What do you do when you are reading about a ROBOT!?

Create your own robot and write about it, of course!  Writing is something we do every single day in room 306.  It takes a lot of practice and kids really need to practice on a regular basis.  We will write poems, stories, articles, letters, and paragraphs.  We will write about EVERYTHING under the sun.  Some may even write about the sun!  It’s serious business learning how to write, but it doesn’t have to be boring business!  You can help your kids practice at home in a wide variety of ways.  Some ideas:

•  write to family members (postcards are great because they are small, but personal)

•  write short notes to each other on fun sticky notes or even the bathroom mirror (bar soap!)

•  write a goofy story as a family – one person starts by writing a few sentences and then gives it to someone else to add more to the story

•  start a family blog about something your entire family can write about (travel, books, restaurant reviews…whatever!)

We started our robot writing by drawing our own robots.  Kids had a time limit to draw (but have other opportunities to go back to their drawing) and then we started our story.  To inspire their illustrations, I displayed a font that I created of robots.  :)  We will learn a wide variety of strategies to help us write this year.  Quick writes allow us to get some ideas on the paper and may be something we go back and work on later.  This is NOT a time we worry about spelling.  This is a time we work on the craft of writing.  If we are worrying about how to spell things, we may not get much on the page.  I loved watching them illustrate and write during this activity.  SO.  MUCH.  POSITIVE.  ENERGY.  Bravo!  I am looking forward to a year full of exciting writing projects and exercises!  YahOOoOO!