WRITE ON!

Here are other ways to encourage children to do informational writing.

Suggestion Box
Keep a shoebox and blank paper on a shelf for children to write their complaints and suggestions.

*Use for complaints and “tattle tales.”


What can you find out?
Collect non-fiction books about a topic that you will be studying in your class. Place the books on a table along with clipboards, paper, and pencils. Let two children work together and take notes to look in the books and see what they can find out (learn) about the topic.


Science Journal
Have each child make a science journal to record observations, notes, and what they are doing and learning in science.

 
                     

Picture Talks
Cut pictures out of magazines and ask the children to label. 

 

                             *Cut people out of catalogs and label body parts.

Letters - Write letters to politicians, movie stars, rock stars, or other famous people.

*Write letters to our troops.


Want Ad - Look in the newspaper at want ads. What would they like to advertise? Write a description.


Newscast
Write a newscast for your classroom or school.


Survey
Take surveys on the bus, in their home, or in their neighborhood. They might ask who’s going to win the football game, favorite pizza topping, favorite book, favorite game, etc.


Class Newspaper
Make a class newspaper by assigning small groups of children to different topics. Run off and send home.


Pen Pals
Children can be pen pals with another class in your district, or you can go online and you’ll find several sites. They can even be pen pals with their teacher over the summer.

NON-FICTION WRITING

Nonfiction writing is all around us from signs to newspapers to emails to food wrappers. Most state standards include informational writing similar to the Common Core Standard below: 

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Here are some activities where children can have the opportunity to be engaged in “playful and challenging” nonfiction writing. These activities can be used for independent work or in a literacy center. Many would also be perfect to do with a partner.


Interview
Have children interview parents, friends, school personnel, etc.

*Ask their parents what it was like when they were in school. What games did they play? What was their favorite subject? What was their favorite book?

Directions
Write directions or a “how to” for, a sport, a game, a craft, or something they are good at.


Recipe
Write a recipe for a favorite food.

*This time of year it would be interesting for children to write “how to cook a turkey."

*Create a menu for a restaurant they would like to own.

*Ask children to bring in an empty cereal box and design a new cover for it.


Lists
Make lists of books they read, toys they own, what they can do instead of watching TV, things in their desk, etc.

*As Thanksgiving approaches a list of things they are thankful for would be appropriate.


Invitation
Write invitations to a class program or party.


Advice
Write suggestions on “how to be a good friend,” or “what to do when you get angry.”


Diary/Journal
Let children have a quiet time each day to write in a journal or diary.


Riddles & Knock Knocks
Let each child write a riddle or joke to add to a class book.

                                   

IF YOU GIVE A CHILD A CLIPBOARD...

Have you ever heard the saying:  "If you give a child a hammer, she'll find a million things to hammer."  Well the same thing will happen when your students make their own clipboards.  They will be motivated to write, write, write!



Directions: Each child will need a 9” x 12” piece of corrugated cardboard. Attach a butterfly clip, insert paper, and let the writing begin!










 
Use the clip boards for:



Observations
(weather, nature walk, clouds, etc.)

Surveys
(favorite food, ice cream, animal, sports team, etc.)

Write the room
(2 syllable words, seasonal words, nouns, shapes, letters, etc.)

Read the room
(check off words they find, shapes, letters)

Note taking
(write or draw pictures as they listen to a book or watch a video)

Interviews
(parents, grandparents, friends)

What I learned
(record what they learn as you do a unit of study)

LISTS
Children also like to make lists.  So here's a "list" of lists children can write on their clipboards.







List of what they are thankful for.

List of their favorite books, songs.

List of their favorite foods.

List of their favorite subjects at school.

List of their favorite animals/pets.

List of their favorite sports or games.

List of what they can do if they finish their work early.

List of things that make them happy.

List of how to be a buddy/friend.

List of “cheers” and “goals.”

THANKFUL WRITING

Do you need a few more activities to do this week?  These books are a "timely" way to nurture nonfiction writing and gratitude!

Thankful Journal
Make a special journal for each child to use during the month of November. Several times a week ask them to draw, list, or write sentences about things they are grateful for.  You can use napkins, paper plates, or a fork as shown.

Thankful Board
Designate a bulletin board or poster in the hall as your “thankful board.” Children can attach sticky notes or draw pictures of things they are thankful for throughout the month.

Thankful for Friends
Jane Lake shared this idea with me several years ago.  Fold 3 sheets of paper in half and staple.  Children use one of the prompts below on each page of their book.

     1. A good friend is…
     2. I’m a good friend when…
     3. What friends like to do together…
     4. Symbols of friendship…
     5. Names of my friends…
                                                        


Thankful Song 

(Tune: “Are You Sleeping?”  Children repeat each line.)
I am thankful.
I am thankful.
Every day.
Every day.
For my friends and family.
For my friends and family.
Thanks I say!
Thanks I say!

FUNCTIONAL PRINT BOOKS

FUNCTIONAL PRINT books provide another opportunity for nonfiction reading and writing.

The Tooth Book
Have children draw a picture of what they look like after they lose a tooth.

*Remind them to be sure and draw a “window” in their mouth where their tooth used to be!
*You could also take a photo of their new smile and let them write about how they lost their tooth.

