Jamie Sears

As you may already know, I am a huge proponent of the writer's workshop model in the classroom. But finding time for writing workshop can be tricky

However, students quickly realize that many of the addition key words can also be used in a multiplication problems. Students need to be taught a problem solving strategy that will work every time. In my classroom, students are required to use a four step process anytime that they see a word problem. It might seem obvious that we need to start the problem solving process by reading the problem, but the reality is that students want to start doing something with the numbers before they finish reading.

Here are some ways that you can support your students who need extra help in grammar: Sometimes our struggling learners do best when they have something right in front of them rather than focusing on the board. During the first half of the year, they are asked to write three sentences and during the last half of the year they are asked to write five sentences. Most of the grammar sets include 24 task cards for the Thursday activity. When students are completing task cards on Thursday or their assessment on Friday, you might want to let them use their interactive notebook.

Do you read your students' writing samples and then still have no clue where to start with what lessons they need? It's pretty easy to get off track in a lesson, especially when ten students all have a story to share when you mention your dog as an example in your mini lesson, right? ! To help you keep your mini lessons focused, meaningful, and beneficial, I've compiled a FREEBIE with a list of skills I believe should be taught during this time. This freebie includes a list of mini lessons that you should use when teacher four different types of writing: personal narratives, informational reports, opinion essays and fiction narratives.