đź’ˇ There are also videos for elementary students! Check out this article to learn more.
We've received a number of requests for video lessons to keep students engaged! We also know that videos can support students who have difficulty with reading, visual learners, and self-directed learners.
As an experiment, we created four video introductions (1–3 minutes each) to our most popular topics. You can use these alongside our interactive tutorials and lessons to support student learning.
We'd love to hear any reactions you have! Let us know if you have feedback or would like to see more of these in this 1-minute survey.
Videos
Recognizing Wordy Language
Students learn how to recognize unnecessary, wordy, and redundant phrases, as well as why it’s important to be concise.
This video works best as:
- An introduction before students practice Recognizing Unnecessary Phrases or Recognizing Redundant, Unnecessary, and Wordy Phrases;
- An introduction or review alongside the skill-building prompt, Revising Wordiness (Beginner) or Revising Wordiness (Intermediate); or
- A review while students are working on any kind of essay, such as one of our Guided Essays.
Identifying Claims
Students learn how to recognize claims and why it is important to start body paragraphs with a claim.
This video works best as:
- An introduction before students practice Recognizing Strong Topic Sentences 1: Claims;
- An introduction or review alongside the skill-building prompt, Writing Strong Claims to Support a Thesis; or
- A review while students are working on an argumentative essay, such as one of our Argumentative Guided Essays.
Vague PronounsÂ
Students learn how to spot vague pronouns and why vague pronouns can confuse readers.
This video works best as:
- An introduction before students practice Identifying Antecedents of a Vague Pronoun, Identifying Vague Pronouns, or Correcting Pronouns with Multiple Antecedents;
- An introduction or review alongside the skill-building prompt, Using Pronouns for Clarity; or
- A review while students are working on any kind of essay, such as one of our Guided Essays.
Proofreading
Students learn strategies for proofreading their writing carefully, as well as why proofreading is important.
This video works best:
- As an introduction to the proofreading process;
- While students are working on any kind of essay, such as one of our Guided Essays;
- To prepare students for reviewing and revising a piece of writing, possibly using Self Review.
Strategies for using videos
There are dozens of ways to use these videos with your students, but here are some ideas:
- Show a video to the class to introduce the topic before starting a practice or writing assignment. You could even use the video alongside lessons and sample questions.
- Share a video with students who miss class to help them catch up on what was covered that day.
- Send a video to students who get stuck while practicing.
- Link a video’s URL within a writing prompt to encourage students to focus on a specific skill.
- Share a video while handing back an essay draft for revision.
- Send a video to students to rewatch to review before a quiz.