About the store
Charlene Tess taught English and creative writing to high school students and adults for over thirty-five years. She was the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Ysleta Independent School District in 1998, and one of the five finalists for Region XIX Teacher of the Year. She is listed in Who's Who in America. Since 1996, she has worked as an educational consultant helping other teachers use her grammar workbook series, Simple Steps to Sentence Sense.
Charlene is a charter member of TpT and opened her store in 2006.
Charlene now devotes her time to writing fiction and teaching fiction writing to adults. She is the author of romantic suspense novels, and the highly acclaimed Simple Steps to Sentence Sense Series, and has published short fiction and numerous articles in magazines and in short story collections.
Visit Charlene's blog to learn more about her and her writing. www.booksbycharlenetess.com. You can find her novels in the Kindle Store at Amazon.com.
Charlene and her husband Jerry spend their free time traveling to promote her books and spending time with their two daughters and their three grandsons.
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Valentine's Day Word Search and Crossword Puzzles for Distance Learning
Here are two fun and free activities to help your students celebrate Valentine’s Day.A crossword puzzle and a word scramble with words associated with Valentine’s Day are included. The answers are provided for your convenience.These puzzles are just what you need to fill those moments in class when students have finished their work. And best of all, they are FREE. I hope you and your students enjoy using this resource. Enjoy! Charlene Tess Here’s another Valentine’s Day resource you will find
8th - 12th
English Language Arts, Vocabulary
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
Short Story with Comprehension Questions for Grades 3-5
This FREE resource features a original short story by Charlene Tess, designed to build comprehension and literary analysis skills. After reading the story, students will answer a series of open-ended questions about the story's elements, including the characters, setting, conflict, and theme. Then, they will choose a fitting title to deepen their understanding of the story’s theme. Features of this resource include:A FREE Original short story by Charlene Tess, ideal for grades 3-5.Student work
3rd - 5th
Literature, Reading, Short Stories
CCSS
CCRA.R.1
, CCRA.R.2
, CCRA.R.4
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Grammar Worksheets | Digital and Printable
Verbs can be transitive or intransitive. If you follow the proper sequence and look for a direct object first, it's easy to decide if a verb is transitive or intransitive. As always, in exercises written by Charlene Tess, learning to analyze sentences in the proper sequence is what makes learning grammar easy. This free exercise is aligned with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1This lesson may be used two ways:Print the materials and distribute them to your students. Instead of printing the pages and di
English Language Arts, Grammar
Using Apostrophes Correctly Grammar Worksheets | Print and Easel
Use this FREE exercise with your class to review when to use apostrophes and how to use them correctly. It includes:instructional notes three exercises ************************************************************************************************************Visit my store for more punctuation resources in the Punctuation Practice Bundle and save 20% on the individual resources. ************************************************************************************************************I hope y
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Grammar, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
Also included in: Punctuation Practice Bundle
Winter Holidays Classification Exercise and Holiday Crossword Puzzle
Two free activities to keep students engaged during the class periods before winter break. One is a higher-order thinking skills classification exercise, and the other is a holiday crossword puzzle. Both exercises are fun for the students, and yet they require thinking. This is just what you need to fill those moments in class when students have finished their work. And best of all, they are FREE. I hope you and your students enjoy using this. SAVE $$ Click here to buy this resource in the
7th - 12th
English Language Arts
Also included in: Higher Order Thinking Skills Resources Bundle for Secondary ELA
Possessive Nouns Grammar Worksheets for Distance Learning
Use the grammar worksheets in this FREE resource to help your students practice using possessive nouns correctly. Included are a mini-lesson on how to use apostrophes with possessive nouns, and a twenty-question exercise to practice using them correctly. The answers are included. **************************************************************************************************************** SAVE $$ Click here to buy this resource along with several others in the Punctuation Practice Bundle and s
7th - 12th
English Language Arts, Grammar
Also included in: Punctuation Practice Bundle
Christmas Holiday Word Scramble Digital and Printable
This is a FREE Christmas Holiday Word Scramble to use during the holiday season when school days frequently include assemblies, concerts, parties, and other festivities. These events often create small blocks of time that require quick activities. As an ELA teacher, I found that puzzles requiring students to use relevant vocabulary worked like a charm. Answers are included. If your students are working from home, you can email the puzzle to them. Enjoy! #simplestepstosentencesene #freeTpTlesson
