Do you teach your first and second-grade students to learn how to write a paragraph? In this post, I share ideas, lessons, and activities for students to learn how to write their own paragraphs in a structured way. Before I dive in, I wanted to let you know you can watch or listen to all […]
Simple tips for improving writing in your second or third grade classroom. These tips are a must if you want better writers!
A checklist of 2nd grade writing skills included in the toolkit.
These no-prep 1st and 2nd grade writing prompts give students daily practice in a fun way to build independence and strong writing skills!
K-1 POETRY UNIT I love teaching poetry to kindergarten and first grade students! Even though I have this labeled as Unit 8 in my Writing Series , I actually teach poetry throughout the entire year. We follow the same routine and students look forward to our poetry week every month.
It's hard to teach students how to expand their sentences. The book 'A Cow on the Couch' is the perfect activity for expanding sentences.
Hello Everyone! I love helping first graders express themselves through writing. For me, the first semester of first grade is all about creating a safe environment for them to feel comfortable putting their thoughts down on paper. We work on all the different ways to incorporate written expression into our day. I just love when one of my little would rather write than do anything else! Well we are now all about making our great writing even better...That means editing. I don't know about you, but it has been my experience that kids do not like going back to fix anything in their writing! Does anyone truly love editing? Hence the challenge, making editing engaging. After researching and trying different things and I think I finally came up with something that the kids can understand, use, and grow. We compared different pieces and rated them. We will use them as rubrics to compare our own writing. We learned about a few first grade friendly editing marks. We modeled editing on an old piece. Then we received out "Editing Super Visors," and special editing pens. I love to have my kids peer edit, so we got with our writing partners right away and picked a piece on which to work our editing magic. TaDah!! Engagement! Our Editing Super Visors I did put all these ideas into a micro unit about editing and rubrics. A quick set of printable rubrics with rating numbers for your own quick print and go micro unit, CLICK HERE!! Or CLICK HERE for a new and improved version of the unit!! I hope you can use some of this!! As always, if you see any typos or anything that should be fixed (or edited!! Ha Ha!) please don't hesitate to holler at me!! Thanks for stopping by for a peek! Stay tuned for more first grade fun!! Joyfully! Nancy
Want to elevate your students' writings from the beginning. These brainstorming ideas can set your students up for better writings.
Informational writing can be a very new type of writing for many elementary students in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Primary students are usually used to writing in their daily journal or creating fictional
The list of 2nd grade writing prompts here can help children to express their feelings and reflect on their emotions.
When teaching narrative writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, there are so many writing skills to cover. They range from creating a sequence of events (beginning, middle, and end) to more difficult
3rd Grade Writing Worksheets can help kids step it up a notch in their writing skills. Practice paragraph and multi-paragraph compositions. Introduce them to simple thesis statements that are thought out and supported by research and organization. Teach how stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Prompt ideas in their story writing and more. Our […]
Paragraph Writing in 1st and 2nd Grade Just a few months ago we welcomed our first-grade friends and they were able to write a few words and if we were lucky, a complete sentence. How can we help t…
Simple tips for improving writing in your second or third grade classroom. These tips are a must if you want better writers!
Are you ready for the month of March? We are all geared up for some fun learning this month! Our March NO PREP packets are done and we are ready to go!
Use these writing worksheets for 2nd grade to help you provide your child with the writing skills they need. Grab your free copies today!
One of the hardest parts of narrative writing is crafting a strong introduction. Teach young authors the art of narrative writing introductions with these ideas!
2nd Grade Writing Worksheets are a great way to get children thinking in a communicative way. When we communicate we tell a story. Much of our communication is an expression of action, emotion, direction and of course the details. In order to reach others, we typically use words. And written words are so very important. […]
Teaching opinion writing can be a lot of fun in First Grade. First graders have LOTS of opinions, and they love to share them! Here are a few ideas that have helped me to teach opinion writing to first graders. Start by teaching students how to write a topic sentence. I have found that having an anchor chart with sentence starters for students to refer to is super helpful. I like to create the chart in front of the students. It might look something like this: Once the chart is completed, hang it in the room for students to be able to refer to throughout the year. Don't rush it! At the beginning of the year, I like for students to be able to write a topic sentence and two reason sentences. I like to do modeled writing in front of the kids before I ask them to do it on their own. If three sentences are too much for your students, then start with a topic sentence with one reason sentence. You can also teach students to write one opinion sentence with "because" as a linking word. As the year progresses, we will add a third reason. By the middle to end of the year, we will be able to write a five-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence, three reasons, and a closing sentence. Usually, the hardest part for first graders is thinking of good reasons for their opinions. I love using a “Discussion Web” to help develop this skill. This is a simple strategy to use. I like to gather students around me by the easel. Start by having a question in the middle of your chart, and two columns on the sides. It should be a question that can have strong opinions on both sides. The chart above has More/Less as headings but you could also have Yes/No, or other headings as needed. Then lead the class in a discussion of both view points. List student responses on the chart. Then, students are ready to complete an opinion writing piece on the question. Last, have fun with opinion writing! There are so many great topics students can write about. These digital prompts are perfect for displaying on your interactive whiteboard. You can also print them in black and white to use them as worksheets. I have created a free chart to get your started. You can download it here. Looking for more great writing ideas? Check out my Writing Interactive Notebook for First Grade.
Aloha friends! Summer is flying by for me. I cannot believe it is already July!! I had a list a mile long of things I needed to do and I have barely made a dent. However, I have been enjoying myself a great deal, swimming, working out, catching up with friends and binge watching lots of Netflix!! One thing that I can cross off my list is finishing up my Grammar Centers for the Reading Wonders series. Actually all of my Wonders products are complete now!!! Each of these units covers the grammar skills that are covered in the Wonders units. They are great for Daily 5 word work rotations or small group activities. Each unit comes with activities that cover a skill and a practice sheet for reinforcement. Much more engaging than a workbook! Each also has a color and black and white version to make printing easier and more affordable. I also have Morning Work for each unit. These include practice for grammar, spelling and vocabulary for each unit. The skills begin simple and spiral through the year. My kids did so well with this format this year! Finally, I have Spelling Lists for each of the units that include printable lists for On-Level, Above Level and Approaching, vocabulary words and definitions, high-frequency words and sentences for spelling dictation. Spelling Unit 1 is free in my TpT shop to give you an idea of what's included in the other packs. It does not include everything that I added to the other units. I guess I should add that to my list ;) Hope your summer is progressing well and that these resources will come in handy down the line.
Use these daily writing prompts for 2nd grade students as a fun way to get your class interested in writing and to help them develop their language skills.
With students in your classroom who may not have the basics of sentence writing completely down yet, it can be overwhelming to plan tackling opinion writing with students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. For young
3rd Grade Writing Worksheets can help kids step it up a notch in their writing skills. Practice paragraph and multi-paragraph compositions. Introduce them to simple thesis statements that are thought out and supported by research and organization. Teach how stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Prompt ideas in their story writing and more. Our […]
Keep young writers engaged with these 18 fun and creative writing prompts for 2nd grade, fostering a love for storytelling that lasts all year long.
