Using our 5 senses while writing

Kids bring their writer's notebooks to community circle if they'd like to SHARE their work.  This is never required.  I love seeing more and more writer's notebooks come over the course of the year.  :) . 

This is a fun writing exercise.  It’s meant to get kids to concentrate on their senses while writing.  We write for 6 minutes – concentrating on one sense at a time.  One of my kids LOVES this writing strategy and he came up with the lead that everyone will use to start their story.  We talk about how using our senses helps to make writing more interesting.  What makes a book great!?  Talk to your kids about what YOU look for when you choose a book to read.  Point out things that make the books you read together great.  Rich vocabulary words.  Interesting leads.  Cliff hangers.  What makes a book a page-turner?