Mini-lessons, strategies, and activities help students improve their descriptive writing skills.

A warm, tender story perfect for fans of Front Desk about a creative girl who hopes that by winning a filmmaking contest, she'll convince her great-grandfather to stay by her side. Kaia and her family live near the beach in California, where the fun of moviemaking is all around them. Kaia loves playing with makeup and creating special effects, turning her friends into merfolk and other magical creatures. This summer, Kaia and her friends are part of a creative arts camp, where they're working on a short movie to enter in a contest. The movie is inspired by the Filipino folktales that her beloved Tatang, her great-grandfather, tells. Tatang lives with her family and is like the sparkle of her special-effects makeup. When Tatang decides that it is time to return to his homeland in the Philippines, Kaia will do anything to convince him not to go.

ABOUT THE WRITING WITH A PURPOSE SERIES: It is important for children to develop excellent skills in narrative writing. The first part of the book teaches about narrative writing, reviews important composition skills, and provides opportunities for youngsters to practice those skills. Also included are a Writer's Checklist and an Editorial Symbols sheet. The second part of each book comprises twenty writing lessons. By completing the easy-to-follow activities, students will quickly learn to write a variety of narrative stories and essays. Each two-page lesson is divided into three steps: Pre-Writing, Composing, and Revising. There is also a For-More-Fun activity for each lesson. It provides an opportunity for students to think creatively and to share their writing with their classmates and others. A list of additional topics for narrative writing is also provided.

Everyone knows that teachers belong in school. But one day, Mrs. Quirk is spotted in the supermarket. And, as if that isn't bad enough, she is later seen trying on skates at the mall. Does she have a secret life? And just who is that girl that looks just like her -- only smaller? In this delightfully zany picture book, every child's curiosity is made wonderfully plain as Mrs. Quirk and her cohorts are found out at last!

Motivation makes all the difference. And what's more motivating than the expectation of success? The instructions are clear and to the point, so students can quickly get down to writing practice in these 64-page worktexts. Helpful prompts pack the worktext lesson pages including illustrations, examples, and sample responses. Sample Content: book and movie reviews, travelogue, a character sketch, fashions.

Oh, when will it snow again? wonders the little family who lives in the snow globe. They long for a swirling snowstorm—if only someone in the big family would pick up the snow globe and give it a great big shake. Baby would love to. She alone notices the little family. She gazes longingly at their snowy little world, but the snow globe is up way too high for her to reach. Then, when a real snowstorm sends the big children outside sledding in the moonlight, Baby finds herself alone in the parlor. . . . Will the snow globe family at last get a chance to go sledding too? As readers follow the parallel adventures of both families, big and little, they will take special pleasure in the miniature world of the snow globe, where the skating pond is the size of a shiny quarter and a snowman is no bigger than a sugar cube.

Mastering second grade reading and writing is fun and exciting with this book that combines language arts activities with puzzles and humor to lower the barriers to learning and build essential skills. Reading and writing are two of the most important building blocks for future learning, and Highlights(TM) brings Fun with a Purpose® into these essential activities for second graders. Our award-winning content blends reading and writing skills with puzzles, humor, and playful art, which makes learning exciting and fun. Second grade reading and writing skills such as phonics, word recognition, and key ideas will help students improve and will build confidence in the classroom.

Dip into this vast collection of quick writing lessons and activities to find exactly what you need-whether it's a lesson on using exact words, writing an essay, developing a plot, or organizing a report. You'll find dozens of ideas for teaching students the persuasive, narrative, descriptive, and expository writing skills they need. This comprehensive resource gives you the tools you need to successfully-and joyfully-teach writing. For use with Grades 4Ð8.