Our writing program is a combination of the most effective elements of the Lucy Calkins and Empowering Writers programs. We begin by setting up our writing notebooks. One of our first lessons is to ask the people at home to tell the students stories from their lives. These stories are collected and shared in the classroom. Writing is telling the story of our lives. Everyone is the author of their very best story.
Many lessons I teach come from Empowering Writers. These lessons are very structured so children can find success. We work practicing a strategy like writing a great beginning or hook and trying it out in class. A quote, question, description, interesting fact or a statistic can be a great start to an essay. Children need examples to be successful, so we have lots of practice with groups and partners in class. For writing students are expected to integrate the lessons into an essay we have in progress. This takes some time to accomplish. It is not an easy skill to master but very satisfying when our essays sparkle with feeling and life!
I love working with students and their writing. It is gratifying to see them change and grow as writers and it is the most fun a teacher can have in school!
I expect we will write about one essay containing at least five paragraphs every month. We will also be writing in Reading, Science and Social Studies. Students will work in Google Classroom for their writing assignments.
Student writing improves with practice... like everything. Children in my class will be expected to write in their journals every day.
Many lessons I teach come from Empowering Writers. These lessons are very structured so children can find success. We work practicing a strategy like writing a great beginning or hook and trying it out in class. A quote, question, description, interesting fact or a statistic can be a great start to an essay. Children need examples to be successful, so we have lots of practice with groups and partners in class. For writing students are expected to integrate the lessons into an essay we have in progress. This takes some time to accomplish. It is not an easy skill to master but very satisfying when our essays sparkle with feeling and life!
I love working with students and their writing. It is gratifying to see them change and grow as writers and it is the most fun a teacher can have in school!
I expect we will write about one essay containing at least five paragraphs every month. We will also be writing in Reading, Science and Social Studies. Students will work in Google Classroom for their writing assignments.
Student writing improves with practice... like everything. Children in my class will be expected to write in their journals every day.