Kindergarten Writing Lesson
Lesson Theme: Start Smart Week 2
Writing Objectives: Establishing Writer’s WorkshopStandards(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills):
K.13A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion
K.13B develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story
K.13C revise drafts by adding details or sentences
K.13D edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words
K.13E share writing with others
K.14A dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence
K.14B write short poems
K.15 Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to dictate or write information for lists, captions, or invitations.
K.16A understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking (with adult assistance):
(i) past and future tenses when speaking
(ii) nouns (singular/plural)
(iii) descriptive words
(iv) prepositions and simple prepositional phrases appropriately when speaking or writing (e.g., in, on, under, over)
(v) pronouns (e.g., I, me)
K.16B speak in complete sentences to communicate
K.16C use complete simple sentences
K.17A form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression)
K.17B capitalize the first letter in a sentence
K.17C use punctuation at the end of a sentence
K.18A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters
K.18B use letter-sound correspondences to spell consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words (e.g., "cut")
K.18C write one's own name
K.19A ask questions about topics of class-wide interest
K.19B decide what sources or people in the classroom, school, library, or home can answer these questions
K.20A gather evidence from provided text sources
K.20B use pictures in conjunction with writing when documenting research
Enduring Understanding
- Everyone has a story to tell.
- Mini lesson is where students learn, listen and share ideas with classmates.
- During share time students are respectful of classmates.
- Why do I need to plan my writing?
- How can I add details to my work?
- Why do I need to do my best work?
- Why is sharing my story with others important?
Vocabulary
Writer’s Workshop, journals, partners, authors, conferencing, details, labels, spaces
Journal
Journals should be used when needed to teach the mechanics and conventions of writing. Entries in the journals may not happen daily or even weekly. These journal pages will act as a reference for the students when they are writing during writer’s workshop.
Writer’s Workshop – WW
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum on a daily basis. Students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic. The Writer's Workshop format includes story planning, revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. The goal is to move pre-emergent/ emergent readers into the writing process by eliciting a story from a drawing, recording the student's words in dictation form on the drawing and encouraging the student to move from drawing to writing by guiding the student in the use of phonics to sound out words.
Writer”sWorkshop:
10 minutes: establish purpose/read mentor text
5 minutes: discuss lesson with class
5-20 minutes: writing time (must establish stamina)
10 minutes sharing
5 minutes: In the beginning of the school year you will use this time to check procedures and routines and
re-teach if necessary
*Shared and interactive writing should be incorporated throughout the day in addition to the independent Writer’s Workshop.
Materials and Resources
Books: Hands Can by Cheryl Willis Hudson(Treasures),Bunny Loves to Write by Peter Bently; Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown; Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells; Yoko Writes Her Name by Rosemary Wells, Chester’s Masterpiece by Melanie Watt, Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills,Pancakes for Breakfast by TomieDePaola; Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day or No! David by David Shannon
Materials:
Chart paper
Markers
pre-made booklets
Anchor Charts – Created with Students
Writing Lessons
When modeling writing, remind children about conventions of writing: capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, spaces between words, period at the end of the sentence. You may refer to Jessica Meacham for specific lessons or Lucy Calkins books.
Lesson 1: Spacing between words *Journal
- Book: Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by M. Burns, Not Enough Room by J. Rocklin, Too Many Chickens by P. Bourgeois, (see J. Meacham for other book ideas)
- Mini Lesson: Jessica Meacham has three days of lessons on spacing between words and letters. You can choose any or all of her lessons to teach spacing. Here is one of her lessons: Gather students around the carpet area. Tell students that today's book will help us all to become better writers. Read Not Enough Room by Joanne Rocklin. Facilitate discussion about how the characters were overcrowded in their room. Discuss how they tried to solve their problem. Say, "Sometimes if I am in a hurry, the letters and words in my writing get overcrowded." Show the class a pre-written story. Say, "I have a problem with my story." Point to the overcrowded letters and words noted with highlighter tape or post it notes. Ask, "How can I fix my problem of overcrowded letters and words?" Remind students that spaces should be put between letters and words. Allow for conversation about fixing the problem. Say, "I could try to do those things now, but it is very hard to fix the problem once I've already written mywords." Ask, "Should I try to remember next time that words and letters need spaces between them." Say, "Yes, I should try to remember that every time I write a letter and word - - they do need spaces." Conclude that spaces should be put between letters and words. Dismiss students for Writer's Workshop.
- Book: Bunny Cakes or Yoko Writes Her Name by Rosemary Wells, Hands Can(Texas Treasures)
- Mini Lesson: Explain to students that they will write and tell stories each day during Writer’s Workshop. We are all writers because we all have stories to tell. Today we are going to begin to tell stories about what we can do. Teacher and students will create a picture web to organize our thoughts.
- Model Your Thinking: “This week we have learned the words “I” and “can”. Let’s put those together and think about what we can do. Hmmm, there are lots of things I can do. I can…” Think aloud as you draw and write. Begin to create a picture web of things you can do. Ex: “Ican go to the park with my friends. I can swim.I love to go swimming! I can play with my mom’s dog.” (Stretch the sounds as you write.) I am going to label, add details, talk about color choices, etc.
- Tell students to think about things that they can do. There are lots of things you can do, some are easy and some may be hard. Students turn to their partners/neighbors and share.(Remind them to be good listeners.)
- Students will then have the opportunity to create their own picture web in their journals of things they can do. Encourage them to add details, labels, etc.
- Sharing:Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning.
Students learn and practice daily routines of Writer’s Workshop in order to manage their writing behavior independently.
- Book: Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills or Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown
- Mini Lesson:Students learn and practice daily routines of Writers Workshop in order to manage their writing behavior independently. In the previous lesson students created their own picture web in their journal. Today they will use their webs to begin to write and draw in a booklet. Because Writer’s Workshop is geared to create independent writers, the students are given a choice to write “I can…” or they can draw pictures and try to label or a variation of the two.
- Introduce booklets: During Writer’s Workshop, students will beuseing booklets throughout the year. These booklets are pre-made (a great job for parent volunteers). They can be different sizes, different number of pages, and different formats. Eventually these books will teach children to plan for and write a book with several pages. In the beginning of the year the booklets can be used to collect writing for a day or a week.Tell the students, “We will put our stories on paper and keep them in our own special books.”
- Model Your Thinking: “I am going to use my web from yesterday to help me write in my booklet today.” Think aloud as you write. “Today I will write what I can do. I am not going to forget to leave spaces when I write.”
- Students tell, draw and write what they can do as best they can. Encourage them to add details.
- Sharing: Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning.
- Book:Bunny Loves to Write by Peter Bently or read an autobiographical book
- Mini Lesson:Continue to encourage students’ writing and let students know they will get to tell stories everyday. Review previous day’s lesson. “Yesterday we wrote about what I can do…”
- Model Your Thinking: Think aloud as you write. “Today I will write about myself. I am going to turn back to my journal and use what I wrote about myself previously to help me come up with a plan.” “When I write I will remember I need to leave spaces between words.”
- Remind students to label, add color, etc.
- Students tell, draw, and write the storiesthey have from their lives and from their diverse cultural experiences as best they can. Encourage students to add details, labels, etc.
- Sharing:Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning.
Austin ISD K Department, 2014/ 2015 Page 1