Past, present, and future.
Analyzing writing curriculums, planning writing workshop and teaching writing lessons can be overwhelming. You might think, how am I going to fit everything in and produce successful writers? Where do I start? What skills do they need? This post will share the 7 BASIC WRITING LESSONS that every teacher should teach! With this basic knowledge, students will be able to perform other writing assignments more effectively. The following skills are not only effective in upper elementary, they are often needed at the middle school level for review or the primary level for differentiation. So yes, every teacher should teach them! If you start with these 7 fundamental skills, it will set the expectations for your writing lessons and assignments throughout the year! Frequently Asked Questions What are the basic skills and what order should I teach them? Sentence Structure 1. Complete Sentences Lesson for complete sentences 2. Fragments Lesson for fragments 3. Run-ons Lesson for run-ons Paragraph Writing 4. Topic Sentences Lesson for topic sentences 5. Relevant Details Lesson for relevant details 6. Transition Words Lesson for transition words 7. Closing Sentences Lesson for closing sentences How much time should I dedicate to teaching these fundamental skills? I recommend one day for each skill. If you spend a whole writing block for each skill, students will benefit from the practice. How do I teach each skill? First: Start with an anchor chart explaining the skill. (See each lesson link above for effective anchor charts.) Second: Provide examples. Students can share examples too! Next: Students should take notes. I love using Interactive Writing Notebooks to take notes. Research supports the use of interactive notebooks through studies on multiple intelligences, the brain and note taking. Here are a few videos to Set Up Interactive Writing Notebooks. Click photo for the Upper Elementary Version. A Primary Version is also available. Then: Identify the skill. Provide practice sheets and task cards for students to practice identifying the skill in sentences and paragraphs. Last: Apply the skill. Students should have the opportunity to write their own sentence or paragraph to apply the particular skill. What if I can't fit the lesson in one writing block? If you can't extend the days to complete them, there are other ways to get the whole lesson in. You can put practice sheets or task cards in a center, or you can have students apply the skill for homework or morning work the next day. What if my students, some of my students, or absent students can't do interactive notebooks? Make a small anchor chart to put in their notebooks with the same information! If you don't have a printable poster, take a picture of the anchor chart you used in class and print them off! I hope you found this post helpful and your students become successful writers this year! Connect With Me! TPT Store Facebook Pinterest My Blog
A range of free printable SEN teaching resources used with Autistic pupils aged 4-18, literacy, numeracy, topic and themed resources.
FREE printable Sequencing worksheets for preschool and kindergarten kids. Includes 15 activities featuring seasonal themes, hygiene such as brushing teeth, washing hands, and fire safety. Great for language and literacy development!
Writing instruction often fits into a small corner of the day. This makes it so challenging to find time to teach grammar, spelling, punctuation, and all the other foundational skills students need to be more effective writers. While working through the writing process is an important piece of writing instruction, many
Use engagaing videos to teach the elements of narrative writing. Students can analyze the genre by using short videos as they prepare to write their own.
