Writing and 500 followers Giveaway day 2

Last week I blogged about struggling with teaching writing. I don't feel like this is my strongest area. But I also don't feel like I can devote as much time to overhauling my instruction in this area this year. I'm working on implementing Daily 5 and math work stations. But for the past few weeks, I've been trying to change things. I have one student who I believe is gifted. He's so stinkin smart. He likes to write stories and they are like books. So I got the idea of giving him 2 pieces of paper and folding them hamburger style to make a book. This inspired the other kids to want to make books too. So slowly we're making books. I made them sketch out their ideas on a paper with labels and then adding sentences. They they told me when they were ready to start the book. In the middle of all this, I decided to purchase Deanna Jump and Deedee Will's writing workshop unit 1. The biggest thing I took from that this week was to have the kids share something. I started the week by reading a Mo Willems book. We're crazy about Mo in my class and he's our author of the month. We read Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. We talked about how the illustrations can show parts of the story. We also talked about how books tell stories and don't just name things. Then they went back to their story and worked some more. At the end of the time, I had them tell me what their story was about. I have some pretty creative kids in my class this year. By listening to them talk, I wrote on the board, the names of students I needed to meet with the next day. The next day I shared some of my own writing. I wrote the beginning of a story about a camping trip. I also included some sentences about what I wanted for Christmas. This led us to talking about making sure only important information was included in our story. This time when we shared, they told me something about the beginning, middle or end of their story. I had 3 students who were finished with this story. I put their names on the board to share the next day. So Wednesday, I started out our writing time letting the three kids share their stories. It was magical. They were listening so intently and then we practiced giving compliments and telling why we liked the story. I think this inspired some of the other kids to finish their stories and to add more details to it. Then the three that shared started new stories. They started sketching out their ideas. So slowly, I'm making progress with my writing. I wanted to share one of my student's stories. This is the one that just amazes me.

This is the cover of the book. The story is called Super Max vs. Robot

" Back at the hideout of super max Jack and Robot were out there doing evil. Lets go said super max. Out into action they went. "

 "Yes yes three days three days yes said robot. we only have three days. So lets go get grony goblin. Just then a zoom! came up the road. Super Max is coming soon he said. "

"Wish went super max's sord as he striked robot down. and with robot back in jail. The city was saved thanks to super max. "

 This was the back. What I loved the most was that he put a barcode on the lower right corner like a real book.
I'm going to try blogging once a week about writing. I hope that they will help me to grow in teaching writing.
Now on to the day 2 of the giveaway.
Here's what you can win today:

• 2 items from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. You can check it out by clicking on TPT on the right.
• An Apple to Play from Sharing Kindergarten 
• Finger Counting Combo Pack from Kindergarten Smorgasboard

• Any item from Herding Kats in Kindergarten's TPT store

• Fire Safety Math and Literacy centers from My Not So Elementary Life

• I can read alphabet from Crayons and Curls 

• Monster Madness from Miss Kindergarten

You have until Monday October 8th to enter. Check out the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway