Elisa Zonana

Elisa Zonana is an educator and coauthor of Catching Up on Conventions: Grammar Lessons for Middle School Writers, a professional resource that offers targeted grammar and conventions lessons for grades 6–9 and is published by Heinemann. The book, written with Chantal Francois and featuring a foreword by Mary Ehrenworth, provides instructional strategies to help teachers support middle school writers in developing their understanding and use of Standard English grammar and conventions.

In Catching Up on Conventions, Zonana and Francois focus on short, practical lessons that raise students’ awareness of grammar and usage while integrating conventions work into the broader reading and writing workshop. Their approach has been cited in professional literacy communities for its emphasis on accessible, fifteen‑minute convention lessons embedded in ongoing workshop schedules, making it a widely referenced resource for teachers seeking to strengthen students’ command of grammar without sacrificing time for authentic reading and writing.