In persuasive writing, many students have trouble writing a clear thesis statement on what their essay is truly about. In the lesson Teaching Thesis Statements with Movie Trailers, students get to break down what is actually involved in a thesis statement and what happens when the statement is vague- as teachers we feel that we get misled often! Movie trailers are a good tool to use in teaching thesis statements because it is relatable to almost every student- they have to admit they would feel pretty misled if they thought they were going to see a romantic comedy and actually walked into a horror movie! In this lesson, the students get a few laughs seeing a movie trailer that shows nothing about what the movie is about, a movie trailer that does well at showing the true plot of the story, and also a movie trailer that has been spoofed! Grab your students attention with making thesis statements relatable! ***NOTE*** You will need access to YouTube for this lesson! Included in this lesson: ***THREE Persuasion Maps to fit your classroom needs! ***TWO detailed Teacher Instruction pages! *** Thesis Statements are like Movie Trailers Worksheet WITH ANSWER KEY! ***TWO Thesis Statement Construction Worksheet Options to fit your Persuasion Map preference! Need help starting your Persuasion Unit? Check out this FREEBIE! Sell me This Pen! A FREE Lesson in Logos, Ethos, and Pathos! Need Print and Teach materials? Check out: Create An INSTA-Profile for ANY Character in ANY Text!Peer Editing Worksheet!~~~In need of more materials? Check out my American Literature Mini-Units!~~~ Rip Van Winkle- A Mini Unit!Henry Wadsworth Longfellow- The Ropewalk and The Cross of Snow Mini-Unit!Thanatopsis- A Mini-Unit!The Devil and Tom Walker- *MEME* Activity Included!- Mini-Unit! Emerson: Nature and Self-Reliance Mini-Unit! The Minister's Black Veil Mini-Unit! Edgar Allan Poe SUPER PACKEdgar Allan Poe- A CSI Activity- Was he MURDERED? ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips : How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: •Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: •Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. BAM! You will now receive email updates about this store! *****************************************************************************
Paragraph writing is a big challenge for many students. This post includes a step-by-step method to help your students write great paragraphs in no time.
Ready to rock teaching beginning of year writing in first grade? These early days of writing instruction must be targeted and on point. Click to learn more.
Ring in the new year with these January Writing Prompts! Fun, educational, and imagination building ideas for Opinion, Narrative, and Informative writing.
Integrate art and literacy with no prep or background knowledge with step by step tutorials for art history and art around the world!
We introduce journals with our 3 year olds with simple ideas that teach them how to love and care for their little books.
Teaching writing to fifth graders doesn't have to be intimidating. This post details exactly how I teach writing in 5th grade.
Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]
This graphic organizer can be used to teach and reinforce the RACES strategy. It gives an explanation of each step as well as sentence starter to support students in their extended response. This really helps my students organize their thoughts before writing their final response. I give this to a...
Handwriting without Tears Letter Order is an efficient and effective method to teaching writing skills using a developmental approach
I’m linking up with Ashley from Just Reed for her 10 Pin Linky! This week the theme is writing. I’m always looking for new and useful ideas to support my writing program…especially since my school’s success plan is about writing. 1. I think this is my favourite one! We tried doing boards like this in my planning […]
Looking for a fun way to introduce the writing process to your students? What about using playdough? Come grab a fun & hands on lesson for your classroom!
In honor of the Q&A section of my TPT store , I am sharing a little more about my paragraph puzzles today in VIDEO form! Questions answered in this video: What exactly will I get when I purchase a month of paragraph puzzles? Can these be differentiated to meet the needs of my strug
I am so excited to be ‘back in the saddle’ and teaching third grade again this year! I’ve been busily working on learning the new standards and crafting a plan that works for my new students in the fall. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that my favorite two grades...Read More »
Create fun and engaging pre-writing activities for preschoolers to help them practice their hand writing skills with these 50 simple to set up ideas!
Hi Friends…. The past two weeks we have been working on Prefixes and Suffixes in our second-grade classroom! My kiddos were having such a good time brainstorming words with prefixes and then figuring out the meaning. They really had a strong grasp of the concept… I was pretty impressed. After our whole … Prefixes, Suffixes and a FREEBIE Just for YOU! Read More »
Here's how to decide if the Handwriting without Tears preschool program is right for your child. The most important thing to keep in mind is...
Welcome, Upper Elementary Teachers! If you're looking for social studies and writing ideas, you've come to the right place! Teaching Social Studies Click Here Teaching Writing Click Here Manage your classroom like a rockstar! Click Here https://thriveingradefive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/brand-updated.mp4 Visit my store! From quick printables to comprehensive
Find hands-on butterfly life cycle activities, butterfly science labs, and free printables to incorporate reading skills and get kids writing about science!
This so actually do creative and cute✨🥰🎥Credit : mrs mcgrady_1stgrade 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest...
