Six Traits Sunday Linky

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Hi Everyone! I linked up with Carla from Comprehension Connection for Six Traits Sunday Linky. I’ve worked with a wide variety of writers over the years. The ones that always seem to stand out are the reluctant writers. Just coming up with an idea for writing is a monumental task for some students. I found a little book that I love using for the trait, Ideas. It’s called Notebook Know-How by Aimee Buckner.

http://www.amazon.com/Notebook-Know-How-Strategies-Writers/dp/1571104135

I read it about four years ago. It’s a quick read, that packs a lot of punch. Buckner provides some of the most practical advice I can think of for getting students into their writer’s notebooks right away. Each chapter has mini-lessons that can easily be adapted for primary and elementary grades.
One of the mini lessons she has for ideas is the 10 best life events and 10 worst life events lists. All writers need to build up writing fluency, but reluctant/struggling writers need it even more. Writing lists is one way to do this. Personally, I’m a huge list writer. I have lists for my lists! It’s the simple act of writing a list that sparks ideas.
When you ask a student to write down their best life or worst life events, they can easily find a starting point. These events can become seed ideas for writing. Of course I always modeled on chart paper or in my own writer’s notebook first. We all know how critical it is for a child to see the wheels turning in our minds during think alouds. I’d wager to say it’s just as, if not MORE important to do think alouds during writing than it is during a reading lesson.
I’ll end with my 10 Best Life Events and invite you to share yours in the comments too! Thanks for reading today, and thank you Carla for your invitation to link up!

My Ten Best Life Events (*Some may be out of order!)
  1. Getting married
  2. Becoming a Mommy
  3. Becoming a teacher
  4. Moving to my new house
  5. Meeting my second brother I never knew I had
  6. Bringing The Reading Tutor/OG to life
  7. My honeymoon to California and Costa Rica
  8. Ziplining through the rainforest of Costa Rica
  9. Winning dance competitions
  10. My first trip to New York City

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