Sentence writing seems to be a struggle this year! So my kids had to attend writing boot camp. This was a day that was focused on sentences! Sentence structure, sentence writing, handwriting!
I was the pencil sergeant! I made this shirt just for this occasion!!
The kids all got their writing boot camp dog tags!
We focused on what a complete and incomplete sentence was! We also did a sorting activity as a class!
We sang a song about complete sentences and practiced writing some proper sentences!
So what is rock your school? It is a day where educators all across the country and even around the world, taught their kids using some interactive and engaging way!!
My kids were rockers!! We were all rockers!!
To set the tone, they all got a back stage pass that they wore around their necks with our school lanyards! And I had a special back stage sectionnset up for them to get their pictures taken with a blow up instrument!!!’
We read a special book and talked about all the things that rocking readers do!
We sang our song about reading! It is sung to the tune of. Aerosmith’s Dream On!
We read along with our special reading guitar picks! We also talked about what rxkingnwriters do and write about being rocking readers and writers!
I love teaching point of view! This is such a fun topic! There are sooo many amazing storybooks to use when teaching this concept. So for first person point of view I love using interactive storybooks! The two that I used this year are
And
These books are amazing! My kids love them and they adore the character, Larry!
For Don't Push the Button, my kids were asked to identify the point of view it was in as well as make a Larry out of purple paper! They also made a red button snack out of graham crackers, vanilla frosting and a red gummy lifesaver!
For Don't Touch This Book, we discussed point of view again and also discussed first person point of view writing!!!
The kids then did a directed drawing activity of Larry and used Scentos markers to make them into pop art Larrys!!! The smell of these markers are amazing and the kids were so excited to be able to use these markers!!! Then they wrote a story in first person or from Larrys point of view and got to trace their writing with Scentos gel pens!! You would have thought they won the lottery!! Using Scentos made them take their time and take pride in their work because these are special writing tools!!!
So if you are looking for some tools that will make your kiddos want to write then Scentos is your tool! The great news is that Scentos are now found at Michaels!!!!!! A combination of amazing storybooks and Scentos will make any lesson amazing and one to remember!!!
I could not wait to read the next chapter of this awesome book and share my thoughts with you. So once again, I am linking up with 3 amazing educators for our book study on the book, Engaging Young Writers written by Matt Glover.
Last year, my kiddos and I were beginning our organisms unit. We received our first box of plants for the terrariums and the aquariums..... or so we thought it was just plants. When we opened up the box to check the contents, there was a round container that said chameleons. Well being that it was in the box of plants and we do not get chameleons in this kit or any kit that comes to first grade, we assumed that this was a plant. So we left it in the container until Friday. friday was the day that we were going to set up our terrariums. So it is friday, I open up the box and we are all excited to be placing the plants into the terrariums. I open the round container and what should happen, 7 yes 7 little heads started popping up and out jumped lizards, yes lizards. they were running all over the room. I was in a skirt, crawling around trying to get these quick little critters. I have kids screaming and laughing. The lizards are jumping on the kids. What an experience! But this experience produced the most detailed writing, I have ever received. It also broadened my kids choices of writing! They got into looking up lizards on the computer and writing about them. This led to them looking up all sorts of things and writing about them!
Experiencing this first hand definitely deepened their engagement. Also, the fact that they learned what research is and the enjoyment they received when looking up the lizards on the computer to see what kind they were and other facts really deepened their engagement. I think also, I created name badges and gave them special notebooks because they were being researchers/reporters and they needed these tools to create their writing pieces. My excitement deepened their engagement!
We discuss different things they can write about during their writing conferences as well as during our writing block. My writing center is set up with many examples of the different writings as well as a variety of materials for them to use when creating their writing piece. I do not tell them what they need to write. By providing them the choice, they are more apt to write and write meaningful pieces then when they are told to write a particular piece. they need to have ownership over what they are writing.
We must remember that many of our kids do not have a lot of experiences or a lot of background knowledge about many things in the world around them. Many have never left their neighborhoods. This is where we must teach before we expect them to write. They need to experience things before they can write about them. Field trips, assemblies, curriculum unit of study, class visitors, skype, etc are all experiences we can provide so their writing is more meaningful and enjoyable!
So when you read these questions, how do they apply to your classroom? Please feel free to share your thoughts with us! We would love to hear them!
Hi, Everyone! I am so excited to be teaming up with my awesome education buddies for a magnificent book study! We will be doing this for the next 5 weeks. Please feel free to read along or to add any comments as we blog about this awesome teacher resource.
So, thanks to +Kristen Poindexter for bringing this book to our attention! Writing is an area that I love to teach!
I just wanted to share my favorite writing quote before I shared my responses to the chapter questions!
And now onto the questions!!!!
How does this encourage children to be writers?
I love book making! I love it when my kids make books! When children make books, they are showing me their love for writing. They are not afraid to write, illustrate and share their ideas and thoughts. My most favorite part of book making is the looks on my kid's faces when they show me their finished book! It is truly a masterpiece.
The idea of them creating their own books and becoming an author is so important to them! It makes them feel so important.
One thing I always do is stress how they can all be writers, that we are all authors! Even if we just make picture books to start with, we are being writers!
I love how the author, Glover, talks about book making! He talks about how books are what children have a vision for and this vision makes it easy for them to write.
One thing I do is make sure my writing center has all materials needed for them to write whatever they choose. There is also a small stapler for them to create their own books!
Here is a video I thought you would enjoy about a First Grade Maker Space: Book Making!
The next question is: What are some ways you honor your students' approximations in writing?
First, I think we need to list what the approximations are!
I love all aspects of my kids' writing. Depending on the developmental level of my students and where they are in the writing process, their approximations are at different stages. I highlight all of their successes. I make a big deal of all of their writing and I have a writers' gallery where all children's writing is displayed. All kids share their writing, no matter what approximation they are on. I love to see the proud look on their face when they read it to the class and receive the round of applause the class always gives to the speakers for the day!
Now on to Chapter 2! The next question is Which kind of writing do you tend to lead your students towards?
I will have to say personal narratives and how to writing are the kinds I tend to lead them towards. I love when they write about things that are about them. They really love to write about themselves and to share this writing. i also find that personal narratives are easy for them to understand and feel successful with.
The other type is how to writing. I love to teach this type because it is a more active type of writing. I model this type by making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and writing about how I made it. I love it when they think of an activity and write how to do it. I also have them perform the activity they are writing about. So they actually teach us how to do what they are writing about. They love it and so do I!
How does the idea of various entry points fit into your classroom writing routine?
Entry points are a great way to differentiate the writing in your classroom. This is where it is important to know your kids. There are kids who are ready to write books, write narratives, create poems or just ready to raw a detailed picture and add a few letters. By having different entry points, we are allowing them to be successful. This will create an environment where writing is looked at as something they want to do not have to do. If we want to instill a love for writing then we need to be mindful of where our children are and use various entry points!
I leave you with a final quote about writing and with a thank you for reading my post. please feel free to share any ideas or writing tips! It is through collaboration that all teachers and students are successful!
