"It's Fall, Ya' All"

Time for Some Fall Writing FUN!

Fall is here and it's time to to fill your walls with writing. It's not too early to get your students writing! 

Why not start with a simple small group writing lesson? 

This template is perfect for your small-group time.

Here is how it works:

(It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!)

1.  Meet with a small group of about 5 or 6 students. 

Here is the small group I met with ON HALLOWEEN! 

Give them each a piece of lined paper with the prompt "On Halloween, I will be __________." printed on it.  

Ask each child to write their name at the top and then create an illustration of what they want to be for Halloween.

(You can also use one of my Halloween Writing templates. Students trace the dotted letters with a pencil.) 

Click the image above to grab the entire set of 20 templates. 

2. While students are drawing, ask each child to tell you what they want to be for Halloween. You write what they tell you on lined Post-its or dry-erase boards so it can be copied by each child.

You can use lined dry-erase magnets like these.
I got these at Target's Dollar Spot. 

Idea: Laminate construction paper with samples of the alphabet and a number line attached.
Then, I add a piece of lined dry-erase contact paper to each mat.
Then, I can take students' dictation, write it on the dry-erase paper,
and they can copy it. I still need to add the dry-erase paper to the green, blue, and purple mats. 

3.  Students should use unwrapped, broken, black crayons to fill in the black background so it looks like nighttime. 

I like to post their seasonal writing on a 12" X 12" frame that has a file clip (the type they used in medical files prior to the use of computers) attached to the top through two holes. 

This is a writing sample we did later in the year.
I just wanted you to see how the clips work. 

As students produce a new writing sample, all I have to do is punch two holes at the top and add it to the clip. 

This is a sample of their springtime writing.
I continue to add their monthly writing throughout the year.
At the end of the year, open the clips, remove the work, and send it home.

Celebrate Autumn:

If you would rather have your students write about fall, you can use this template after brainstorming things you can do in the fall like rake, collect, or play in piles of leaves, walk in the rain, run in the wind, or celebrate Thanksgiving.  

Click the image to grab the entire set of 20 templates. 

You follow the same procedure: (It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!)

1. Students illustrate while you take dictation.

2. Students trace the dotted letters and copy from their dictation.

3. Students add background color (they can use unwrapped, broken, blue crayons to look like the sky) and you post their writing on the bulletin board. 

You can get the entire set of 20 templates by 

CLICKING HERE.

Sneak Peek @ my next blogpost: 
Using Daily Writing Journals in Kindergarten.
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