Write About It Wednesday: Narrative Mentor Texts

It's time for another amazing Write About It Wednesday!

This week's topic is...

Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing

Can you imagine teaching writing without using them??

So this week, we've decided to highlight some of our favorite mentor texts and share what lesson topics we use them for!

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

• Small Moments 
• Characters

Tough Boris by Mem Fox

• Words that Paint a Picture
• Characters

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

• Interesting Opening
• Small Moments
• Description

Thundercake by Patricia Polacco

• Interesting Opening
• Setting
• Word Choice

Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

• Voice {I read this book without showing pictures to my students first}
• Sequencing

The Pain and The Great One by Judy Blume

• Point of View/Perspective
• Characters

Do you know and love any of these books? We'd love to hear about it!

And don't forget about the gigantic, even-more-amazing TpT Sale happening right now!

If you've still got some teaching to do this year, better snag some of your favorite goodies!

I hope you found this idea helpful! Link up with us and share your favorite mentor texts for narrative writing!


If you link up be sure to… 
*be a follower of both of our blogs.
*use the provided button {just save the image above and link it back here, or provide a link in the picture caption}.
*link to a post related to today’s topic.
*make sure you link to the specific post and not just your blog.

Thanks for playing along! Don’t forget to check out Kate's post on the same topic!

Write About It Wednesday: Student Portfolios

Hello there!

It’s about that time Kate and I get together for another Write About It Wednesday!  If you’re new to this series check our our previous posts here and here.

This Wednesday’s topic is Student Portfolios.

I have to admit that this particular topic had me confused for years as a teacher.  At my school we have student portfolios that move with our students from year to year and they must contain three writing samples from each grade.  For the portfolios that follow students, I use The Teacher Wife’s Friends Assessment.  I give it to my class 3x a year, and after scoring it with a rubric I make, it goes straight into their student portfolios. With the exception of these portfolios, there are no other guidelines for writing portfolios in our school. 

This gives me anxiety.

Do I keep every writing they ever do?
Do I send every writing home as soon as I read it or score it?
Do I hold on to sloppy copies?
What about that writing we did about that assembly that I never really looked at or reviewed or went over or collected?  Does that go in a portfolio?
Where are my Snickers bars?

What kind of folder do I use?
Should it have pockets?
What about a file folder?
What if the papers fall out?
Where are my Reese’s?

I could go on and on.

The truth is, at least in place where there are no set rules, that you should do what works for you.  Despite the lack of writing curriculum or guidelines in my school, I have taken the time to educate myself on Writer’s Workshop.  And through various workshops and readings, {plus 4 years of trial and error} I’ve figured out a few things:

*It is important to hold on to important writings. {In my case these are Common Core Aligned and have been edited or revised in some way.  I shoot for about 1 a month}.
*It is important that the writings in the portfolios show growth.
*It is important that writing portfolios are easy to organize

and this is the kicker…

*it is important that STUDENTS CAN ACCESS THEIR PORTFOLIOS easily or at any given time.

It’s important for students to be able to read over past writings to be able to evaluate their own work as they grow as well as for self-reflection.  They love to see how far they’ve come.  They love to see how they would take a writing from earlier in the year and “make it better”.  In fact, that’s something we will do before the year is up!
I’ve tried quite a few systems throughout the years and while they all had their pros and cons, ultimately they weren’t working.

Then I saw this pin:

{Click picture for source}

I was inspired!!!! 

I loved how the magazines {in this case} were easy to get to but didn’t take up valuable shelf space and I liked how you could immediately see what was inside {as opposed to rifling through a file folder}.

So this is what I ended up with:







How I did it is pretty self-explanatory, but allow me to explain anyway!  I staggered command hooks underneath my board.  I gave each student a portfolio cover and a sheet protector.  Then I handed back their work  {we didn’t start these portfolios until around Christmas time}, and they inserted it back to back {in order}.  I called them by group to hang up their portfolios.  Now they add it as they get it back, or I do it, or whoever has the job of teacher’s assistant.  It’s so easy!

But the best part is that they can access their portfolios at any time!  Many students choose to read their work during Daily 5, and they even read each others!  It’s pretty awesome!

