Sunday, January 23, 2011

Just Write, Right?

I love to teach writing.

I also love to teach character education. 

During the essay unit we do, the kids observe or notice events, objects or people around them. Then, they think about what it/they mean(s) to them. It's always during this unit where I learn so much about my students. Essay beginnings such as: "What does being trustworthy mean? OR Why can't people do what they are supposed to do? flood my classroom.

Struggling writers no longer have as big of a struggle. Avid writers seem to write essay after essay; reflecting on the world around them. Yes, they are 8 and 9. And, yes, their views are fascinating and very real. And finally, YES they LOVE to WRITE. Why? Simple. They are writing about topics that interest them.

My kids also blog. They go on to our class blog and write. They edit and revise. They can't post without doing so. They write about what INTERESTS them. See, it's simple. INTEREST. You can view their blog to see the beginnings of their essays.

My kids' response to literature has improved.
Their discussions have become rich and engaging.
Vocabulary development is obvious through their writing.


I love to teach writing.

6 comments:

  1. Essay writing is one of my favorite units too! My former 4th graders always had personal essay for the first time in 4th grade. I love that you start it in 3rd!

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  2. Thanks for your comment! I truly see improvement in my students' writing by the end of this unit.

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  3. Really cool idea! The student blog entries look awesome! I agree that, when you allow students to engage with ideas that interest them and are relevant to them, the results can be profound!

    We'd love to hear some of your ideas about creating those kinds of writing experiences for students at Educated Exchange!

    http://www.educatedexchange.com/topic/22/How-to-provide-genuine-and-interesting-experiences-with-writing

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  4. Thank you, Educated Exchange. I just left some thoughts on your site.

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  5. A very nice Blog! i have not seen many people Blog about Writing for Elementary School Students. Look at our Writing Booster Program. Kids really love the CD component. It really gets them engaged in the writing.
    http://www.learningwelled.com/c/@YePMogleil6RY/Pages/product.html?nocache@3+record@2859WCL

    Bruce Brown bbrown@wclm.com

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  6. Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate your comment. I will definitely take a look at the website!

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