4th Grade Writing

my 28 most tried and true writing prompts

I've been using the Writer's Workshop model of teaching and celebrating writing for the last 8 years, but this is the first year that I feel I've got a good grip on how to help my students organize their Writer's Notebooks (WN). This blog will show you some options for organizing WN's and some sample lessons to help you implement the Writer's Workshop model easily. Please visit my TeachersPayTeachers account to support the work I've done here at…

"Words are a poet's paint...Every word has the power to make something happen." -Poet and Author Georgia Heard What I Know About Writing Strategies The first step in helping kids become great writers is convincing them that they have a story to tell. Authors aren't struck with great story ideas, they work for them. Just like Peyton Manning had to practice to become a first class quarterback or Venus Williams had to practice before becoming a terrific tennis player, authors too must practice…

(corbettharrison.com) Always Write: An Original Writer's Notebook Lesson from Corbett. One of the most amazing writing sites I've ever seen and explored! If I ever teach middle school or high school English again - this site will be a best friend!

We have finally gotten to Olivia's third grade year. She has many projects to complete this year (yay third grade) but the biography poster project is by far the favorite. That may have to do with the creative aspect of this project. Sure the research part must be completed as in any project but the glue and yarn that's fun. The unique aspect of this project is that each child chooses how to present the required information on the poster. They also have to present this poster to the class…

What is a better to learn about adjectives that to describe the nouns we know best? Today we created character study of ourselves by using adjectives.

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Song lyrics are perfect for teaching figurative language! To engage your students, you need to know what they like. What books do they like to read? What movies do they like to see? What do they do in their free time? What kind of music do they like? Having a questionnaire at the beginning of the school year is a great way to find out more about them. I like to have them create a collage mobile with their answers (more on that in another post). But this allows me to gauge what their…

Teacher Idea Factory

Just the thought of doing a research project is enough to send some students into a state of shock, (and fill teachers with dread!). End the fear with this easy method of organizing and writing research projects. Includes templates for animal research, city or state research and research of a histo...

Ok, so I’m a day late. But as promised I’ve uploaded my little Complete Sentence Buddy freebie!! [Click the picture you grab your copy ] We spend a lot of time at the beginning of the year talking about the parts of a complete sentence. Well I wrote the silly song below and my […]

What makes a good writer? How do you become a good writer? Lucy Calkins - author of the Units of Study for Reading and Writing series - offers words of wisdo...

Tidbits and treats for teachers

This is a creative writing activity that can be used all year long. But, it's really fun to plan it for Halloween in October! COMPLETELY DIGITAL!Digital links with complete text boxes are ready to go for students!Included in this writing unit are:Prewriting graphic organizing worksheets to help de...

Creating a Collaborative Community