Can you believe it's already November? We can't wait to see what great literacy ideas you have been trying out in your classrooms. We would love for you to share a writing activity or a "tip" that you have tried. (Please specify your grade level)
Did it work like you anticipated?
Did anyone try one of the activities that Linda Holliman shared at the Skype training?
Let's get the conversation started!
I was in a kindergarten wing at Coder this week, and I saw some butcher paper spread over the tables for the students to use. I noticed that every student had contributed something....even the most reluctant writer. That was an idea that had been shared at the kindergarten skype last week.
ReplyDeleteIt is so exciting to see writing in action.
After our session with Linda H. I came back and read the scholastic book "My Cats" to my kindergarten class. We used this as our literature for writing time. The book contains patterened sentences on each page that says "My cats are on the _______." After reading this twice, I had my students come up with real or silly things that the cats can get on. We made our class list and then we worked together to build the same sentence we saw in the book. We discussed whole group the writitng skills that we have been working on (beg. with a capital, spacing, ending with a period)and then they had to go and write the same sentence putting in their own place where the cats could be. ex. "My cats are on the rainbow." All of my students did a GREAT job with this including my lower students. Reading the book before-hand really help because they got to hear the same sentence over and over, which made it easier for them to write!!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to putting the pencil in their hand and saying "write," we have encountered some stress. So, my class has been working on shared writing. I let the students draw a picture card and come up with a silly sentence to go with the picture. Then I give the dry erase marker to as many kiddos as I can and we sound out words together to make silly sentences. It is really helping with their confidence and our next goal is taking what we are capable of in shared writing and putting it on our own paper(without tears)! I learned at a recent literacy conference: If you can think it, you can say it. If you can say it, you can write it. If you can write it, you can read it.
ReplyDeleteSally B.,
ReplyDeleteIf you can write it, you can read it. I love this thought. I have found that when I am working with a struggling reader, it is easier to diagnose the difficulties when I can review their writing responses. Thank you for sharing the things that are igniting writing in your classroom!
I have a site that you all need to visit and add to your favorite list.
ReplyDeletewww.lindaholliman.com/blog
Enjoy!!!!
She updates her posts about 3 times a week.