Writing

Writing: 

We are in the middle of learning how to generate ideas for writing narratives right now.  We have an Anchor Chart in our room that actually gives brainstorming strategies for students who are struggling with coming up with an idea to write.  One of those strategies is to think of a person, place, or thing, and list it.  Then, they are to list stories about that person, place or thing.  When students have found a story that they want to write about, they star it, flip the page, and start writing!  Students find a hard time with this because they want to write big, broad stories.  However, we are trying to focus on one story, one moment in time, to really write about.

The other strategy that we have talked about is thinking about Turning Points in our lives.  Turning Points are last times, first times, and important times when we realized that life would not be the same.  We are no longer just writing moments about our lives, but powerful moments.

Next week, we are discussing how to get into the story, and write so that our readers feel like they are also in the story.  This is going to require students to close their eyes, relive the moment that they are writing about, and really be in the story, using words to bring their reader's with them.  It is going to be a challenge, but we have writer's in this classroom, and they are going to do wonderful!