Small group instruction is a powerful way to reach and teach more students in your classroom!
Category: writing workshop
Discovering and Developing Student Writer Identity
For writers to grow, they must develop writer identities. How do we help them do that?
Family Dialogue Journals
Can a Family Dialogue Journal help build stronger home-school connections through written conversation?
3 Steps to Building A Learning Community: Vision. Intention. Purpose.
The young writers sitting in our classroom will rise above the fears and struggles of being a writer, but it will take intentional planning, repetitive teaching, daily writing, and reteaching. Writing is hard work. Students don't become writers because we have writing workshop. Writers become writers because teachers have clear intentions and a vision of what's possible.
An Easy Guide to Introduce Slice of Life Writing
Three steps to introduce Slice of Life Writing to your students
Making Progress…Without Getting Frustrated!
A little reflection after the first days of school.
Red Dot Side, Green Dot Side, Revisited
With very good intentions, we teach kids to do their best to really finish a story before they move on to the next one. However, a little bit of flexibility will go a long way in increasing engagement, volume, and independence in young writers.
Penguin Problems: A Review & Giveaway
This penguin has problems. A lot of problems.
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
Setting Up Writing Partnerships
Like so many routines and procedures, the investment of time to establish successful, productive, independent partnerships is incredibly worthwhile!
Listening and Watching Intently: Building a Learning Community
A few short weeks ago our new school year began. I am feeling the pressure of getting to know my students, setting up our room, and building a community of learners. In these early days I tread slowly.
Where Do Stories Belong?
We often say things like, "stories are everywhere," but do we really show students where stories can live?

