Writer's Workshop Writing Units
The fifth unit of writing taught in first grade this year is Series Writing (Realistic Fiction)
In this final unit in the first grade curriculum, we will lead your children into series writing. First graders will go through the process of creating a pretend character, giving that character adventures in more than one booklet, elaborating and revising across books, and finally, creating a "boxed set" of stories.
In this final unit in the first grade curriculum, we will lead your children into series writing. First graders will go through the process of creating a pretend character, giving that character adventures in more than one booklet, elaborating and revising across books, and finally, creating a "boxed set" of stories.
Our fourth unit of writing is Writing Reviews
In this unit, we teach children how to channel their natural abilities of persuasion into writing designed to state an opinion. We will be sorting, raking, categorizing, explaining, convincing, persuading, arguing, giving in, and changing opinions through writing. The children will learn how to state an opinion and reasons in ways that convince an audience in a compelling way, then provide some sort of closure. Take a look below at examples of the different types of opinion writing!
In this unit, we teach children how to channel their natural abilities of persuasion into writing designed to state an opinion. We will be sorting, raking, categorizing, explaining, convincing, persuading, arguing, giving in, and changing opinions through writing. The children will learn how to state an opinion and reasons in ways that convince an audience in a compelling way, then provide some sort of closure. Take a look below at examples of the different types of opinion writing!
Our third unit of writing is Informational Books: Personal Expertise.
Nonfiction reading and writing is the most common type of text that literate adults use. To aid young students in successfully writing informational text, they need to learn how to navigate through various steps of the process: generate ideas, plan, draft, revise, edit and publish. Your child's teacher is assisting him/her in discovering what the different types of informational text look like and the structures and features proficient writers utilize when writing for various purposes.Therefore, students need multiple opportunities across the year to study and write informative/explanatory texts. This unit is similar to the “Writing All-About Books” unit. Students will be writing about topics in which they have personal expertise, drawing on their experiences and knowledge. This type of writing starts in kindergarten and progresses in sophistication and concepts from first grade to second grade and beyond.
Nonfiction reading and writing is the most common type of text that literate adults use. To aid young students in successfully writing informational text, they need to learn how to navigate through various steps of the process: generate ideas, plan, draft, revise, edit and publish. Your child's teacher is assisting him/her in discovering what the different types of informational text look like and the structures and features proficient writers utilize when writing for various purposes.Therefore, students need multiple opportunities across the year to study and write informative/explanatory texts. This unit is similar to the “Writing All-About Books” unit. Students will be writing about topics in which they have personal expertise, drawing on their experiences and knowledge. This type of writing starts in kindergarten and progresses in sophistication and concepts from first grade to second grade and beyond.
Our second unit of writing was: Writing a Sequence of Instruction: How-To Books.
This is also called "procedural writing."
The children are learning how to:
-Select a topic and begin rehearsing.
-Plan books through sketching the pictures first.
-Go back and check their steps for clarity.
-Role play directions with their partner to check for clarity.
-Add clear and precise pictures and words to help readers understand directions.
-Use supportive features to help their readers learn (e.g. title, materials, steps, pictures).
-Use precise words to be clear about each step and to help their reader follow steps in order.
-Use an introduction to entice readers and provide some sense of closure.
-Work with partners to make sure their books make sense and have all the information needed.
-Practice revising their how-To book to add more detail, correct spelling and use punctuation.
This is also called "procedural writing."
The children are learning how to:
-Select a topic and begin rehearsing.
-Plan books through sketching the pictures first.
-Go back and check their steps for clarity.
-Role play directions with their partner to check for clarity.
-Add clear and precise pictures and words to help readers understand directions.
-Use supportive features to help their readers learn (e.g. title, materials, steps, pictures).
-Use precise words to be clear about each step and to help their reader follow steps in order.
-Use an introduction to entice readers and provide some sense of closure.
-Work with partners to make sure their books make sense and have all the information needed.
-Practice revising their how-To book to add more detail, correct spelling and use punctuation.
The first unit (out of six units) of our writing curriculum is called Launching Writer's Workshop.
We start by reading a few books (we call them mentor texts) to help the children understand what a Small Moment story is. We talked about the qualities of a good Small Moment story and your first grader started gathering ideas and writing his/her own small moment story.
Small Moment stories are when an author takes a true story from his/her life and instead of telling the whole story, she/he tells a small part of the story and stretches it.
Your child will be learning how writers narrow the focus of their ideas, thinking about where their story begins and ends. We will practice telling stories across our fingers, telling stories using a storyteller's voice, and using drawings to plan ideas and add more details to writing.
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We start by reading a few books (we call them mentor texts) to help the children understand what a Small Moment story is. We talked about the qualities of a good Small Moment story and your first grader started gathering ideas and writing his/her own small moment story.
Small Moment stories are when an author takes a true story from his/her life and instead of telling the whole story, she/he tells a small part of the story and stretches it.
Your child will be learning how writers narrow the focus of their ideas, thinking about where their story begins and ends. We will practice telling stories across our fingers, telling stories using a storyteller's voice, and using drawings to plan ideas and add more details to writing.
.
"Invented" Spelling
During
Writer's Workshop, the children are encouraged to stretch words slowly, writing
the sounds they hear.
Invented spelling allows children to communicate in writing long before they are ready to spell each word correctly. Another benefit is that children can express their ideas quickly and smoothly in a first draft, without being bogged down by trying to spell each word correctly. Invented spelling also helps children progress toward standard spelling. Sounding out words and predicting how they will be spelled reinforces students' understanding of the connection between letters and sounds, and lets them experiment with the spelling patterns they are learning. As they edit their writing and make a final draft, students get additional practice with the correct forms of words.
The only words we expect your child to spell correctly are those "sight" words we learn each week (they come home each Monday). These are words that we expect first graders to know in a "snap" - words such as like, the, to, and, etc.
So the next time your first grader asks you how to spell something, tell them to stretch the sounds and write what they hear!
Invented spelling allows children to communicate in writing long before they are ready to spell each word correctly. Another benefit is that children can express their ideas quickly and smoothly in a first draft, without being bogged down by trying to spell each word correctly. Invented spelling also helps children progress toward standard spelling. Sounding out words and predicting how they will be spelled reinforces students' understanding of the connection between letters and sounds, and lets them experiment with the spelling patterns they are learning. As they edit their writing and make a final draft, students get additional practice with the correct forms of words.
The only words we expect your child to spell correctly are those "sight" words we learn each week (they come home each Monday). These are words that we expect first graders to know in a "snap" - words such as like, the, to, and, etc.
So the next time your first grader asks you how to spell something, tell them to stretch the sounds and write what they hear!
Handwriting
Research
supports the active teaching of handwriting. Recent findings demonstrate that
writing by hand improves creative writing skills and fine motor skills. In
fact, elementary students have been found to write more and faster by hand than
when keyboarding.
The first grade curriculum uses Handwriting Without Tears® which teaches how to formulate letters in developmental order. Teaching letters in a developmental order helps children master skills and boosts confidence. Capitals were taught extensively in Kindergarten, so lowercase letters are emphasized heavily in first grade. All letters are taught in small groups of similar formation. Children master the easier letter groups, and then move to the more difficult letters groups.
The first grade curriculum uses Handwriting Without Tears® which teaches how to formulate letters in developmental order. Teaching letters in a developmental order helps children master skills and boosts confidence. Capitals were taught extensively in Kindergarten, so lowercase letters are emphasized heavily in first grade. All letters are taught in small groups of similar formation. Children master the easier letter groups, and then move to the more difficult letters groups.