Dice Writing - Give it a try!

This is an fun activity that will get children engaged and excited about writing, without overwhelming beginning writers!   

 The teacher and the children will work together to compose a story.  Start by choosing a title or topic. 

The teacher will begin by rolling the dice.  If you roll a 4, you would start the story with 4 words.  For example, This morning I went....  The dice is then passed to the next person in the guided writing group.  If that student rolls a 1, they may add only 1 word.  For example, for.  So, the next child rolls a 5.  He/she adds:  This morning I went for a walk in the park.

Assign each student a separate color and have them (or you, if needed) write their words in that color. They will enjoy easily identifying their contribution.


Keep rolling and writing until the story ends.  Keep rereading the story as you go to remind students about the content.  They may want to write more on their roll,  but be firm only writing the number of words that the dice dictates.  If the students start struggling with ideas, talk together about the plot and brainstorm possibilities.  You can end the story as a group, or let each child write their own ending.  Make the game yours and change it to fit the needs and levels of your
students.


Give it a try and let us know how it worked for you. Also, share your tricks on how you  tweaked it for your students. 

Idea from Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye