Writer's Workshop Begins!

The WRITER’S WORKSHOP has been a hit so far!  Our goal through Writer’s Workshop is to have each student complete authentic writing. 

Authentic writing means:

ü  The writing is personal.

ü  Can hear the writer’s voice in their writing.

ü  Work is original.

ü  Stems from connections.

ü  Important to the writer.

Authentic writing:

ü  Creates pride in writer.

ü  Allows writer to express feelings.

The students' "special" Writer's Workshop bins! (Thank you parents for bringing cereal boxes!)

 

Our first Unit during the Writer’s Workshop is focused on the genre of Journals!  People write journals about themselves.  People also write so they can remember what happened to them.  People write in journals to feel better. 

 Some of you may be thinking… “uh…but my child does not know how to write?”  That is ok!  That is what is so great about Writer’s Workshop; it allows each child to work at their own level!  We encourage students to write words or sentences associated with their picture.   Initially, if a student does not know how to sound out words yet, we encourage the student to write the letters we are working on that week in school.   However, we phase each student into sounding out and writing their own words or sentences that go along with their pictures.  Already in the first couple days of Writer’s Workshop I can see the students’ wheels are turning….sounding out words to match a word or words for their drawings.  It’s awesome!  The journal idea packets are relied on heavily!  The students did a phenomenal job on them!

There is an excellent website I invite you to encourage your son or daughter to visit if they are ever bored at home.  They love it in class and it is the one of the best educational websites for young people!  www.starfall.com

We use this website as part of our technology center for Phonics/Reading centers and for a Math center. 

 

The students have been working really hard on Math this week too.  We have been trying to improve our number line in our head.  We have been looking at numbers and deciding what numbers are greater than, less than or equal to for that number.  I have some really fun activities planned for next week to continue our work on these concepts that include Fruit Loops for my constantly hungry Kindergarteners! J  It’s ok, I am hungry all the time too! 

Some of the students work below I wanted to show! 

 

The students are filling up their personal billboards with their work.  The students choose what they would like to showcase in their area.  They are very proud of what they have accomplished so far.  As they should be!