Developing Writing Fluency

I struggled with my Writer's Workshop time, thinking about how my students had fantastic ideas, yet their writing wasn't flowing. 

I knew they had it in them, but I was struggling to get them past that hesitation... the fear of it not being "just right." A lot of writer's workshop time is wasted because their writing isn't fluent. 

After much thought, I remembered a writing exercise I'd done in the past at seminars and training on teaching writing. I also thought about how I believe in the need for a warm-up in all areas—reading, math, even singing, and sports! 

I've used discussion as well as graphic organizers for a writing warm-up. Although these definitely have value, they didn't quite do the trick, so I made these booklets. 

They use these booklets and write anything they can think of for two minutes. The only rules are that they cannot erase and that they must keep the pencil moving. If they can't think of anything, they simply write, "I can't think of anything." 

The purpose is to get the thoughts flowing from their brain, through their fingers, onto the paper.

Here's a bonus: we have found that these booklets help the children generate new ideas for writing!

See here: Writer's Workshop Warm-Up Booklet or explore the image to download the resource (it's a Dollar Deal!)  or design your own booklet!

I've been noticing a difference in their writing fluency!

Lessons Learned

This is a story I often repeat to the parents of my students. It's about my daughter's first ice skating experience. 

When my daughter was 6 years old, we went ice skating with a couple of friends. My daughter had never skated before, so I was a little nervous about how she'd react.  We both laced up our skates, I took her by the hand and we both stepped onto the ice.

She started skating right away! She started to lose her balance a couple of times, but I was right by her side and helped her find her balance every time.

After a while, I noticed something odd: she was no longer trying to maintain her balance. That's when I realized I was doing exactly what I frequently advised parents not to do. I was catching her every time she lost her balance! I knew what I had to do.

Of course, I backed off. She fell a few times. She got right back up and skated. By the end of the day, she'd gotten her balance and had a nice rhythm in her skating stride. She was a skater!

It was a nice reminder to parents that we sometimes need to let our children fall. It's definitely not easy, but it's not in the child's best interest to constantly be there to catch them. Sometimes, we have to let them fall.

How do we know when to step back and let them fall?

Martin Luther King Jr. Books, Videos, and Resources

I love teaching my students about Martin Luther King Jr.  

He was an incredible man, and stood for peace!

Although I'm giving away my age, I remember when he was shot. I was a little too young to understand the impact at the time. (I was far more interested in the boys than the politics of the day.) Today I can't watch his speech without tears rushing down my face.  It disturbs me to think that a peaceful man who worked so hard for non-violence was killed in such a violent way.

Literature is a valuable part of my teaching. I've read many books about Dr. King, and they always keep the children engaged.  He was clearly a powerful man. Here are some good ones: (Each is a link to Amazon.)

• Who Was Martin Luther King Jr?
• Martin Luther King Jr. Time for Kids
• National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King Jr. 

                                    

Explore each link to Amazon to learn more about that book!  A video also grabs the attention of the children. Check out this one from Brain Pop.

Or this one from YouTube (Who doesn't love Kid President?):

Although his speech is kind of long for the little ones, this is the last part of that famous speech, and it's worth showing at least part of it to the children. I think the children will understand Dr. King's passion:

Dr.  King taught the world about peace.  Here are some children's books that help with the concept of peace. 

• I am Human: A Book of Empathy
• Kindness is my Superpower: a Chidren's Book About Empathy, Kindness, and Compassion
• Children Who Dance in the Rain: 2023 Children’s Book of the Year Award, a Book About Kindness, Gratitude, and a Child's Determination to Change the World

I also recommend this video:

It certainly tells the story of peace that I want children to learn, and I suspect it's the peaceful world Dr. King dreamed of. Plus, the lyrics are right on the screen for the kids to sing along... over and over!

Here's one more video, a song that warms my heart! It goes right along with the teachings of Dr. King, and is something children will understand:

Finally, here's one of my own resources—it's a sorting activity that's sure to get the kids talking! Their conversations about defending their opinions are amazing! Plus, there are related writing papers to follow up on those rich conversations! See the image for the activity "Just or Unjust?"

You can also get this resource for free by signing up for my emails HERE.

Speaking of activities, I have a couple of MLK activities in this resource: Science and Social Studies Activities for January

It includes a close read about Dr. King.

A mapping activity, based on important places in Dr. King's life.

And making timelines based on Dr. King's life.

See any of the images above to see Science and Social Studies Printables for January! (There is other fun stuff in there, too!)

I'd love to see your ideas for MLK too!

Writer's Workshop

Have I mentioned I'm a big fan of Writer's Workshop? 

I've been doing Writer's Workshop in my classroom for more than 30 years, and have seen a great amount of growth in the children's writing skills.

 

I've been very lucky to have worked with several wonderful mentors who have helped me learn how the Writing Process works, and how to set it up in my classroom. I've watched some fantastic examples of writing conferences and mini lessons. I've used many materials, and have tweeked them to fit my personal style and the levels I teach. I've learned about 6 Traits as well as the Writing Process and have combined it all to fit my needs. 

In case you're not familiar with Writer's Workshop, it's about children writing what is in their hearts. It includes free writing time, conferencing with friends, conferencing with teachers, revising, proofreading, and publishing their written work.

I've been working on some materials to share with you that I've developed for Writer's Workshop in my classroom.

Explore the images below to see my 

Writer's Workshop Starter Kit:

 

 

Explore the image to see my 

Writer's Workshop Horizontal Paper.

Explore the image to see my 

Writer's Workshop Vertical Paper.

Explore the image to see my very favorite book on Writer's Workshop. (It's an affiliate link to Amazon.)

Looking for more? Try this bundle:

How do you use Writer's Workshop in your classroom?