9th - 12th
English Language Arts
Reducing Wordy Sentences Grammar Worksheets | Digital | Printable
With practice, anyone can become a better writer. One of the best ways to improve one's writing is to cut extraneous words from essays, letters, emails, or manuscripts and reduce wordy sentences.In fact, Twitter is a great place for people to learn to practice reducing long, convoluted, rambling sentences into 280-character tweets, but even sentences short enough to be Tweets can be improved upon. Charlene Tess, author of Simple Steps to Sentence Sense, is a writer and a grammar teacher who t
9th - 12th, Adult Education
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
Correcting Run-on Sentences for Valentine's Day Writing Worksheets
Students often create run-on sentences by leaving out a comma or by using the wrong punctuation mark. Learning to combine sentences without creating run-ons and to correct sentences that are written as run-on sentences are two very important skills.This free exercise clearly explains how run-on sentences are inadvertently created and how to correct them. The sentences have a Valentine's Day theme and are great to use in January or early February. *************************************************
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Grammar
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
Also included in: Punctuation Practice Bundle
Gratitude Booklet Creative Writing Project
A Gratitude Booklet makes a heartfelt gift for Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or any occasion. This creative writing activity encourages students to research one of their own family members or significant friends and write biographical sketches. They will enjoy learning more about their family history and will experience the joy of giving a truly unique and special gift. The recipient of the Gratitude Booklet will learn how loved and valued they are by those w
9th - 12th
Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Writing
Also included in: Creative Writing Exercises and Activities Bundle | Print | Digital
Confusing Words Grammar Worksheets
Commonly confused words often create a problem in students’ writing. Studying these words a few at a time and mastering their spelling and their meaning will avoid many errors in your students’ writing.This exercise defines and gives examples of 10 commonly confused words and provides a quick 20-question exercise to determine if the students have mastered their use. The answers are provided. Their, there, loose, lose, hear, here, passed, past, peace, and piece are the words included. I hope you
9th - 12th
Grammar, Writing
Grammar Worksheets | Prepositional Phrases Step 1 Simple Steps to Sentence Sense
Finding Prepositional Phrases is Step One in the Simple Steps to Sentence Sense series by Charlene Tess. In my book, Simple Steps to Sentence Sense, I present eight simple steps that make it easy to analyze an English sentence if followed in order. I'm Charlene Tess, and grammar is my specialty. I have always loved taking sentences apart and putting them back together, and I successfully taught my students using the simple steps method for over three decades. This 11-page unit on preposition
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Grammar, Writing
CCSS, TEKS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, LA.9-12.E2.9.D.i
+4
Sentence Patterns Grammar Worksheets | A Free Sample
Good writers vary their sentence patterns by sometimes placing phrases or clauses at the beginning of their sentences. This free exercise has sample sentences from the resources included in my store. Teach your students to rewrite sentences without changing their meaning to achieve sentence variety.This resource can also be used in Easel by TpT™ to make it an interactive resource you can assign in your digital classroom. Click on the “Open in Easel” button after purchase. Or, if you prefer, you
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
9:09
Finding Prepositional Phrases Grammar Video and Practice Exercise
Finding Prepositional Phrases is Step One in the Simple Steps to Sentence Sense series. In my book, Simple Steps to Sentence Sense, I present eight simple steps, which, if followed in order, make it easy to analyze an English sentence. After purchase, you can watch this video on TpT or download it if you wish. The supporting document contains a zip file that includes a downloadable video file and a practice exercise.I'm Charlene Tess, and grammar is my specialty. I have always loved taking sen
9th - 12th
Grammar, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, CCRA.L.3
Secret Santa Week Holiday Activity
The last few days before a holiday can be a challenge for the teacher. Even if the last days are test days, there is still time for this activity because all preparation can be done outside of class. (If necessary, you can move the time line back.)Here is an activity that is sure to please your students. Each student will have a Secret Pal and provide small treats and gifts for that person each day of the last week before the Winter Break. On the last day of the activity, students will learn th
6th - 9th
Creative Writing
End of Year Writing Activity | Printable | Google Drive | Easel
This FREE writing activity includes questions that students can answer to brainstorm writing a letter to themselves and has a template on which they can compose their letter. “Writing a Letter to Myself” is a fun activity to do at the end of a calendar year or the school year. When students are in school, it’s hard to believe that they won’t remember everything about their lives when they are older. The truth is they will forget many interesting things. The human brain is wired to forget unuse
