writing

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writing
By pj

HI
I understand where you're coming from on the correcting/editing papers. First I tell my class that there are some givens to writing in 3rd grade. By now all papers should be turned in with capital letters at the beginning
of the sentences and ending punctuation. YOu can add anything else as a given that you want. Then when these bare minimums are not done I give it back and say you didn't do the minimum. I make a poster on a laminated poster size piece of writing paper. I use a vis-a-vis to mark the current givens so when I give the paper back I say check the given board.
Then on future papers

I have Focus Correction Areas (FCA). Let's say you just taught contraction. You could make it a FCA along with the givens. I'd say when you hand in your paper I'll be looking for the givens and the FCA of contractions. I wouldn't edit for anything else. Obviously as the year progresses your givens would also.

I use picture prompts to write from. Also I may read a story and not the ending...they need to do the ending. I use daily journals for writing, too. Our district curriculium also has benchmarks for writing so I incorporate those. One is How to papers, you know how to make a sandwich or how to tie your shoes. We also require friendly letters in 3rd.

Hope this helps