Prompting and support can be tricky business. Here are some tips for early writers who have moved from the verbal story and are ready to draw. These suggestions will help you support the right things at the right time in the right way.
Month: October 2013
Teaching memoir: Views from sixth and seventh grade
Moving from personal narrative to memoir presents challenges and rewards for sixth and seventh graders - they are working with a very familiar genre (they’ve been writing personal narratives since kindergarten, after all), and yet memoir requires digging deep and working hard to create something entirely different. The rewards are quite wonderful, however, for in… Continue reading Teaching memoir: Views from sixth and seventh grade
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Thankful for This Writing Community
The weekly call for slice of life stories + a message about the power of the SOLSC writing community.
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A Mentor Text You Can Use in Many Ways + a Book Giveaway
The Invisible Boy, a new book that deals with the isolation quiet children can feel, is the kind of book that serves multiple purposes in an elementary school classroom (e.g., interactive read aloud book, teaching demonstration text, mentor text for strategy lessons). Previews of the book and giveaway information come at the bottom of the post.
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Welcome to the World, Thomas!
Please join me in celebrating with Anna and her husband as they welcome their son, Thomas Hudson Cockerille, into the world.
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Ten Suggestions for Encouraging Kids to Write at Home
Dear Parents and Caregivers, You might not realize it, but there are a zillion things you can do right at home to foster a love of writing. Even if you, yourself, are not all that comfortable as a writer, you can still do a lot to raise a kid who does love to write. Here… Continue reading Ten Suggestions for Encouraging Kids to Write at Home
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When You Just Can’t Get Started
Always looking to share real and authentic writing tips with my students, I compiled this list of strategies for when we’re in a writing rut and just can’t get started.
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It Starts With a Conversation
A peek inside a preschool writer and picnic style workshop.
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Three “just right” texts to investigate the craft of memoir.
I love our writing workshop shift from personal narrative to memoir. It comes at the perfect time of year: our notebooks have filled up with writing lists and entries, our weekly slice of life writing has opened us to new writing possibilities, and we have grown into a writing community ready, willing, and able to… Continue reading Three “just right” texts to investigate the craft of memoir.
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Please share your story with our community.
WRITE your slice. SHARE your link. GIVE some comments to (at least three) other slicers. If you’re leaving your comment early in the day, please consider returning this evening or tomorrow to read some of our evening posters’ slices. For Slicers attending the NCTE Annual Convention in Boston: Tara and I will be attending NCTE.… Continue reading Please share your story with our community.
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Climbing out of a Writing Rut
I’ve been writing daily for years, but lately I feel as if I haven’t written anything worthwhile. Sure – I’ve written blog posts about family and the teaching of writing. Sure – I’ve jotted ideas down in my Noteshelf App. Sure – I’ve worked on a nonfiction writing project I’ve been trying to move forward… Continue reading Climbing out of a Writing Rut
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Celebrating The National Day on Writing: Bottom Lines Beliefs
Happy National Day on Writing! One way to celebrate this day is to take a moment to reflect on your bottom line beliefs about quality writing instruction.
