Focus Lesson 1
Purpose: Introduce Writer’s Workshop
Materials:
Books: (Magic Carpet by Pat Brisson, What Lives Under the Carpet by John Woodard, Emma’s Rug by Allan Say, The Front Hall Carpet by Nicholas Heller)
Chart of the workshop chant
Chart Paper
Markers
***Bell or Chime to signal Writing Workshop Time
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student listens to and reads a variety of literary stories and informational text and materials to gain knowledge and or for pleasure.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will learn the routine of Writing Workshop, so you’ll know what you need to do during our Writing time. All writers have routines that help them work, and today you’ll learn your routine at the share carpet.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
This is our time to think about ideas and stories, to talk about ideas and stories, and to write and draw ideas and stories. This time is our Writing Workshop, and we are the writers. (Determine your own transition tool to signal this time.)
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
Book Selection to link the literature and build background knowledge.
(Emma’s Rug)
Modeling/Active Involvement- Teacher and students establish rules for setting expectations on the carpet. (The carpet is a special place to share stories.)
***Make sure that you take a picture of the children on the carpet. To use on Anchor Chart.
Work Period
Play a game- Have two students model correct and incorrect behavior on the carpet. Other students will have to identify the student who is exhibiting the correct behavior.
Share Time
The students will share a rule that should follow on the carpet.
Note
Emma’s Rug- Reasonably Priced/Good Review
The story is about a girl who comes to a rug to write.
Interactive Writing should be started on the first day of school.
Beginning on the first day of school and thereafter, teachers and students, together, compose messages and “share the pen” as they put words on the paper. They may write text and/or a mural in the classroom, title a bulletin board, write letters or thank you, or list guidelines about how they will work in their room. (Talking, Drawing, Writing Lessons for our youngest writers pg. 97.)
Focus Lesson 2
Purpose:
Introduce Writer’s Workshop- Students will practice using their bodies to listen.
Materials:
Books: Look! Look! Look! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
White paper
Colored Pencils or Markers
Anchor Chart
Chant Chart
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student listens to and reads a variety of literary stories and informational text and materials to gain knowledge and or for pleasure.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will learn the routine of Writing Workshop, so you’ll know what you need to do during our Writing time. All writers have routines that help them work, and today we will learn how to use our eyes, ears, and bodies to watch. We learn how to look with different parts of our bodies. (Looking is very important. When we look, we learn.)
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
This is our time to think about ideas and stories, to talk about ideas and stories, and to write and draw ideas and stories. This time is our Writing Workshop, and we are the writers. (Determine your own transition tool to signal this time.)
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
Book Selection to link the literature and build background knowledge.
(Look! Look! Look!) The mice learn from looking at details from a postcard.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
Teacher and students review the rules for the carpet. (Emphasize the “Watch” component of writing.) The students will revisit the book and look and share important details from the postcard.
***Anchor Chart- Title-Watch
Take a picture of the children on the carpet watching the teacher.
Work Period
Remind children that they learn by watching others around them.
Pair each child with a partner. They will draw a picture of their partner.
Share Time
The students will share their drawings.
Focus Lesson 3
Purpose:
Introduce Writer’s Workshop-Students will be able to share stories orally.
Materials:
Tell Me a Story Mama by Angelia Johnson
Anchor Chart
Chant Chart
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student listens to and reads a variety of literary stories and informational text and materials to gain knowledge and or for pleasure.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will learn the routine of Writing Workshop, so you’ll know what you need to do during our Writing time. All writers have routines that help them work, and today you’ll learn about telling stories. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone loves to hear stories.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
Review the chart and chant.
Ask student to recall what Writing Workshop should look like.
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
Book Selection to link the literature and build background knowledge.
(Tell Me a Story Mama!) The mother tells stories to her daughter.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
Teacher and students review the rules for the carpet. Read the book selection above. Discuss the type of stories the mother told. (Did she enjoy the stories? Why did the little girl want to hear the stories? Did the Mother enjoy sharing the stories?)
Teacher emphasizes that students have stories to share. Ex. Tell your parents about your day. Teacher models telling a simple story about an event from childhood or a recent event to which children can relate. Make a class list of various types of stories. (Sports, Birthdays, Pets, Vacations, and etc.)
Work Period
Share a story with a partner.
Share Time
Have a couple of students to share their stories.
Note
Take a picture of students sharing a story with a friend. (Place this picture on the anchor chart under “Planning a Story.”)
It might benefit students to repeat this Focus lesson several times over a week or so before going on to the next lesson, particularly for students who have difficulty with language.
Focus Lesson 4
Purpose:
Introduce Writer’s Notebook
Materials:
Tell Me a Story Mama by Angelia Johnson
Teacher’s Enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Large Chart Paper)
Student Journal (Wrapped)
Markers
Decorations of choice for Notebook
Name Labels for Notebooks
Anchor Chart
Chant Chart
Prewrapped Journals
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will learn the routine of Writing Workshop, so you’ll know what you need to do during our Writing time. All writers have routines that help them work, and today you’ll learn about telling stories. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone loves to hear stories.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
Review the chart and chant.
Ask student to recall what Writing Workshop should look like.
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
Book Selection to link the literature and build background knowledge.
(Tell Me a Story Mama!) Review the story from yesterday.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
Teacher and students review the rules for the carpet. The teacher will model a personal story using her enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Chart Paper.) For example, zoom in on a small moment. (Beach-Focus on finding a seashell.) The teacher will tell students that this notebook is a special place where they can put their thoughts and stories. The teacher will present the students with their wrapped journals. The students will have to recognize their name on preprinted gift labels. They will attach their label to the notebook.
