Hello again from the Crazy Critter Café! Thanks for stopping by!
This year I've struggled with getting my first graders to self-check their writing before I conference with them. We use graphic organizers to help get their thoughts on paper, but they're still struggling with capitalization, punctuation, and writing overall "good" sentences. I feel like I need to re-teach myself how to teach writing every year! Is it just me or anybody else feel the same way???
Last year I introduced my CAPS poster, based on the Dr. Seuss character. I thought this would be a fun visual for students to use. This anchor chart helped remind students of qualities found in a "good" sentence.
This year I decided to create another anchor chart to go along with the CAPS poster. This chart is more like a step-by-step process to help students write sentences.
One day I was describing strategies good writers use and I thought it would make a good supplement chart to our already existing CAPS poster. Students WRITE their sentence. They READ it. Then they CHECK IT {using the CAPS poster} and then they FIX IT if their sentence lacks any of the characteristics on the CAPS poster.
It's working! I see students now glancing up at the charts when they're working on a writing activity! Anchor charts.....success!
Another idea I had to help students become excited and more "into" their writing was to create thematic writing paper.
Of course, this isn't something we use everyday, but these thematic writing templates get students away from the plain ol' primary writing paper and gets them motivated to write on "fancy" paper.
I also use these templates to post the final draft on bulletin boards with a cute, related craftivity.
It'll soon be time to start planning Christmas Activities!
I'll use this creative writing pack during the month of December. This holiday pack includes various graphic organizers, blank templates, and many topics for narrative, opinion, and informative writing.
Again, I'm trying to keep students excited about writing by using the templates they can color. Some of them I'll even add some glitter to and "sparkle" them up a little for a cute Christmas display!
Thanks for stopping by the café! Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving break. Take time to think of all the things you are thankful for ~ big and small. We tend to look over the small things in our lives, and they're usually our biggest blessings!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
