WRITER'S WORKSHOP MINI LESSONS

Editing: Mini Lessons for Checking a Writing Piece for Capitalization, Punctuation, Spacing, and Illustrations, Etc.

The pencil anchor chart on the wall was created by me based on the work of the wonderful Kindergarten teachers at Washington Elementary School in Sheboygan, WI.  They are a "Comprehensive Literacy School" based on Linda Dorn's work in Arkansas, and shared the pencil anchor chart idea with a team of teachers that visited them a few years ago.  Thanks to them for their originality and generous sharing spirits!

• Large Editing Icons for Pencil:     

• Small Student Editing Pencils:    

Lesson 8: Asking, "Did I use finger spaces"

Gather students around the carpet area.

Briefly discuss what was learned the past few days...

Point to the pencil ANCHOR CHART on the wall.

	Color 8.5 x 11 Checklist Pictures	Empty Color Student Pencil Checklist Picture	Non-Moveable Color Icons Student Pencil Checklists	Moveable Color Icons Student Pencil Checklists

 

 

 

Say, "We learned about making sure that our pictures match their words."

Say, "If our pictures don't match their words, that is a problem and we can fix the problem."

Say, "We learned that we start our sentences with a capital letter."

Say, "If we didn't start our sentence with a capital letter, that is a problem, and we can fix the problem."

Tell students that today's book will help us all to become better writers.

Say, "We've been leaning about finding problems, and today's book will help us with finding problems in our writing."

Select one of the following books to read {or choose another book about overcrowding}

• No Room to Swing a Cat

• A Crowded Ride in the Countryside

• The Kid with Too Many Pets

• Too Many Chickens

• Not Enough Room

Read the book.

Facilitate discussion about how the characters were overcrowded.

Say, "Sometimes if I am in a hurry, the letters and words in my writing get overcrowded."

The writers, at this time in the year, will have had previous mini lessons about finger spaces.

Point to the pencil ANCHOR CHART on the wall.

Glue the POINTING finger sign up on the editing pencil ANCHOR CHART checklist.

Remind students that good writers make sure that their pictures match their words.

Say, "We can use this picture of a sun, with the word 'sun' under it to help us remember what good writers do."

Remind students that good writers start their sentences with a capital letter.

Say, "We can use this picture of a GO sign, with the capital 'A' under it to help us to remember what good writers do."

Remind students that good writers leave spaces between their words.

Say, "We can use this picture of a pointing finger to help us to remember what good writers do."

Conclude that spaces should be put between letters and words. 

Dismiss students for Writer's Workshop.

Resources:

No Room to Swing a Cat by Ralph Steadman

A Crowded Ride in the Countryside by Frank B. Edwards

The Kid with Too Many Pets by Harland Williams

 Too Many Chickens by Paulette Bourgeois