1-2-3 Come Do Some Creative Writing With Me

A delightful discovery, is that an intriguing photograph, tweaks a student’s interest, and gets their imagination, and creative juices flowing. 

You know the old saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words", so I thought looking at one, could certainly provoke at least a few, getting students excited to WANT to get down to the business of writing. 

With that in mind, I spent quite a few hours designing my newest packet: Fall, Picture-Driven Writing Prompts.

There are 135 fall-themed pictures to choose from, with 6 on a page to conserve ink.

Select your favorites that you think will be thought-provoking for your students, then print on card stock & laminate, so you can use every year.

Children select one, and depending on ability level, write a few sentences, a paragraph or a story on the filmstrip template.

Beforehand, use one to introduce the lesson, and as a whole group, make an example together to help explain what’s expected.

Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board.

Display students’ work with the photograph, and put the “Fall Picture Driven Writing Prompts" camera poster, in the center of your display.

I’ve also included a bookmark-size, graphic organizer, where students do a bit of pre-writing, jotting down adjectives & verbs that describe their picture.

These can also be part of your bulletin board.

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this 28-page packet: Fall, Picture-Driven Writing Prompts. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a scarecrow-themed writing prompt craftivity.

Completed projects turn out quite adorable. 

There's nothing quite like adding a bit of craftiness to a lesson, to get kiddos excited about writing.

Well that's it for today.  I truly hope these photographs are just the thing to help your students get as excited about writing, as my students have. 

I’m currently working on matching, picture-driven writing prompts, for the other 3 seasons.

"We must all make do with the rags of love we find flapping on the scarecrow of humanity." -Angela Carter, From Nights at the Circus

1-2-3 Come Do A Super-Fun Writing Prompt With Me

There's never enough time to get in all of the wonderful "Getting to know you" activities we do for back to school, so I do at least one each month.

My kiddos LOVE sharing about themselves, so they really enjoy this type of writing. Plus, it's fun to continue to learn more about our classmates.

With this in mind, I designed "Me!" A Fall-Themed Writing Prompt packet. 

All you have to do to get excited about this "craftivity", is make a sample of your own, to see how much fun this is!

An added bonus is that completed projects make an easy bulletin board you can keep up for months! Woo hoo. Caption: "Fall Into Writing!"

Plus, this activity is so versatile, it can be done by PK kiddos with one-word answers, all the way up through 5th grade!

Have older students write 3-4 things in each section.
You can also encourage the use of adjectives too.

There are 7, autumn-shapes to choose from: an apple, 2 pumpkins, 3 leaves and an acorn.

Because they are all fall pictures, you can give students a choice for an eclectic bulletin board display.

Just pumpkins in a patch, leaves and acorns blowing in the wind, or apples on a tree or in a big basket look terrific too.

If you choose the pumpkin pattern without a leaf, have children trace their hand on green construction paper, trim and add to the top for a "keepsake" leaf.

I've also included blank templates, so you can dream up your own writing prompts.

Do in class, or send home as a homework assignment that your kiddos will really want to do!

For that finishing touch, add a school photo. I also have my students choose 2 or 3 colors, so we can practice an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern, which really makes their completed writing prompt stand out.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this 20-pager: "Me!" Fall Writing Promt Craftivity packet.

While there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me.  That way you'll know when I post FREEBIES, Diane's Dollar Deals, new stuff or have a sale. 

I know it sounds silly, but I really get excited seeing that  number grow.  I'm anxious to reach 700 followers.  Whenever I achieve a milestone, I create a special freebie that will hopefully knock-your-socks off!

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's featured free item is a 15-page leaf-themed math worksheet packet.  Reinforce numbers, sequencing, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s. Plus, there are "What's Missing?" worksheets, and some for counting to 120.  Click on the link to grab a copy. 

Well that's it for today.  It's a chilly morning, but no frost on the pumpkins yet (PTL).

I am so not ready for winter-weather during fall.  Wishing you a warm and snuggly kind of day.

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of life and color are their last days." -John Burroughs

1-2-3 Come Do Some Whale-Themed Craftivities With Me

Ever since I visited Sea World, I've become a big fan of whales.  I know that an ocean-theme is really popular with a lot of teachers, and since children of all ages love whales, I decided to design a whale-themed writing prompt craftivity packet. 

It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I truly believe that making an example of everything that I design, plus including samples, great directions and lots of photographs, really helps teachers and parents.  What say you?

Any hoo, this packet serves double duty, as I included writing prompts for back to school, as well as the end of the year.  The poor gals across the street from me, who teach in a charter school, go 'til June 23rd!   Maybe some of you late-vacation bloomers, can use a few of these activities now. 

This packet is very versatile and uses the idioms “I had a whale of a great . . .” and “Spouting off about . . “ where students complete the writing prompt, with something appropriate for back-to-school or the end of the year.  Such as ”I had a whale of a wonderful summer because . . .” or “I had a whale of an awesome year in ________ grade!”

The simple prompts make these activities suitable for little ones, as well as older kiddos, whose writing will be longer and more descriptive. Choose a whale topper for your students or give them a choice.  These activities make terrific independent literacy centers and plug in nicely with Daily 5 or your writing block. 

Students really enjoy the “craftivity” portion of their writing, which makes them really want to get started and keeps them focused.  Completed projects make beautiful bulletin board displays too.

The packet includes:

9 bookmarks: 5 are “writing prompt bookmarks” where this year’s students write a note to your in-coming students, or pick a partner and make one for their current classmate, or “spout off”.  

