Learning to Write and LOVING IT!

One of my favourite blogs to visit is myclassroomtransformation.blogspot.ca.  The teacher Joanne Marie Babalis recommended FDK teachers to read this resource.  Although I teach Grade One, I thought it may provide some ideas to provoke my new September friends into writing.

I was not disappointed!  I LOVED THIS BOOK.  It gives some great ideas and prompts to get children wanting to write.  Some of the ideas are ones we have heard before (i.e. Letters to a Creature- tooth fairy, leprechaun, special toy) but there are new ones like having a Message board in the classroom where students write messages to each other throughout the day.

The author Miriam Trehearne also has suggestions to improve author's share and student conferencing.  During author's share, she suggests that after children share their writing, they should let their peers know where their idea came from.  This then helps other children to get ideas for writing.  She also has some great ideas for when teachers are conferencing one-on-one.  One suggestion includes getting children to self-assess their writing during the conference and then having the child choose one area they need to focus on.  Once again it is letting the child's voice to be heard.

If you are looking for ideas on how to provoke your students and get them writing... this is a resource you may wish to check out.  My plan is to set up a special writing area in the classroom (in addition to the area that has writing tools for other inquiries) that will change throughout the year based on student interests.  I am hoping to have the opportunity to transform this special writing station into a publishing house, a wonder station, a "Build and Write" station, a poem station etc... I could keep going... 
I AM LOVING IT!