Students take part in:
**Shared Writing
**Interactive Writing
**Independent Writing
**Handwriting
As students grow and learn they become more skilled as readers, writers, and spellers. It is important to focus on content and on writing that is neat and correct. However, when students are required to correct and recopy every writing activity, they become discouraged and write as few words as possible.
In our classroom the program is balanced. Students enjoy writing and yet understand the importance of published work. Students will learn to write, revise, edit, and publish stories throughout the school
year. They will also begin to assess their writing and learn to implement the
characteristics of quality writing into their own work.
***Our program includes 2 kinds of writing***
1. Published Writing: When writing is edited, revised, corrected, and rewritten. When finished, these published pieces have few or no errors.
2. Phonics-Based Writing: "As is" pieces that are not corrected or rewritten. Children are encouraged to listen for the sounds they think they hear and write them relying on their phonemic awareness. When finished, the writing contains errors and invented spelling.
Writing Journal
Weekend News: Students are expected to write about what they did over the weekend every Monday. Please discuss with your child on Sunday night or on your way to school Monday morning about your weekend. Students are taught to write about a specific event from their weekend which then becomes their topic. They are then encouraged to write sentences about their topic which become their supporting details. Finally, they are shown to end with a closing sentence or feeling sentence to wrap up their thoughts.
Free Friday: Students write sentences on a topic of their choice. They may also write a story of their own.
Writing Resources
Story Starters Writing activities you may print out and use with your child. Each page has a story starter provided on lined paper with a box to make an illustration.
