How do you start writing at the beginning of the year? I want my students to really enjoy writing this year, and I think I may need help in changing the approach that I take at the beginning of the year. Any ideas would be great. I teach 4th grade. Thanks

[sohappy]

I use to teach third. I usually start with a writing a letter. We review the letter format and brainstorm who the kids can write to and topics to write (the kids usually write about their summer). The kids seems to enjoy this because it's a familiar format and they're writing about something they know.

[1956BD]

They write some feelings about their first day of school, mostly fears. They are posed as questions. Like, "What if nobody like me? What if I'm not as smart as everyone else? What if somebody bullies me?" Then the next day they write the outcomes as answers to the questions. Usually, none of their "what ifs" have come true. It is based on a poem I read to them about the first day of school by Judith Viorst. They turn out really cute. I take their picture the first day of school and add it to the poem for a BB and a copy to give parents on Back to School Night.

Then we read a story called My Summer Vacation and write our letters about our summer vacations.

[SchoolFarmer]

I usually do biopoems with my students. They write them then decorate a small cutout person like themselves and then attach their biopoem and we hang them in the hall for others to see and to introduce our team. They usually put yarn to repreent hair and I have the wiggly eyes and they have a fun time decorating their person. I bought the cutouts at Holcomb Knowplace. They are a bit pricey if you have over 140 students.

Another poem I use is "If You Really Want To Know Me," with my 8th graders and they usually do a terrific job with it. They have to be very descriptive about themselves and they are very interesting to read.

I am also having them do a writing project on the book [U]First Day Jitters[U] to tell me about what gave them jitters on the first day in middle school for my 6th graders. They have to draw a picture of them on their first day and then write about what they were nervous about. Very interesting to read.