nature poems and contain kireji (cutting word) and kigo (seasonal word). Haiku contain a mood or tone shift and reflect simplicity.
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Author Spotlight: Joseph Wambaugh 'Hollywood Moon' 40 Year Anniversary

Author Joseph Wambaugh of Hollywood Moon Nears 40 Years of Writing
Early 1980s Political Science classes put author Joseph Wambaugh's best-selling books The New Centurians, The Onion Field and The Choirboys at the top of required reading lists. Wambaugh's LAPD stories continue with his newest Hollywood Moon.
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Free Verse Poetry Writing Guide

Poetry Wrting Guide: How to Write Free Verse Poetry
Poetry gives voice to the soul. Writing poetry is like singing; it should flow from the spirit. Unlike tangible things, poetry is not so easy to dissect, critique or explain. There are some devices that poets employ to create poems.
Read More