Writing Mini-Lessons

From the desk of Carol C… When you implement Writer’s Workshop, you are going to include many mini-lessons across the year.  Mini-lessons are just what the name implies…short lessons that focus on a writing strategy, an author’s craft, or a convention .  To see how “mini” they are, look at the following schedule for a…

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Let Them Believe

 From the desk of Kris… A picture is worth a thousand words…..well, okay, for a kindergartener maybe it’s not a thousand words…but it certainly can be worth many words.  If you ask any kindergartener about his picture, he is sure to tell you a lengthy story!  But does drawing a picture and telling a story…

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The Power of a Postcard

On our recent trip to the beach, I grabbed a few postcards in the checkout line so we could send them to some family that didn’t make the trip. Taking time to write postcards is a quick and easy way to ease your preschooler into writing and increase their “literary sense.”  I set aside some…

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Jerome

From the desk of Karen… “When I think back to our anchor classroom and others like it, it’s this same kind of spirit that permeates the very air. Children seem to breathe in, “I/We can do this” and breathe out, “Here’s how.” They see themselves and each other as kids with purpose; they see themselves…

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Success

From the desk of Hope… Today I modeled a lesson on author’s purpose with a group of five students ( in a small group, guided reading format). The typical lesson I see on author’s purpose is at the knowledge level.  For example, at the end of reading a selection, the teacher asks the students why…

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What does early literacy look and sound like?

Yesterday I was trying to make a grocery list for a quick run to the store.  While I was in the act of writing the items on paper and checking the cabinet for a few critical supplies, Bossy Boots (age 4) walked in.  She immediately wanted to help me with my list and snatched the…

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Writing is constructing thoughts. Writing is NOT copying.

From the desk of Hope… My blog topics are inspired by the work I do in classrooms as a literacy specialist, my 13 year old son’s educational experiences and my own literacy life. This particular topic hit me slap in the face this week as I was out and about “living literacy”. (This is a…

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Writer's Traffic Jam

Recently I have had writer’s block and have had a hard time composing blogs.  By writer’s block, I really mean a traffic jam. I mean I have plenty of ideas.  Plenty of thoughts running around in my head and some zooming and some lingering and some bouncing back and forth, but none that have become…

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Frustrated Writer #1

I just spent 45 minutes composing my thinking about the Atlanta cheating scandal and was just about ready to post.  It was a good one–I had checked names and included details, and it was really coming together.  I liked it.   I was trying to add a link to the draft and somehow I lost…

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Rough Draft

Well ERG fans, here it is. The inaugural blog post for ERG. This is one of those things I have talked about and thought about and am giving it a try as of today. This is our blogging rough draft moment. I want this space to be a place for ideas, conversations, and all thinking…

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