With so many types and formats of writing that we ask of students, it can be overwhelming for them to know where to start, what kinds of language to use, and what the structure of their writing should look like. This is why it is so important that we provide the necessary models and supports, like writing graphic organizers, for students in order ...
Writing
3 Ideas for End of Year Memory Books (1st to 5th Grade)
An End of Year Memory Book is such a special keepsake for students to look back on and remember their school year. They are a great way for students to get creative while reflecting on their personal and academic growth and experiences. Below are 3 Memory Book formats that will fit your needs depending on what type you want to use with your ...
Making a Plan for Your Poetry Unit (Grades 3-5)
Starting to plan poetry month? a poetry unit? or prepping ways to sprinkle poetry in throughout the school year? It can be so time consuming to find quality resources for poetry instruction! These low prep resources below cover everything you will need to plan your poetry unit. They include everything from visuals to display and ...
Teaching Informational Writing in 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade
Informational writing can be a very new type of writing for many elementary students in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Primary students are usually used to writing in their daily journal or creating fictional stories. However, informational writing requires a totally different set of writing skills. With narrative writing, students can just write ...
Teaching Narrative Writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade
When teaching narrative writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, there are so many writing skills to cover. They range from creating a sequence of events (beginning, middle, and end) to more difficult skills like building strong characterization. With a class full of students at such varying levels of writing, it can be overwhelming to think of where ...
Teaching the Steps of the Writing Process to Elementary Students
As adult writers, we have a clear idea of how we each personally attack a piece of writing. For me, I know that I tend to spend a lot of time collecting information, using sticky notes on texts, and taking notes in a notebook (prewriting). Then, I take a short amount of time mostly drafting just from my brain. After I have the bare bones and ...
Teaching Efficiently: Ways to Use the Same Poster
It is so helpful to have reading and writing anchor charts or posters available for students in multiple formats. This way, students have their posters to refer to at home or in different classroom settings besides just the classroom. A few months into the school year, it can be easy to have posters taking over your walls. Although it is ...
Back to School Activity: Digital All About Me Book
Whether you're starting out the year teaching in the classroom, virtually, or in a hybrid model, getting to know your new students may look different this year. Trying to plan with so many uncertainties is difficult, so having resources that can be presented to students in many ways will be key for feeling prepared. No matter what the start to ...
How I teach Opinion Writing in the Primary Grades
With students in your classroom who may not have the basics of sentence writing completely down yet, it can be overwhelming to begin planning your opinion writing, or persuasive writing, unit. For young writers learning such a new, specific format of writing, it is really important to break it up into small, clear steps. As you can see in the ...
How I Teach Explode the Moment Writing
So often, students just tell about the large picture of an experience. They get so caught up in listing all of the “moments” of the experience that they forget to really hone in on each part of it with vivid details for their readers. This is why one of my favorite writing strategies to teach is “explode the moment” writing. The first time I ...
