How To Make Writing Easier!

Every few years the core standards seem to get more difficult.  It’s hard to believe that our kindergartners are now required to write a simple sentence using a subject and action word with proper capitalization and punctuation.

Most of my Y5’s come to me not even knowing how to write their name, some of them can’t even hold a writing utensil properly, yet onward we must go…

Henry Ford said:  

“Nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs.”

I live by that philosophy when I teach, for it really does work.

One of the things I just developed, to help teachers “break down” writing this simple sentence standard, is a picture-driven writing prompt.  If “A picture is worth a 1,000 words!” then certainly we can muster a few of them to write a simple sentence and hopefully have a little fun doing it.

I’ve compiled over 50 in Picture-Driven Writing Prompts For Fall and give you a list of directions of how you can explain the concept to your students by modeling it at the white board.

Basically, students brainstorm with the teacher to make a list of what is going on in the picture.  The list is divided into subject and action words.

Students can then choose the two words they will use in their sentence and write them on their mini-dry erase boards or the lines provided on the picture-prompt paper.

They then go back to their desk and write a simple sentence using other word-wall words that the teacher has reviewed, along with appropriate capitalization and punctuation.

These writing prompts are great for your Literacy Center, Daily 5-writing block, or for practicing this report card standard in a whole-group writing activity.

Click on the link to zoom to the Fall Picture-Driven Writing Prompts so you can view or print them.

I’m in the process of making a set for winter and spring as well.

I’d enjoy hearing any feedback if you find this idea helpful, or if you have a writing tip that you use, to help teach this concept.  diane@teachwithme.com