Since I took the pictures above, I’ve added key rings for easy page flipping {without getting anything out of order}.

{“Apple” Writing here}

{“Community” Writing here}

{“Other Reindeer” Writing here}

I can honestly say that giving my students easy access to their writing portfolios {as well as encouraging them to read them!} has changed my writing program for the better this year. 

I hope I’ve inspired you to make your portfolios easy to access!  Not to mention the display looks adorable in the classroom!  We get compliments on our hanging portfolios all the time!

I’ve uploaded a copy of the portfolio cover I used to Google Docs.  You can grab it for free by clicking the picture:

{Yours will not have our blog button on it! Promise}

We’d love to hear how you manage portfolios in your classroom!  Feel free to link up with any writing portfolio tip {it can even be an old post!}

If you link up please keep the following guidelines in mind:

*be a follower of both of our blogs.
*use the provided button {just save the image above and link it back here, or provide a link in the picture caption}.
*link to a post related to today’s topic.
*make sure you link to the specific post and not just your blog.

You can also leave a tip in the comments as well!  While your there, let us know of any topics you’d like featured in future “Write About It Wednesdays”.  We’d love some suggestions!

Click here to read Kate’s post on portfolios.  I can’t wait to read what she has to say.  {She always says the BEST stuff!}


Happy Writing!

Halle

Write About It Wednesday {3-12-13}

Hello Everyone!



I am so excited to bring you another edition of “Write About It Wednesday” with Kate from Second Grade Sparkle!

We got such amazing feedback that this series was something you really enjoyed, and that made us oh-so-happy! Remember, you can link up with us as long as your post is related to today’s topic. There’s no such thing as too many writing tips & ideas {in my opinion AT LEAST}!

Our topic for today’s post is “Story Grabbers”

Or Leads. Or Great Beginnings. Or Attention-Getters. Or Hooks. Whatever you choose to call them. We’re talking about those lines your students use to hook a reader.

Today I am going to talk about an activity I do AFTER I introduce some of the Story Grabbers we use in our classroom.

Here is a list of the Story Grabbers I teach my kiddos. {I teach the first four towards the beginning of the year. Then when they I tire of them I introduce the more challenging set.}


After we talk about different Story Grabbers and write examples of each on chart paper, I hand out half-sheets of paper with sample prompts. We don’t actually write stories for these prompts. I just have the students write 2 different Story Grabbers for each one.

{I am SO SORRY this is such an awful picture!}

It’s great because they get practice writing different Story Grabbers. They can’t just write a question {which very quickly becomes their favorite Story Grabber…and which I very quickly retire from their options soon after }.

I also really like this activity because it helps students realize which Story Grabbers are appropriate for certain topics.  For example, a riddle isn’t an appropriate hook for a narrative about a time they were scared or sad.  A strong statement isn’t the best choice for a non-fiction writing about an animal.

I’ve put together a *FREEBIE* with “prompt cards” for you. I added on a “Suggestions for Use” page so you can use it the very best way for your class.  {I allow my students to work in pairs on this activity and let them choose any two Story Grabbers from the list}

{Click the picture to grab the Freebie.  Thanks Ashley Hughes for the adorable frame!}

I hope you found this idea helpful! Link up with us and share how you teach Story Grabbers, or hooks, or leads, or…you get the idea!

If you link up be sure to…
*be a follower of both of our blogs.
*use the provided button {just save the image above and link it back here, or provide a link in the picture caption}.
*link to a post related to today’s topic.
*make sure you link to the specific post and not just your blog.

Thanks for playing along! Don’t forget to check out Kate’s post on the same topic!

~Halle

Our VERY FIRST “Write About It Wednesday”!!!!!!

Graphics: Cupcake for the Teacher, KPM Doodles, Teaching in a Small Town, G&F

I am so excited for our very first “Write About It Wednesday”!

I’ve partnered up with Kate over at Second Grade Sparkle for an ongoing series about writing in our classrooms.  Kate is sort of a celebrity now and her posts are always about 3,940,938 times more witty and clever than mine, so I hope you’ll bear with me!

Here’s how it works.  Kate and I will be focusing on a shared topic, but we’ll each give our own spin or routine on that topic.  We plan on making this a regular thing, and we hope you’ll join up with us and share how you do things in your own room.  I think writing is one of the more challenging {but fun} topics we teach, and the more ideas we teachers can get, the easier it is!

