Whimsy Workshop Teaching

Teacher Clip Art, Literary Resources, Classroom Ideas

Story Writing Ideas

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We reserve  time each day for story writing.
There are so many ways to encourage students to write, even when they are just at the emergent level.
 

 
Two things that I focus on the most in my primary classroom are:
-Students feel confident in their ability to express ideas through writing.
-Students have the opportunity to share their written ideas in a supportive environment.
 

 

Explore Different Kinds of Writing
 
Many students have no strategies for finding a topic, so we spend time discussing different forms of writing and [Read More…]

Integrating Math Writing Art and Science

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I am constantly trying to find new ways to integrate different subject areas in my classroom. We have LOTS of activities that integrate math, art and writing, but because it’s that time of year to start studying life cycles, we’ve now incorporated science into the mix! Here’s how we do it:
 
 

 
Our caterpillars arrived last week and my students are completely engaged in learning about their life cycle. We used color by numbers templates to create the round life cycle pictures [Read More…]

Drawing as a Writing Prompt

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Directed Drawing is a fun and engaging way to integrate art and writing.
Here are some ways that I use art in my classroom to encourage more writing!
 

 

WRITING COMPLIMENTS
 
After your whole class directed drawing lessons, invite students to do a “gallery walk” around the room to see other students’ work. Then, leave a post-it note beside each picture and assign secret partners. Students study their partner’s drawing and write a compliment on the post-it note. Students love to return to their [Read More…]

Differentiation In Writing Lessons

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How do you handle differentiation when it comes to non-fiction writing?

 
Over the last 20 years, I’ve learned that when teaching in my multi-age classroom, differentiation is a MUST.  There are many different ways to accomplish this, and I have found that getting this right can make students feel very successful, which makes it a big deal!
 

 
 
MODIFY THE CONTENT
When we are working on non-fiction, for example, I offer students information in many different ways. I prefer to allow them to choose the materials [Read More…]

About Me Writing Template

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This year I will be using this cute All About Me writing template with my new students!
 

 
It’s not too overwhelming for my reluctant writers, and it’s a great way to get to know them. I find this format is more engaging for my emergent writers. The only rule I have is that they must complete some writing before they can color. And they WANT to color all the cute pictures very badly!
It is also allowing me to collect valuable information about [Read More…]

Reluctant Writers: Tech Solutions

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10 Apps for Encouraging Reluctant Writers

Do you have ipads in your classroom this year? Are you looking for ways to encourage your reluctant writers? I am always on the lookout for fun new activities for my young writers.
 

Each year, I have students in my class who just LOVE to write. When I ask them to write one sentence, they write five. If I give them a few scraps of paper, they’ll staple it and create their own fully illustrated [Read More…]

Fairy Tales – Masks, Scripts, Writing and Phonics

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 Fairy Tales are well proven vehicle for Readers’ Theater, but the engagement and learning increases significantly when you also incorporate masks and interactive play.
Here’s how we explore fairy tales in my class.

 

Character Masks

Creating masks is a fun way to incorporate art into your literacy activities. They are so fun, and sometimes I almost can’t recognise the students underneath!
 

 
I love that there’s lots of laughing when the kids walk around with these on!
 

Letter Writing

Letter writing to the fairy tale characters is also [Read More…]

Time Tested Early Literacy Strategies

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Does your early literacy time sound like this:

 Teacher, how to you spell….?
“What does this word say?

 

When early readers hear the answer “Just sound it out”, do they really know what you are talking about?

Do they know what that means?

How can we support them further with the risk-taking involved in early reading strategies?

So many students feel anxiety when left on their own to read, and as we know, this anxiety greatly impedes their ability to process information and focus.

Over the last [Read More…]

Ted Harrison Art and More!

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If you’ve read many of my posts, you’ll know by now that we integrate almost all of our content area in class.  Rarely do we let an opportunity go by for writing, and using out own art is so motivating!  

But, we do keep it simple.

For example, we studied the art of Ted Harrison, who painted in the north of Canada. His colorful but simple images are perfect for elementary students. 

We googled his artwork and simply talked about what we [Read More…]

Writing Templates For The New Year (Free)

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The first days back at school after the winter holidays can be hard to plan for. Everyone is thinking about goals for the new year, and this is a great topic for writing and reflection with students. Don’t be afraid to model that kind of goal setting with them!

First, we reflect back on the year that past.
We write the highlights, and think about things we’ve learned or experienced for the first time.

 
 
Next, we think ahead to the future with goals [Read More…]

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