There are also 4 “from the teacher” bookmarks, appropriate to welcome your new students, or say farewell to this year’s bunch.

Create a “teachable moment” about homonyms/homophones with the “Whale of a ‘Tale’” whale’s tail topper.  Students can write a tale about anything they find interesting, or you could narrow things down and have them write a tale about school or summer.  

The “Tiny ‘Tales’ of School” as well the “Tiny ‘Tales’ of Summer” are mini-flip booklets. The “tiny tale” could be the most exciting, embarrassing, fun, scary, or funny thing that happened to them during the school year, or over summer vacation.

Another booklet option, is “Wally”.  He’s the “standing tall” blue whale. Behind his “face” are oval pages.  This too could be done individually, in a small group, or as a whole group activity.

Run the silhouette whale off on a variety of colors.  Students trim and complete whatever writing prompt you choose right on the whale.  For that finishing touch, add a school picture.

There are also 4 “Spouting Off” activities: a writing prompt "color-me" worksheet, a writing prompt bookmark, a writing prompt craftivity. and a definition-anchor chart poster. 

For one of the activities, I made a "speech bubble" that represents the water being squirted from the whale's blow hole."

As with the other prompts, I've included a sample for you to share.

4 different whale toppers, with 7 different writing prompt worksheets to go under them, make especially cute bulletin boards. 

Caption Ideas: “We’re Going to Have a Whale of a Great Time!”  “Having a Whale of a Wonderful Time in PK.”  “Making a Splash in Kindergarten!”  “So Glad You Swim in our School.”   "____________’s 'Fintastic' 1st Graders."  “Fintastic” Writing or "Looking Forward to a Whale of a Super Summer/School Year".

I’ve included black & white, as well as full-color worksheets, so that you can easily make an example to share.  Don’t have time? I’ve included samples too.

There are 5 cover options for a full-page class-made booklet, with 6 inside page options for students to choose from.

A simple, “color-me” writing prompt worksheet, is easy-peasy for little ones.

Finally, I’ve included several pages of my top picks for kid-friendly websites, which have interesting information, games and facts about whales, plus links to video and audio clips of real ones.  These sites offer a quick, easy & fun way to toss in some science & geography that there never seems to be enough time for.

I play the whale sound “music” while my students are working.  It’s soothing and they are amazed by the sound that whales make while communicating with each other.

Just like a whale, this whale-themed writing prompt packet is “whopping”, with 80-pages, and on sale today (June 9th through Friday the 12th) for just $3.19.  Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT store to check it out. Sales help support my clip art & font habits, as well as pay bills to run my TeachWithMe FREEBIE site.  (It's averaging a little over $200 a month to do so, thus the need for a bit of income).

And now for the FREEBIE, as I always like to provide at least one with each packet.  I chose “Walter” because he was my first attempt at whale drawing, and my personal favorite. Click on the link to take Wally home.

 He comes complete with a large and small wave pattern (write your prompt right on the large one) or glue the smaller wave to one of 4 traceable-writing prompt worksheets.  

Well that’s it.   Thanks for visiting today.  Apologies for being long-winded.  Whether you’re winding down the year and counting down the days, or making your own vacation-splash in the ocean, I’m wishing you a whale of a wonderful summer!

"We owe it to our children to be better stewards of the environment.  The alternative?  A world without whales.  It's too terrible to imagine!" -Pierce Brosan

December Does Double Duty

A Snowflake December Bulletin Board Idea You Can Keep Up For Your January Bulletin Board!

Since December seems to simply fly by, I like to make one of my bulletin boards wintry so that I can leave it up through January. 

This snowflake bulletin board does the trick, gets your students writing as well + involves their families!

Here’s how:

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the “My family is ‘snow’ special!” Snowflake December Bulletin Board pattern.

If you'd like a copy of my sample, click on the December bulletin board Family Snowflake sample link.

Run off copies on white construction paper and send home along with a note to families explaining the December bulletin board.

Click on the link to view/print December Bulletin board snowflake letter home to parents.

Cover the bulletin board with royal blue or navy paper and spray with silver or opalescent glitter.

They sell it by the can in most craft stores for less than $2.00 a can.

The smell can be a bit over powering, as it's alcohol-based, so you may want to run a fan, or open a window briefly, and then follow up with a few spritzes of cinnamon air freshener. The sparkling effect will be worth it!

To add a 3-D effect, twist some silver or white crepe paper around the edges or add white sparkly garland.  Twinkle lights look festive, if you have a plug nearby.

Tissue paper, plastic, or white tag board-die cut snowflakes, that are suspended from fish line and dangling from the ceiling, just above your bulletin board, will also add interest and pop.  I have a dozen like the ones pictured, that I purchased in a package at The Dollar store.

Hang your December bulletin board “caption” above the board.  Use an Ellison die cut machine to cut out black letters that spell:  Brrrr-illiant work! Or “_________________’s class is ‘snow’ special!” OR “Snow special sentiments from ________________’s class.” OR “Let is snow!” OR “A blizzard of Brrr-illiant writing!”

Sprinkle your students’ snowflakes in an interesting pattern across the bright blue background.  Your students will enjoy seeing their family's pictures displayed through out the month, as well as have their self-esteem built by having their wonderful writing up on the wall!

Be sure and check out the other December bulletin board ideas in more blog articles by scrolling down. Tomorrow I'll have one last one that's just beautiful, so be sure and pop in!

As always, if you have a December bulletin board idea you'd like to share, I'd enjoy hearing from you!  diane@teachwithme.com