elementary writing — K-5th- ADD ARTICLES HERE

3 Narrative Writing Mini-Lessons to Build Suspense

Here are my 3 favorite narrative writing mini-lessons that will have your students writing spooky Halloween stories that build suspense for their readers.

Holiday Writing, Writing Mini-lessons, Writing WorkshopGuest UserOctober 11, 2018elementary writing, writing mini lesson, writing in elementary, Halloween Writing Activity, Halloween Writing, holiday writingComment

3 Genres of Writing: Narrative, Creative Writing and Poetry

Stay in the know! Read to find out how you can stay supported with incorporating genres of writing into your classroom! Gain support with Narrative Writing, Creative Writing and Poetry!

Narrative Writing Mini-Lesson: Narrow Focus

A HUGE mistake I see many Elementary writers make is trying to write a story about a topic that’s too broad. Instead of focusing on a small slice or seed of the story, they try to cover EVERYTHING that happened from when they woke up to when they went to bed. Here is a mini-lesson that will help your students narrow their focus to a specific event.

Get Started With Writing Warm-Ups

Looking to improve students attitudes toward writing? I will show you how to get started with writing warm-ups in your elementary classroom.

Philosophies on Writing, FREEBIES, Best PracticesGuest UserJune 7, 2018elementary, elementary writing, writing in elementary, writing warm-up, writing activity, writing tips, writing support, Writing block, writing endurance, writing fluency, back to school, back-to-school, Back to School WritingComment

Help Your Students A.C.E. Response to Text Writing

In order for students to learn to effectively write responses to text, we must teach them how to cite evidence and explain it. Here is an easy formula to teach students how to write an effective response to text.

Best Practices, Writing Mini-lessons, FREEBIESGuest UserMay 8, 2018elementary writing, writing in elementary, elementary, third grade writing, second grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, sixth grade writing, writing activity, writing practice, response to text, responding to text Comment

Public Service Announcements: A How-To Guide for Teachers

One of the ways I like to give my students voice to share their opinions is to have them create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about something they are passionate about.

FREEBIES, Technology & WritingGuest UserApril 12, 2018persuasive writing, elementary writing, public service announcement, how to create a public service announcement, third grade writing, second grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, how to make a PSA, 3rd grade writing, 2nd grade writing, 4th grade writing, 5th grade writingComment

Writing Engaging Leads for Narrative Writing

Grabbing and holding the reader's’ attention is what makes or breaks a story. I don’t know any teachers who get excited to read 30 narratives that begin with the same boring opener. I have taught 2nd - 6th grade and I expect more from my students. The lead is an important element of the story and should take effort and thought.

Descriptive Writing Lesson - A Winter Setting

One area of narrative writing that my students continue to need practice is with elaborating details. When my students write to tell a story, they generally want to get the information out in the shortest way possible. Getting them to stop the story and elaborate on details is often a challenge. Adding descriptive details is a learned skill in which students need to be given support and lots of practice.

FREEBIES, Holiday Writing, Writing Assignments, Writing Mini-lessonsGuest UserDecember 21, 2017descriptive writing, winter writing, narrative writing, elementary writing, writing lesson, writing activity, mini writing lesson, freebieComment

3 Ways to Motivate Writers: An Exclusive Interview with Teaching in Room 6

Stephanie Moorman from Teaching in Room 6 has been inspiring teachers and supporting student writers for two decades now. She has graciously agreed to share her best tips for motivating students to write here on teachwriting.org! Read this post to find out what Stephanie has to say about motivating students to write.

Best Practices, Philosophies on Writing, The Writing Process, Writing WorkshopAmanda WernerNovember 14, 2017elementary writing, elementary, writing process, writing structure, writing workshop Comment

Writing in the Elementary Classroom: An Interview with the Teacher Next Door

I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Jenn Larson, also known as The Teacher Next Door, about her top tips for implementing a writing workshop in elementary and the relationship between reading and writing. Jenn has been teaching for over 20 years, and over the course of her career, she has developed strategies to help students produce their best pieces of writing and to help teachers navigate writing workshop.

Graphic Organizers vs. Creative Writing- Why Students Need Both to Improve Writing

I love graphic organizers. There is something about the organization and structure they provide. With regards to writing, there is often some debate about whether or not graphic organizers are appropriate for elementary school children. Some educators believe that writing should be totally creative and free flowing. However others believe students need support and structure with writing. In order to be successful writers, I believe students need exposure to both.

Best Practices, Philosophies on Writing, The Writing Process, Writing WorkshopGuest UserOctober 26, 2017writing tips, writing strategies, writing support, elementary writing, writing in elementary, 3rd grade writing, 2nd grade writing, 4th grade writing, graphic organizers, creative writingComment

Peer Writing in an Elementary Classroom

During the last couple years, I started to embrace collaborative peer writing strategies. You know the old saying, "Two heads are better than one?" Why should it be any different with writing? With a collaborative, peer writing culture in the classroom, students inspire each other, become exemplars, generate dynamic ideas, increase confidence, and become critical observers.

Best Practices, The Writing Process, Writing WorkshopGuest UserAugust 15, 2017peer writing, peer review, elementary writing, writing, writing tips, writing strategies, writing workshop, writers workshop, peer editing, collaborative writing, classroom culture, writing process, the writing processComment

12 Strategies to Support Struggling Writers in Elementary

Just like our students, not all struggling writers are the same. Some students struggle with writing because they are stuck for ideas. You know the kid…the one who proclaims, “I don’t know what to write,” then shrugs and stares blankly at you. Those are also often the students getting up to get another drink of water and staring at a blank page. These students struggle with getting started and knowing what to write about.

Best PracticesGuest UserJune 21, 2017writing strategies, writing tips, writing, writing support, struggling writers, elementary writing, writing in elementary Comment

End of the Year Writing Reflection

The Undiscovered Author Writing Reflection is a fun end of the year writing activity inspired by Playbill Biographies. During this writing project, students reflect on their writing assignments for the year. This writing reflection makes a great cover piece for student writing portfolios and they are very cute to hang up at Open House!

FREEBIES, Writing AssignmentsGuest UserMay 25, 2017writing, elementary writing, writing activity, end of the year writing, end of the year writing activity, end of the year writing reflection, writing reflection, writing projectComment