I am all done with parent conferences and it feels great! I had the most terrific year and I’m so happy to share my students’ progress with their parents. During parent conference time, I always love to have lots of student work to display. I absolutely love to incorporate student pictures into student work. This ... Read More about Silhouette Autobiographies and Read Across America
Let's dive into some new options to teach vocabulary, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I'm sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.
The six word memoir is a quick and creative way to get students thinking and writing about their own lives. Whether you use it for an icebreaker (which makes a great display!) at the start of school or as part of an identity or personal narrative unit, this engaging activity pulls together reflection, writing and visuals to produce a memorable moment of connection with your student writers. This curriculum set now comes with a Google drive link to an editable version of the student instructions and handouts. I hope that's helpful! From the Reviews: "I'll be using this during the first week of school with my sophomores. I've done six-word memoirs with my students before, but I love that you have added an artistic element. I also appreciate the short reflection assignment, as reflection is a very important part of my classroom culture. Thanks!" "Great activity to use during the first week. Will be using as a lead in to a 5 paragraph essay. Thanks!" "Easy to use. Open-ended enough to allow creativity." Here's what's inside: Clear project instructions Two template options to help students combine their words and imagery An optional reflection to extend the writing process once the six word memoirs are complete Please check out the preview to see the handouts in detail. Looking for more creative ideas for your English classroom? Check out The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast! Did you enjoy this activity? Please share your thoughts by leaving a review! You'll get free credits towards your next purchase, and think of the karma. Love combining visuals with ideas in class? Check out these popular one-pager activities.
Get these free printable sports worksheets for preschoolers to practice math and literacy skills with a fun and sports theme!
Looking for unique post-reading activities to inspire students and provide a sample of their analytical skills? Find high-interest strategies for secondary.
Click to see how one teacher uses 1 book to launch writing workshop with a detailed breakdown of each day and a free download.
Use Mentor Sentences in your ELA middle school classroom to improve student writing! Find practical ideas to teach writing skills.
If you are looking for some high-interest activities, try using animated shorts to teach inference. Free handouts focus on student learning.
Do you teach grammar and language effectively? Do you want to? We have a magical grammar and langauge formula that we want you to try for FREE!
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
What are Scrambled Paragraphs? Scrambled paragraphs are sentences taken from a complete paragraph for your students to rearrange. They are like puzzles your students will put back together using what they know about text structure. Teachers
Are you wanting to get started with preschool writing journals in your classroom this school year? This post will walk you through...
I can't believe this school year is almost over! I have only 5 days of school left, Friday is our last day. I will miss my kiddos dearly but am super excited to start my summer vacation. Next school year will bring so many changes for me~~new partner teacher (SUPER excited!!), best friend coming back to teach at my school (YAHOO!!), my baby girl is starting 8th grade at another school (BOO HOO!), and 3rd grade will switch classes next year (SCARED!!)!! I will need the summer to get ready for my 27+ new students next year. I love planning over the summer and will need this summer to prepare for switching classes. Switching won't be so bad, I will teach religion to 2 classes. I am really happy about not teaching science and social studies too!! I always have a hard time fitting these 2 subjects in on a daily basis. My students have been really busy these last 2 weeks doing my favorite all-time writing assignment~~~My Favorite Summer Vacation! I just love this writing and really LOVE how the finished essays turn out. Check them out below. You can click (HERE) to download the sunglasses template. You need to make 2 copies and tape them together. See below!! This year I decided to give out Candy Awards. I literally ran all over town looking for each type of candy. I even had my honey helping me (He was so cute going from store to store!)! I had the hardest time finding Lifesavers (Who would believe that?!). You can download your own set of Candy Awards from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits. I found these awards during the summer and have been saving them all year. Check them out below! I can't wait to share them with my students tomorrow!!! Here is just a taste of what the awards look like! They are precious!!!! Here is a fun project I did with my class last week. I found this idea on Pinterest and just HAD to try it with my class! Look at the pictures below and try to see the shape! I am in LOVE with this!!
Top 10 Pixar Short Films for teaching middles school literary elements: theme, plot, inference, setting, dialogue, conflict, and more.
