The students wrapped their writing in an array of wrapping paper, and they left my classroom eager to share their gifts – the gift of words.
Category: narrative
Connecting Through Story
"Story is the basic unit of human understanding." - Drew Dudley, Day One Leadership. We have been learning through story for thousands of years. Our innate fascination for wanting to know what happens is an undeniable trait of humanity. Yet, in spite of what we know about story as a fundamental building block for learning,… Continue reading Connecting Through Story
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Shaking Up Personal Narrative
Ever since I read this post by Katie Kraushaar, I've been thinking about personal narrative and wondering why it is that students, particularly in middle elementary grades and beyond, are sometimes less than enthusiastic about this genre. Like Katie, I have felt the mood change in a classroom the moment the teacher mentions the words "personal narrative."… Continue reading Shaking Up Personal Narrative
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Making the Most of Pre-Assessments
We spend a week or so sharing stories, and building excitement for writing stories. We hand out notebooks with fanfare, and writers happily personalize them. They brainstorm ideas for stories they could write. And then we stand in front of the class and explain that today is the day we want each of them to… Continue reading Making the Most of Pre-Assessments
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Where Have All the Narratives Gone?
I've been thinking about why young writers struggle with personal narrative and realistic fiction writing.
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Nerdy Birdy: A Review & Giveaway
When I first opened Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds, I was not (yet) reading it with the eye of a writer. I was way too smitten with the bird on the front cover. I mean, look at this guy: Nerdy Birdy is cute, but he is most definitely not cool. He is no good at sports or… Continue reading Nerdy Birdy: A Review & Giveaway
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Teaching the Four Types of Writing Through Texts
Janiel Wagstaff's books will help you teach primary writers about the four types of writing in an engaging way. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win her series of Stella books.
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Opening Lines
Opening lines should draw readers into the world of a story & involve them from the start.
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Writing the Hot Spot First
How, she wondered, could we get them to write more focused narratives? And what types of entries could they make in their writer's notebooks to help them with this process?
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Big Realization from a Tiny Mouse
I have an irrational fear of mice. It is bad news. My husband has established a preemptive strike in our basement and garage. He engages in an impossible battle to keep our home, which is surrounded by fields, mouse free. He tries to tell me almost everyone has to deal with mice. He says it… Continue reading Big Realization from a Tiny Mouse
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A moose, penguins & book giveaways
This Moose Belongs to Me and Baby Penguins Everywhere are new books with strong messages that contain craft moves we can teach young writers.
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My WordFest Mentor Text Stack Is Growing!
I've been tinkering around with the picture books I'm going to bring when I speak at WordFest later this month. My presentation focuses on using recently published picture books as mentor texts to teach students a variety of craft moves, which will lift the level of their narrative writing. When I say recently, I… Continue reading My WordFest Mentor Text Stack Is Growing!
