The Writers Workshop by Lucy Calkins
The writing program that we use is the Writers Workshop. We encourage our students to become authors and look at their writing as gold. Expressing themselves in the form of stories is a skill that will last a lifetime. This is a video of Lucy Calkins talking to students about being authors.
Personal Narrative Writing
Students are starting to write Personal narrative stories. For some students they have numerous ideas of what they want to write about. For others it can be a struggle to think of stories that are about themselves. Here are some strategies that could help with the brainstorming process.
Strategies for generating ideas:
-Think of a person who matters to you, then list clear, small moments you remember with him or her. Choose one to sketch and then write the accompanying story.
- Think of a place that matters to you, then list clear, small moments you remember there. Choose one to sketch and then write the accompanying story.
-Notice an object and let that object spark a memory. Write the story of that time.
Qualities of good personal narrative writing:
- Write a little seed story; don't write about a giant watermelon topic.
- Zoom in so you tell the most important parts of the story.
-Include true, exact details from the movie you have in your mind.
- Begin with a strong lead (maybe setting, action, dialogue or a combination to create the mood)
-Make a strong ending (maybe use action, dialogue, images, whole-story reminders to make a lasting impression)
-Relive the episode as you write it.
- Zoom in so you tell the most important parts of the story.
-Include true, exact details from the movie you have in your mind.
- Begin with a strong lead (maybe setting, action, dialogue or a combination to create the mood)
-Make a strong ending (maybe use action, dialogue, images, whole-story reminders to make a lasting impression)
-Relive the episode as you write it.