Teaching figurative language to middle school kids seems like it would be an easy task, considering that they use some pretty colorful similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration in their casual conversation. But, for some reason, trying to label the types and use them on cue creates some mental roadblock. As a refresher, remember: ...
Robert Frost has been hailed as “the Farmer-Poet of America”. So for him, the act of mowing is intricately linked to his way of life. It is more than a mechanical routine for him. Though the scythe is a machine by itself, Robert Frost apostrophizes the same by attributing it with human-like qualities. At once ...
It is widely acknowledged today throughout our society that children must build a strong foundation of language and literacy skills at an early age if they are to prosper in school and beyond. Scientifically-based research has validated this general understanding and government initiatives have placed this need at the forefront of our educational mandate. While ...
The success of any piece of writing depends on the strength of its prose. Nothing can weaken or undermine a writer’s expression than sloppy writing. Here are some surefire ways in which you can strengthen your writing and dazzle your readers. Good prose is dependent on sentences that are clear and crisp. When writing, pay ...
Candide, is a philosophical book by Voltaire published in Geneva in January 1759. It was reissued twenty times the lifetime of Voltaire making it one of the most successful French literary works. Candide was first published anonymously in 1759, Candide was then attributed to a “Mr. Doctor Ralph” in 1761, following the reshuffle of the ...
Havelock Ellis, a British psychologist and author, comments, “Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself.” Despite historically being known as a recluse, American poet Emily Dickinson certainly did not reject life, in fact, pain and death are two topics that she often wrote about. In the literary ...
Before the cognitivist revolution of the 1960s and 70s, behaviorism was the key theory and practice utilized in educating America’s youth. Behaviorists believe that learning and behavior relies on previous stimuli associated (by the individual) with the current action taking place. The most famous psychological experiment in dealing with behaviorism is that of Pavlov’s dog: ...