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
HOTS Higher Order Thinking Skills Vocabulary Game
A fun and challenging exercise to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills. Students will find the word that matches each definition by replacing only one letter in the previous word. Only one letter is replaced in each step. All other letters will remain in their original position. My students enjoyed working in pairs to complete this exercise. SAVE $$ Click here to buy this resource in the Higher Order Thinking Skills Bundle and save 20% on the individual resourcesI hope you and your students enj
9th - 12th
English Language Arts
CCSS
CCRA.L.3
Also included in: Higher Order Thinking Skills Resources Bundle for Secondary ELA
The Emotional Temperature of Words | Secondary ELA Writing Activity
The use of emotive language in persuasive writing is a skill that secondary students should master. Sometimes, using a Thesaurus will help, but more often it would be beneficial for students to arrange words on an emotional language thermometer and arrange them as positive, neutral, or negative. This Emotional Temperature of Words exercise helps students practice using a variety of words that represent powerful emotive language. The connotation of words is especially important in persuasive writ
9th - 12th
Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Writing-Essays
Countdown to Christmas Holiday Freebie
Is it Christmas yet? Help the young ones in your life keep track of the days leading up to Christmas Day.This is a fun gift for your younger students or for the young ones in your life. Give each child a special calendar on which they can keep track of the countdown to Christmas. Attach a small candy treat to each day on the calendar, and when all the candy is gone, it will be Christmas Day. Note: This must be ready to give to students on or before December 1st.When I created this activity for m
PreK - 2nd
Six Confusing Words to Master Grammar Worksheets
These 6 commonly confused words (weather/whether, advice/advise, dying/dyeing) often create a problem in students’ writing. Studying these words a few at a time and mastering their spelling and their definitions will avoid many usage errors in your students’ writing. This FREE exercise defines and gives examples of six commonly confused words and provides a 20 question quiz to determine if the students have mastered their use. The answers are provided. I hope you and your students enjoy using t
7th - 10th
English Language Arts, Grammar
Showing 1-20 of 31 results
About the store
Experience
Charlene Tess taught English and creative writing to high school students and adults for over thirty-five years. She was the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Ysleta Independent School District in 1998, and one of the five finalists for Region XIX Teacher of the Year. She is listed in Who's Who in America. Since 1996, she has worked as an educational consultant helping other teachers use her grammar workbook series, Simple Steps to Sentence Sense.
Charlene is a charter member of TpT and opened her store in 2006.
Charlene now devotes her time to writing fiction and teaching fiction writing to adults. She is the author of romantic suspense novels, and the highly acclaimed Simple Steps to Sentence Sense Series, and has published short fiction and numerous articles in magazines and in short story collections.
Visit Charlene's blog to learn more about her and her writing. www.booksbycharlenetess.com. You can find her novels in the Kindle Store at Amazon.com.
Charlene and her husband Jerry spend their free time traveling to promote her books and spending time with their two daughters and their three grandsons.
Teaching style
I believe that the key to learning grammar and language skills is the sequence in which each concept is presented to the students. The grammar books our school used were hard to use and confusing, so I wrote my own lessons.
My students worked in groups and used teacher and peer prepared study sheets. I combined those sheets into grammar workbooks that are used in school districts all over the country.
Awards & shining teacher moments
The National Council of Teachers of English named the creative writing magazine my classes produced as one of the top 25 in the United States.
The Ysleta District in El Paso, Texas, named me Teacher of the Year in 1998, and I was one of the five finalists for Region XIX teacher of the year.
I am the author of romantic suspense novels (that can be found on Amazon.com), grammar workbooks, and numerous short stories, articles, and educational resources.
Visit my blog to learn more about my writing, www.booksbycharlenetess.com.
Interact with my on my Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/booksbycharlenetess
My own education history
I attended elementary school, high school, and college in El Paso, Texas. I have a Bachelor of Science in English and history.
I worked as a consultant for a publishing company and traveled throughout Texas and surrounding states doing workshops and showing teachers how to use my grammar book: Simple Steps to Sentence Sense. I also worked for one year after my retirement as an educational consultant for the Ysleta Independent School District.
Additional biographical information
I am married to Jerry Tess who is the love of my life and have two amazing daughters and three wonderful grandsons.
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