Our very first topic is “Stretching Sentences”.

I really enjoy doing mini-lessons on sentence structure.  It is one those concepts I feel like my kiddos get pretty easily.  One of the ways I get my students to stretch their sentences is by teaching them how to write listing sentences.  This helps to eliminate those short, choppy paragraphs about their trip to the amusement park.

You know, this one:

This weekend I went to Six Flags.  Six Flags is in New Jersey.  Six Flags is fun.  I went on Nitro.  I went on Rolling Thunder.  I also went on Superman.  The rollercoasters were scary!  They were cool.  They were fun.  We got to eat yummy food too.  I had a corn dog for lunch.  I had fries for lunch.  They were hot and crunchy.  Then we went on Bizarro.  Then we went on Skull Mountain.   Then we had ice cream.  I had ice cream with sprinkles.  It is was in a waffle cone.  I did not finish it because I was full.  Then we went home.  Six Flags was fun.

This is not a bad paragraph.  It has details.  It has order.  But it is chop-py.  Too choppy.

The first thing I do is model.  I usually write about whatever is on my mind.  This year I wrote about a Waffle Bar at a baby shower I had been to.




I write my paragraph with short and choppy sentences first. I ask them, “Did you like my writing?”

Here’s the thing….they always do.  It’s because I’m their teacher and they fear me love me.  So I have to encourage them…”Well thank you so much!  I am so happy you love this story!  But I think I can make it better.  You always tell me I am an amazing reader.  Did I sound amazing when I read my story?”

Usually, by now, that student who loves to point out your typos on every document {or life-altering mistake of calling a student the wrong name} will tell you that, no, you didn’t sound amazing. 

 “Why yes, you are right!  I think I sounded like a robot.  I think I sounded like a robot because my sentences were short and choppy.  It was hard for me to get a rhythm while I was reading.  That’s why we combine our sentences and stretch them out.  One way we can do this is by creating a listing sentence.”

A listing sentence?  They’re enthralled.

“A listing sentence is just like what it sounds like.  It has a list within a sentence.  Just like when your mommy or daddy goes to the supermarket.  They make a list of what they need to buy.  And when they make the list, they put all the things that go together in the same spot.”

That last line is important.  If you don’t say that I cannot be held responsible for the listing sentences your kiddos end up writing.

“When we write we want to use listing sentences to make our sentences better.  When we do this we can save space for more sentences, which means more details, which means a better story!  Let’s read my writing again.  Does anyone see a place where I can create a listing sentence?”

We then go through my writing and find the one or two places where I can make a listing sentence.  It’s important not to overdue it.  I don’t want them thinking that every single paragraph they write will have a listing sentence. 



After I write my new {better} copy, we talk about what all listing sentences need.

“We know that listing sentences have to list things that are related.  There is another thing all listing sentences need.  Commas!  We use commas to separate the words and ideas we are listing.”

The next day it gets really interactive. 

 I write a few listing sentences on chart paper.  Then I pull out the garage sale price stickers.  You know, the round fluorescent ones?  Yes, those.  Prior to the day’s mini lesson I write commas on them.  We read the sentences as a group, then I have a few kiddos come up and put the commas in the correct spot.







After our review on the carpet I send them back to their seat with a practice sheet.  The practice sheet is  filled with questions that require listing sentences for answers. 



Grab the sheet by clicking the picture.

Now my class knows that I look for listing sentences in all future writing pieces {where applicable, of course!}.  This is a pretty fun and easy skill for them once they learn it, so I don’t need to offer many “refresher courses” on the topic.

Easy Peasy!  This mini-lesson/skill has every single one of my kiddos feeling successful because it's an important writing skill they all can master.

I hope you enjoyed our first “Write About It Wednesday” post and that you learned a new tip or trick.  At the very least, I hope you picked up the freebie! 

 If you have sentence stretching tip or idea LINK UP!

You can read Kate's post here.

As a thank you for stopping by, Kate and I are hosting a giveaway.  You can enter on either blog, and we will announce a winner this weekend.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a good night!

~Halle