Hello Teachers,

I agree with Landon Donovan.

The United States has a youth development problem.

When asked how the country could improve youth soccer, Donovan offered this insight:

"These things need to start at the bottom... We have to educate the parents, so parents understand that their child doesn't need to win a game at 8 years old; the child needs to be developing and having fun."

He added:

"Our parents, unfortunately, get obsessed with winning just as much as the coaches do because they've been told that's what's going to get their child to college and professional, and it's all BS."

I think the same dynamic exists in education.

We are obsessed with winning.

Test scores. More test scores. Data. More data. Blah–blah–blah.

Students receive the message early: reading and writing are serious business.

Don't mess up. You’ll ruin your chance to attend a good college.

Here is one way we can buck this trend: low-stakes writing that encourages experimentation and creative risk-taking. Playful writing IS serious work.

Have students use advanced vocabulary in a silly story about sharks. Challenge them to write a mystery in exactly ten sentences. Ask them to invent a superhero, describe a dragon, or write the worst advice column in history.

When students are allowed to play with language, they become more willing to take risks. They try new words, experiment with sentence structures, develop their voice, and discover ideas.

In the end, you may not produce a test-taking champion, but you will help develop something far more valuable: a reader, a writer, and a thinker.

Resources

Direction Challenge: Soccer Edition

I’m teaching summer school this year with students completing credit recovery courses. Many of them are reading three or more grade levels below where they should be.

One thing I've learned is that struggling readers often need more opportunities to practice following directions carefully, paying attention to details, and slowing down to think.

After watching some soccer highlights together, I gave students a fun Directions Challenge built around the idea of becoming a professional soccer player. It was a simple activity, but it required focus, attention to detail, and a willingness to read every instruction before acting.

Check it out!

You can find more Direction Challenges here:

Punctuation Practice (World Cup Edition)

Here is an activity for students to practice inserting proper punctuation into a paragraph.

Today's newsletter is sponsored by Magai. If you'd like to support my work and help keep my teaching resources free, please take a moment to check out our sponsor. Thank you for your support!

More Punctuation Practice Activities Here:

"Show Off" Your Knowledge

I used this activity with my summer school students, and the results exceeded my expectations. Students eagerly wrote about topics they actually cared about, including e-bikes, Avatar, KFC, volleyball, soccer, and much more.

When students have the opportunity to write about their interests, engagement tends to soar.

Check it out!

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