Writing

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Home : 2003 : January : 23

Writing
By Horton_anita

Katie,
Do you use the writer's workshop model with your kids where you do mini lessons with the students on various aspects of writing daily and model what real writers do for them? It works very well, because you would
be providing scaffolded instruction for your students. Also, what about using some type of graphic organizer with the entire class to help them brainstorm as a group various details about a topic. Then provide them with a sentence frame, including transition words and the topic sentence and let them construct sentences using the details relating to the responses they gave on the organizer.

Allow them to give their best inventive spellings during their first drafts when they are writing and have them to circle the word, if they are not sure of the spelling. Later, when they do their final draft they can edit their spelling. If they think they must spell every word right during their rough draft, then they are less likely to use words that they think they can't spell. You don't want to discourage them in that way. Let them be less concerned with spelling during their first draft, then later edit. Check out primary writer's workshop this should help you get started on the right track.