Jar of Words = Better Word Choice

In my classroom, I like to create a jar of words. I draw a great big jar on chart paper. The students and I work to fill this jar up with descriptive words that make our writing more exciting. I also encourage my students to keep their own personal word jars that they fill with words that they find exciting or meaningful to them. Their jar of words can be kept in the back of a Writer's Notebook in a Writer's Workshop folder.

Reading, Writing, and Content Area Resources

Looking for a new idea to increase comprehension and motivation in your classroom? I have found a web site that offers several new ideas to try.

http://http://www.smekenseducation.com/idea-library-main-page.php

Here you will find strategies for before, during, and after reading. Strategies to improve fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics. There are some great suggestions for increasing students' exposure to nonfiction text.

There are also tons of ideas for Writer's Workshop. There are lot of fun strategies that can easily be incorporated into the classroom that correlate with the qualities of good writing.

Poetry Web site

http://http://poetryteachers.com/

This is an excellent resource for poems as well as poetry lessons during Writer's Workshop. Here you will find poetry theater, poems written by kids, as well as sample mini lessons. I can't wait to try poetry theater in the classroom. My kids will improve fluency while having fun! It will also give them the opportunity to step into a different role as they act out the poems.

Qualities of Good Writing

Lester Laminack's book Saturdays and Teacakes, provides EXCELLENT examples of qualities of good writing to use during mini lessons in Writer's Workshop. This book great examples all wrapped up in one place. It's fantastic! Every year, my students and I make an anchor chart that lists the qualities of good writing as well as examples from the text. They often refer back to this chart as they are looking for ideas to make their writing stronger throughout the year.