Book excerpt: Centered around Common Core State Standards, Common Core: Grammar Usage is designed to help students improve written and spoken language skills. Practice pages, student charts, graphic organizers, research challenges, discussion starters, writing prompts, games, group activities, and recommended reading lists enable students to practice: building an effective vocabulary; mastering complex sentence construction; utilizing tenses to clarify sequence; eliminating common usage errors; and harnessing the power of punctuation. Mark Twain Media Publishing Company specializes in providing captivating, supplemental books and decorative resources to complement middle- and upper-grade classrooms. Designed by leading educators, the product line covers a range of subjects including mathematics, sciences, language arts, social studies, history, government, fine arts, and character. Mark Twain Media also provides innovative classroom solutions for bulletin boards and interactive whiteboards. Since 1977, Mark Twain Media has remained a reliable source for a wide variety of engaging classroom resources.