Writing

I am trying some new things in teaching writing this year.  Last year, my kids had the opportunity to write occasionally, but this year, I am giving them the chance to write everyday.  

They have a journal that they keep in their desk.  At the beginning of the year, I let them decorate the cover and back cover however they want to it becomes personal :).  

Above are examples of what my students' journals look like on the outside.  On our supply list, we ask that the kids purchase a composition notebook.  During the first two weeks of school, I send the notebooks home with the kids and give them the opportunity to decorate the outside however they would like.  This gets them excited about writing!

The bottom picture shows an example of what the kids write about inside their journals.  We write every single day.  Most of the time I let them free write (write about whatever they want), and then there are some days during Writer's Workshop where I ask them to write about something specific.  This picture shows a story the student chose to write about.  Too cute!

 

I take colored tab folders (can use manilla too), glue all of these helpful writing tools onto the front, back, and inside, and then laminate each folder so they will withstand the year.

This is the kids' Writer's Workshop Office.  They get this folder out everyday to use during Writer's Workshop.  It serves as a great writing tool/guide for the kids while they are writing.  

The top left picture is the front of the Office.  It includes a alphabet manuscript and four reading strategies that also help with writing.  The top right picture is the back of the Office.  It has pictures of different phonics reminders (digraph sounds, blends, vowels).

The bottom picture is the inside of the office.  On the left side are every students name, family names, and numbers.  There is also a pocket to hold a popsicle stick (finger spaces), a pencil to write with, and a fun pencil (reminders of capitalization, punctuation, spaces, etc.).  

This is our Writing Goals chart.  On the left are things that I think my students need to currently work on.  These are also things that they need to have in place before next year.  When I have a writing conference with each of my students, we read their journal stories and go over what it is we think they need to work on.  They love that they get a choice of what goal they want/need to work on, although they usually go with what I suggest :).  Once we decided together, they write their name on a post-it and place it next to their goal.  Each time we write I refer to this.

This is my Writing bulletin board.  The items that I have posted on this board are just constant reminders to my students of what is included in good writing.  I got the Check Your Work poster off of Teachers pay Teachers.

and I got the Punctuation posters there as well.   Click Here to get them!

I got the idea for the Rate Your Writing poster from another teacher on Pinterest!  I just took her idea and made my own.  On the poster are different examples of writing.  We talk about how we always want our writing to be our best work and that we should always strive for a #3!!!  I refer to this poster A LOT!!! 

More Writing items- COMING SOON!