Write

I love teaching writing.
Our school uses Collins Writing and Keys to Literacy.

Which is so funny since John Collins is married to Becky DeSmith who is a KTL Trainer.
Anyhoo. I adore both these programs and think they have made a gigantic impact on my students as readers and writers.

I've started writing more to show the kids that joy in writing.
When they read during independent reading, 4 out of the 5 days I read.
Something I'm intereted in.
I just finished Fortunately, Milk and found a higher reader who devoured it after me.
Before that I read Fish In A Tree...if you have not read it, stop reading this and go get it.
The other day I assess where they, evaluate their Accelerated Reader Assessments, etc.

Same thing with writing.
But "just" teaching them to write, doesn't necessarily inspire writing.
Fears of spelling and grammar mistakes can hold back even the brightest kid.

So at least twice, if not more times in a week, we do a quick write that's sole purpose is fun.
Not to be over edited and rewritten so it's pretty, just to get our ideas out...and share them.

A few years ago now I found an And Then...box on a shelf in a store here in Western Massachusetts called the Cedar Chest, it's eclectic and fun.

My better half limits the amount of time I spend there as their stationary section steals my heart the second we lock eyes.  "We don't need any more paper!" He'll say, before buying me some because he knows I won't let us leave otherwise.

And we LOVE LOVE LOVE And Then.
It's a simple box with a simple concept:
There is a set of cards with a little bit of a story.

Each story ends with...dun dun dun...AND THEN...

And that's when the kids pick up their pencils and start writing.
The first few times we did it, I wrote WITH them.
Now I just write my own while they are writing theirs.

To add an extra element of fun, I pick a student number to come up and "Pick a card, any card" and they take that responsibility very seriously.

Here's an early example with the card I read aloud and the student writing - and yes, I love her big ole enthusiasm as much as the next teacher, sometimes, you just gotta write - and I mean, can you tell it really was the WORST DAY EVER!!!! LOL :)

I don't know if Cedar Chest still carries this, so I've linked you to two of my favorite sites, Volume One is carried by Jet - so when you order you groceries this month, throw one in your cart.  And Volume 2 is carried by Le Target Boutique ;).

Volume #1
Volume #2