Work Period
The students will decorate their journals with materials provided by the teacher. (Stickers, Foam sticky pieces, Markers, Glitter Pens, and etc.)
Share Time
The students will show their decorated covers to the class.
Note
Teacher will designate a specific place for their journals to be placed on a daily basis. Teach the procedure for completing this task.
Take a picture of a child putting the notebook in the correct location.
Focus Lesson 5-10
Purpose:
Storytelling using Pictures
Materials:
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola or any Wordless Picture Book
Teacher’s Enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Large Chart Paper)
Student Journal
Markers
Anchor Chart
Chant Chart
Magazine Picture
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we are learning that we tell stories using pictures.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
Review the chart and chant .
Ask student to recall what Writing Workshop should look like.
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
The teacher will show a picture from a magazine. The students will brainstorm what is happening in the picture.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
The teacher will explain that by looking at pictures we can still tell a story without words. Authors use pictures to tell stories. The teacher will model using the book. Turn and talk to a neighbor about a story you could tell using just pictures.
Work Period
Send students to designated writing area. The students will draw a picture in their writing journal.
Share Time
The students will share their wordless story. (Choose a couple of students to share.) Teachers could use a management tool to keep up with who has shared.
Note
Take a picture on Day 5 of students drawing and sharing. (Place these pictures on the anchor chart under “Drawing and Sharing.”)
Repeat Lesson using other wordless picture books. Continue this plan for the next five days. As you teach the lesson, give the student more responsibility in retelling the story.
On Lesson 10- Evaluation Tool- Put out a variety of wordless picture books. Students tell a story using the pictures. Teacher will monitor the small groups.
**Here are few more wordless picture books you could use –
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
This website has lots of wordless picture books listed:
Focus Lessons 11-19
Purpose:
Drawing People
Materials:
My Big Brother by Miriam Cohen
Teacher’s Enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Large Chart Paper)
Student Journals (Examples of Student’s People Sketches)
Markers
Anchor Chart
Chant Chart
Overhead Transparency
Black Pen
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we are learning that we can make people look real by using ovals.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
Review the chart and chant .
Ask student to recall what Writing Workshop should look like.
I have stories
I have pictures
And they’re sleeping in my head
I wake them up
I write them down
Then I share them with my friend
Look at students’ previous work in journals. Talk about the shapes that you see in the drawings.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
Read the story My Big Brother. The author made the character look real. Discuss the shapes that she used. The teacher will model drawing a character from their story using ovals. Students will look in their notebooks to see if they have used these shapes in their drawings.
Work Period
Send students to designated writing area. The students will draw a picture in their writing journal.Look for evidence that students are using shapes to draw pictures.
Share Time
The students will share their shape people. (Choose a couple of students to share.) Teachers could use a management tool to keep up with who has shared.
Notes
Repeat for Lessons 12-19. Continue this plan for the next five days. As you teach the lesson, give the student more ideas on providing more details for their pictures. (Refer to Talking, Drawing, Writing Lessons for Our Youngest Writers by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Gacobboe on pages 73-96) The book has nine lessons that teach your kids to draw. Each school’s Instructional Coach should have at least one copy of this book.
Other suggested books:
Our New Puppy by Isabelle Harper
Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin
Goal by Robert Burleigh
Focus Lessons 20
Purpose:
Celebration
Materials:
Teacher’s Enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Large Chart Paper)
Special Drawing Paper
Different art mediums (markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.)
Teacher Reward of Choice
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will celebrate our ability to illustrate and write stories.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
Review steps to drawing people and places
Modeling/Active Involvement-
The teacher will model drawing a story on his/her enlarged drawing and writing book using the strategies taught in lessons 11-19.
Work Period
Send students to designated writing area. The students will draw a picture on their special paper using the strategies taught in lessons 11-19.
Share Time
Students will share drawing/writing with the class. Teacher may want to display these special drawing/writing on a bulletin board or outside the classroom.
Notes
Teachers may want to reward students with a treat such as a special pencil for writing or snack.
Focus Lessons 21
Purpose:
Listening for sounds in words
Materials:
Teacher’s Enlarged Drawing and Writing Book (Large Chart Paper)
Student Journals (The students will select a picture of their choice.)
Transparencies of Students’ Work
Overhead Projector
Markers
Standards
ELAKW1-The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
ELAKW1 (b) – The student will use drawings, letters, and phonetically spelled words to create meaning.
ELAKLSV1- The student uses oral and visual skills to communicate.
ELAKR6-The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
Intended Learning Statement
Today we will learn another way to write stories. You can write stories by adding words.
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
The teacher will provide an example of student’s writings on overhead transparencies. The students will ask questions/comments about the drawings. The teacher will show students how to label beginning sounds in their pictures/drawings. When we label our picture, it helps to answer questions that readers have.
Modeling/Active Involvement-
As students are gathered on the carpet, they will be asked to look back in their own writing journal and select a picture of their choice. The students will try to label beginning sounds in their picture. **You may have students that will be able to write whole words or sentences. Let students work at their independent ability level.
Work Period
So, today as you write, when you’re learning to write words, you can’t possibly know how to spell every word correctly. But what you can do is give it your best try: First, think of what you want to say. Say the word slowly. Listen for the sounds in the word. Ask yourself, “What letter makes that sound?” Write the letters for the sounds you hear. (Talking, Drawing, Writing for Lessons for our Youngest Writers pg. 101)