Weather Report
Choose a different child each day to be the meteorologist. Invite the weather person to record the weather with a drawing or sentence.
      


The Birthday Book
Have children write a story and draw a picture on a special page in this book when it’s their birthday. (You could also take a photo of them.)
                                                                        
School Rule Book
After discussing school rules, ask each child to come up with a rule that they think is important. Have them illustrate their rule and write or dictate a sentence to go with it. Put their rules together to make a class book. Hang the book in an important spot in your classroom and refer to it when children are behaving inappropriately. You might add, “You need to do (such and such). The rule is right here in our book!”
                        


Things the Teacher Needs to Know
When a child comes to you to complain or tattle, hand them the book and say, “Write it all down and don’t leave out a thing. I’ll read it later on when I have more time.”
         



The Boo Boo Book
If a child gets a little scrape or scratch, have them draw a picture of it in this book. Give them a band aid to put on their “boo boo” so it will feel better.
                                                
Acts of Kindness
Create a book where children can record kind deeds their fellow classmates have done.

Hint! The teacher can model this by “catching children” in the act of doing something thoughtful and loving for others.

Excuse Book
If children forget their homework or have other excuses, let them “write it down” in this book.

Peace Talks
If two children have an argument, have them sit down next to each other at a table. Open a spiral notebook and ask each of them to draw a picture and write about what happened. Explain that when they resolve their problem they can let you know. It won’t take long for them to realize it’s easier to be friends!

*You can download covers for some of these at drjean.org (Back to School 2005).  You can also buy spiral notebooks on sale and then add a class photo and title.

CAN WE BE FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

The other day my husband said, "I just don't get this Facebook thing." I laughed and said, "I don't get it either, but I'm trying!" It's the way the world communicates now, and these ideas will motivate your students to do nonfiction writing.

Facebook (Ruth Lefko )


Take two boxes and write "Facebook In Box" on one and "Facebook Out Box" on the other. Provide children with scrap paper, pencils, and markers. Children fold a sheet of paper in half and draw their face or a picture on the front. Inside they write a note to the teacher or a friend and place it in the "In Box." The messages are delivered and then the teacher or friend write a reply and place it in the "Out Box." 

 

                                                                 

Class Facebook (Laura Caudle)
Take the children’s pictures and make a class facebook. Run off a copy for each child. Use it for writing messages to friends, name songs, etc.

WRITE ON....

Here are other ways to encourage children to do informational writing.

Suggestion Box

Keep a shoebox and blank paper on a shelf for children to write their complaints and suggestions.

*Use for complaints and “tattle tales.”

What can you find out?
Collect non-fiction books about a topic that you will be studying in your class. Place the books on a table along with clipboards, paper, and pencils. Let two children work together and take notes to look in the books and see what they can find out (learn) about the topic.

Science Journal
Have each child make a science journal to record observations, notes, and what they are doing and learning in science.

     
Picture Talks
Cut pictures out of magazines and ask the children to label.
                        
*Cut people out of catalogs and label body parts.

Letters - Write letters to politicians, movie stars, rock stars, or other famous people.

*Write letters to our troops.

Want Ad - Look in the newspaper at want ads. What would they like to advertise? Write a description.

Newscast 

Write a newscast for your classroom or school.

Headline News 
uh vWrite new headlines for pictures in the newspaper. Write who, what, where, when, and why about a photo in the newspaper.

Survey 

Take surveys on the bus, in their home, or in their neighborhood. They might ask who’s going to win the football game, favorite pizza topping, favorite book, favorite game, etc.

Class Newspaper 

Make a class newspaper by assigning small groups of children to different topics. Run off and send home.

Pen Pals

Children can be pen pals with another class in your district, or you can go online and you’ll find several sites. They can even be pen pals with their teacher over the summer.

NONFICTION WRITING

Nonfiction writing is all around us from signs to newspapers to emails to food wrappers. Most state standards include informational writing similar to the Common Core Standard below: 

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are 

writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Over the next few days I’ll suggest some activities where children can have the opportunity to be engaged in “playful and challenging” nonfiction writing. These activities can be used for independent work or in a literacy center. Many would also be perfect to do with a partner. 

Interview

Have children interview parents, friends, school personnel, etc.

*Ask their parents what it was like when they were in school. What games did they play? What was their favorite subject? What was their favorite book?

Directions 

Write directions or a “how to” for, a sport, a game, a craft, or something they are good at.

Recipe 

Write a recipe for a favorite food.

*This time of year it would be interesting for children to write “how to cook a turkey."

       

*Create a menu for a restaurant they would like to own.

*Ask children to bring in an empty cereal box and design a new cover for it.

Note!  When making class books where every child contributes have a page where children can sign their names as "authors and illustrators."  You can also let the children "dedicate" the book and include the copyright date and publisher.

                                               

Lists 

Make lists of books they read, toys they own, what they can do instead of watching TV, things in their desk, etc. 

*As Thanksgiving approaches a list of things they are thankful for would be appropriate.

Invitation 

Write invitations to a class program or party.

Advice 

Write suggestions on “how to be a good friend,” or “what to do when you get angry.”

Diary/Journal

Let children have a quiet time each day to write in a journal or diary.

Riddles & Knock Knocks

Let each child write a riddle or joke to add to a class book.