Stronger Writers

 

First Graders have been immersed in writing since the first day of school.  During our "writer's workshop" students will learn about a variety of genres.  Our first is personal narrative writing - which we refer to as writing a "small moment."  During this unit, students are writing about experiences they've had.  Each session begins with a mini-lesson where the students hear a teaching point and see it modeled in actual writing, hear the language authors use and  then finally thinking of a way to try that out in their own writing.  The students then independently work on their own writing piece while I confer individually with students about their individual goals. After the writing time, we close the lesson with a share and review of the strategy taught. The student have been getting used to learning about how to use supplies, where to keep them, what to do when they're stuck, and what to do when they think they're done.

The past few weeks we have been focusing on orally telling their story before beginning to write. This oral practice is really important to help them structure their story with a beginning, middle and end. Students are then encouraged to add a rough sketch to help them remember their planned story before writing. As children stretch their words across the paper, use word walls, and write words from memory, detailed stories have emerged. Along the way, students have worked with a peer to help them revise each story. While working together, children ask questions of one another's stories to help them realize what is missing. We are working so hard to be just like, 'George McClements' an author who writes a small moment story and to maybe - one day - get our books published on the shelves of Bear Pond! All children are beginning to add details into their narratives, include connecting words, and have a clear beginning, middle, and exciting end to their stories. We are learning how writers and readers do similar things and continue to make connections during reading and writing.