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Tips Archive » Content » Writing
- Journaling (5 tips)
- Young Playwrights (1 tip)
- Topic/Idea Generators (6 tips)
- Letter Writing (4 tips)
- Poetry (1 tip)
- Student Autobiographies (1 tip)
- Learning Parts of Speech (9 tips)
- Writing from Literature (1 tip)
- Writing Across the Curriculum (7 tips)
- Handwriting Skills (4 tips)
- Interviewing (3 tips)
- Good Writing Habits (8 tips)
Journaling
Postcard Prompts
From Mary Comstock, an adult ESL teacher at Alhambra Community Adult School in Alhambra, California:
"I get postcards whenever I travel and use them as a warm up when I'm doing small group reading. Students look up the words they don't know and the group explains the postcard to the class. After the postcards have been discussed, I put them on the bulletin board for my students to use as prompts for their journals. Their writing is typed and duplicated to use as a LEA (Language Experience Approach) reading book for the class."
Kindergarten Journaling
From Jess Tucker, a kindergarten teacher at Huddleston Elementary:
"Kindergarten journal writing can be a challenge! To stimulate both interest and writing skills, I have my students build the structure of their own design during center time. Then I have them draw their work in their journal and, skills permitting, write a sentence about it. Their work is 'saved' when centers are put away and the students have a record of all they have made."
Morning Journaling - Kindergarten
From Lisa M. Radtke, a kindergarten teacher at La Causa, Inc. (a partnership school) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
"I manage the morning rush of information by having my students do their journals first thing in the morning, after signing in. This works really well, we always have time for journaling, and are never rushed. It is a change from end of the day journaling, but the students are still as eager to write. While the students are journaling I can speak with parents, collect homework, take attendance, and attend to any other issues. On days when I am not as in demand I can sit down with students and transcribe stories for them."
Morning Journaling - High School
From Kathleen Nega, a ninth through twelfth grade French teacher at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania:
"Every day as students come into the room, they immediately attend to writing a journal entry that is on the overhead projector. One student in each class has the responsibility of distributing and collecting the journals every day. This activity permits me to take roll, talk to students about individual problems, and to give a mind-set to the classroom activities for the day. Journal entries may involve use of new vocabulary or key questions. This activity can be used in any class as a warm-up activity or preparation for class activities."
Journaling about Bear
From Sandra Thomas, a kindergarten teacher at Irving Elementary School in Pueblo, Colorado:
"I purchase a stuffed bear and parent volunteers make take-home cloth bags for Bear. Students take Bear for one night and are told to keep Bear safe, clean, and fed pretend bear food. A writing journal is included to document the 'sleep-over adventure.' The following day when Bear is returned the student sits in our special miniature recliner chair holding Bear. When the student's adventure with Bear is read there is such enjoyment by the entire class and also by the student getting to hear his/her very own story from the journal. I then ask the students if they would like to add anything that was not included in the story. I reinforce the concept of writing and reading of the story and oral sharing to students. This is one of their favorite times of the day. Anticipation is at an all-time high when a name is drawn at the end of the activity to take Bear home next."
Young Playwrights
Writing a Play
From Mary Ann Herring, a third grade teacher at the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton, Missouri:
"I divide my class into two groups and give each group the assignment of creating a short play. I tell them they must use all the props in a bag I give them. The groups have 15 minutes to think of their play. At the end of that time, each group presents their play to the rest of the class."
Topic/Idea Generators
Let It Snow
From Wendy Rios, a language arts teacher at Eastern Avenue/Perry Alternative School in Davenport, Iowa:
"My students were quite excited about our first measurable snowfall. In order to capture that excitement, I scattered window clings of snowflakes and snowmen on my easel dry erase board with the title "Let it Snow'. I read several poems about snow to the students and we brainstormed words that could be used to describe snow. Words that told how snow looks, feels, falls, etc were written on the board. The students then wrote snow stories, descriptive paragraphs or poems about snow. They enjoyed the visual aid and came up with quite original writings. I plan on using the window clings again as they are inexpensive and can be found on a variety of themes."
Prop Writing Prompt
From Bobbie Brister, an English teacher at Socorro High School in El Paso, Texas:
"Here's a good writing prompt to use for almost any reading: 'Imagine that you are prop master for a play based on the piece we just read. What props would you bring on stage? Whose prop would it be and why is it important to the play?' Props must be explained and examples might need to be given. Kids love doing this as it gives them the opportunity to be creative."
Writing Tip
From Margie Steinberg, a seventh grade communications teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Mason City, Iowa:
"Many teachers say they have problems getting students to write. Sometimes students have difficulties coming up with ideas. I tell my students to write about what they know. I find that when they do, their writing is the best because they have made a personal connection. I give my students '5 Line Themes' at the beginning of the class period. On an overhead, I tell students to write five lines using the word you chose as a subject. Then, I list five words such as imagination, success, failure, responsibility, and video. The words do not need any connection with each other. After giving the students a few minutes to write, I ask them to share."
Power Writing
From Margie Steinberg, a seventh grade communications teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Mason City, Iowa:
"I ask students to choose one of two words from an overhead. I time them for one minute and ask that they quickly jot down any words that they can associate with the given word. At the end of the time, I ask them to count up the number of words they have and write the number in the margin. This procedure is repeated three or four times. Students find that they are challenged to think and write quickly so they write more each time. This activity gives students ideas on which they can expand later as we look for pieces to publish."
Story Map
From Erik Nielsen, a fifth grade teacher at Crooked River Elementary School in Casco, Maine:
"Many students have difficulty coming up with writing topics. A memory nudge idea I use to great success is called a 'Story Map.' I model this for my students by drawing a bird's eye view of a place that holds many memories. I usually choose our summer family cottage on a local lake. As I draw this map I label various events that have happened to me over the years there. As I label each one I tell the students a little bit about what happened there. When I am done I have five or six areas labeled and by that point the students want to hear about each one in detail. I tell them that I have written stories about some of these places and will read to them later so they can see how I progressed from a simple idea to a story. Now it is their turn. Some draw neighborhoods, some draw a floor plan of a house, and some draw a yard. This labeled map then goes into their rough draft folder where they can take it out and remember all over again the time that..."
The Eyeballs Have It
From Linda Hollingshead, a teacher of students with severe needs at Johnson Elementary School in Montrose, Colorado:
"I use the eye balls that you can get on the straws from Taco Bell at Halloween in several ways after taking them out of the straw. I cut construction paper or tag board to make a book. The students cut holes in the sheets the size of the eyes and glue the eyes on the inside [back] cover so they show [through] on each page. Then they write stories usin