Writing Tips

I am sharing my love of the written word as a part of the Superb Writers’ Blogathon. In partnership with Grammarly grammar checker, this series is bringing helpful hints to ambitious writers all across the world wide web.

In Florida and in many states the writing tests standards have gone up.  It's our job as teachers to help our students become superb writers!  In FL for FCAT Writes in 4th grade, they have added requirements that children be able to spell well and use grammar efficiently.  It's important that children in the lower grades learn  how to write well, spell grade level words correctly, and use grade level grammar efficiently.  Then by the time they get to 4th grade or whatever grade the big writing test is in your state, they are better prepared.    Check out my wonderful writing tips to help make your students superb writers!

- Many students have difficulty putting spaces between words.  I have used these wonderful spacemen from Really Good Stuff for years.  As students write each word they put the spaceman down on the paper before writing the next word.  Click the picture if you'd like to check them out yourself!

- Some students have a hard time putting periods where they go.  One idea that I have used that has helped is to pair them up with a partner and use red dots to put in periods.  Making it hands on sometimes helps children learn a difficult concept.  

- For 2nd grade and up a terrific idea is using the wonderful book Hailstones and Halibut Bones to teach Poetry.  This is a great book using colors for poems.  It talks about things that are each color and what they look like, feel like, taste like, smell like, and hear like.  I learned a great activity from a workshop that I used with my children.  First give them a color and ask them to brainstorm what things the color might look like, feel like, etc.  Then read to them the poem for that color and add to the brainstorm chart.  Next put your children into groups or pairs and assign each one a different color.  Have them come up with their own poems!  You can check out the book from Amazon if you'd like.



What ideas do you have to teach your children writing skills?  Please share in the comments.  Thank you again for hoppin' by Hopkins' Hoppin' Happenings.  Don't forget to smile!