Writing
Curriculum Information
There will be a Writing Workshop each day. It begins with a writing lesson (mini-lesson) in which the skills of good writing are explicitly taught. Writers are gathered for this large group direct instruction, and taught a strategy or method that they can use to make their writing stronger, clearer, and/or more correct. After the mini-lesson, the students work on their own writing. As the students work, I confer with individuals or small groups of writers who share the same instructional needs, to further their understanding and progression of their writing. After this independent writing, they gather again for a teaching share time.
Students will follow the Writing Process which includes:
Prewriting or Planning/Rehearsal
Drafting
Revising
Editing or Proofreading
Publishing
We will begin the year by writing Personal Narratives. This unit builds well on last year's narrative work and is meant not only to teach them qualities of good narrative writing, but it's also designed to help them develop stamina, focus, structure, detail, a sense of purpose, an appreciation for conventions, and an enthusiasm for writing.
As the year progresses, your child will learn to write in a variety of other genres including persuasive/opinion writing, literary essay, as well as informational writing. The year will be divided into these genre units. During each unit, your child will learn more about qualities of good writing and about writing processes. They'll also learn a variety of strategies to draw upon during each stage of the writing process.
We will certainly also teach the conventions of good writing, which include punctuation, grammar, and strategies for accurate spelling. Much of the instruction on conventions and spelling will take place during our word study time, using various grammar applications and programs. We will also spend time exploring Greek and Latin roots and developing vocabularies, with the intent that your child's growing proficiency with the conventions of writing transfers into their work during writing workshop.
We will talk a lot about living a "writerly life" this year, which means looking at the world through the lens of a writer and noticing small moments or happenings in our lives that might make for good stories. You can help your child by talking with him/her about how their everyday experiences might translate into their Writer's Notebook.
Helpful Resources