Writing and a little bit of reading for teachers and students in grades 3-5.
Three books that I have enjoyed reading are Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito, Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson, and The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard. These stories bring out the strength, determination, and perseverance of different individuals […]
“I don’t know what to write!” is something that I have heard countless students say when they have been told that they could write on any topic of their choice. Some students would jump straight in with ideas flowing, while others sit not knowing where to start. Their uncertainty led me to think about ways […]
This Valentine’s Day activity is an opportunity for students to tell each other how they are special. At the end of the activity, each student will have a You Are Special Because . . . heart that has been signed by their classmates with comments about what makes them special. Preparation Before the Activity Print […]
I have found that it is helpful to introduce the writing process to students at the start of the school year and/or before we jump into focused writing. When I do this it helps the students become familiar with the writing process vocabulary, see the big picture of how we will approach writing, and understand […]
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King lll This picture book narrative is told from the perspective of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s eldest son, Martin Luther King lll. He says, “There have been a lot of books written about my father. But not a whole lot has been written about my […]
To help elemenatry students develop their writing muscles, early in the school year I introduce our daily sessions of 10 minutes of uninterrupted writing time. This is a very simple, yet effective strategy that can help students become comfortable with writing. I am all about helping students get over the hump of being reluctant writers! […]
At the beginning of the school year, I like my students to write personal narratives because I think this genre helps them to build their writing confidence as soon as we start talking about writing. I tell my students that a personal narrative is a story that has happened to them. They are writing about […]
Now that the benchmark writing assessment is out of the way, we can jump into writing. As it is still the beginning of the school year, it would be nice to have a fun way to get to know your students. I would like to share an activity that I have used that requires students […]
The start of the school year is full of assessments. We want to know where our students are as learners. In writing, I give a benchmark writing assessment to all my students. I do not grade this work as the purpose is to assess where students are in their writing at the beginning of the […]
Writing teacher, as you create your writing world in your classroom, you want to be sure that you are not just observing your students writing but you are participating as a novice/developing/expert writer. (You decide the word that best fits you as a writer.) No matter what your perceived level, everyone is working on growing […]