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 9: Asking, "Did I stretch my words?"

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

 

 

 

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."

Say, "We've been leaning about how to make our writing better."

By this time of year, students should have already participated in mini lessons about stretching out words.

Revisit the books you shared during those mini lessons:

• How Far will a Rubber Band Stretch

• Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum

• Double Bubble Trouble

• Arms, Elbows, Hands and Fingers

• Arms and Legs and other Limbs

Show your arm, a piece of gum, and a rubber band. 

Ask, "How do these things help us to spell better?"

Facilitate discussion...

• we can use them to help us stretch out words

• they are tools to help us remember to stretch out words

• etc.

Show the class the fourth picture for the ANCHOR CHART.

Ask, "What does this paper show us?"

Say, "Yes, it is a picture of a boy with his arms stretched to his sides."

Ask, "What do you think this picture will help us to remember about spelling words?"

Remind students that good writers stretch out their words to hear as many sounds in the word as possible.

Say, "We can use this picture of the boy with stretched out arms, to help us remember that."

Point to the pencil ANCHOR CHART on the wall.

Say, "Let's glue this onto our pencil checklist to help us remember what good writers do."

Glue the picture to the pencil.

Remind students that the pencil can be used like a checklist.

Say, "Today we learned about making sure that we stretch out our words as much as possible."

Say, "If we stretch out our words, and listen very carefully for all the sounds in the words, we will be better writers."

Say, "We can use this picture to remind ourselves that we need to stretch out our words."

Dismiss students for Writer's Workshop.

Resources:

How Far Will a Rubber Band Stretch? By Mike Thaler

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler

Double Bubble Trouble by Judy Bradbury

Arms, Elbows, Hands, and Fingers by Lola Shaefer

Arms, Legs, and Other Limbs by Allan Fowler