Back to school. A fresh start. A new year. Oh, the possibilities! In this post, I'll share some of my tips for setting up a writing block in elementary school.
Let’s get this year started right…with writing!
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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.
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Teaching writing can be overwhelming to the max! The variety of writing skills (not just six traits) students need to master and the multifaceted competencies our students exhibit can make your head spin! I'm not a fan of labeling students but over the course of ten years teaching writing there are some common characteristics I've come to find among students in my classes every year. Below is a list of these groups of students and strategies for supporting them!
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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!
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I love how poetry blends writing and art. It is so beautiful and creative, yet often a challenge for young writers. I also enjoy taking two unrelated skills and marrying them together.
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Many teachers and students are intimidated by poetry, including me! There is just so much you can do, it is a bit overwhelming. Some teachers might also feel that teaching poetry is just fluff. I completely disagree!
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5 Strategies to Build Confidence in Young Writers.
Yes, I love teaching writing. Helping young writers build confidence is one of my teaching passions. However, it's not because I am an amazing writer. In fact, it is quite the opposite: writing is one of my biggest challenges.
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