How to Accept a GIFT!

How to Accept a GIFT! This is an awesome writing experience for children.

http://lilcountrykindergarten.visibli.com/c7d9f83b5fe8b259/?web=a98c5d&dst=http%3A//inspiredbykindergarten.blogspot.com/

Lucy Calkins Writing: Christmas Writing Ideas

If you are using Lucy Calkins in the kindergarten classrooms, you will appreciate these ideas:

http://kindergals.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-writing-activities.html

How to Make Crayons

How to Make Crayons video:  http://video.pbs.org/video/1415190951/

This is a great start to the how-to or procedure writing

How to make hot chocolate

Movie clip of HOW TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE… helps with writing

http://www.activitytv.com/517-cold-weather-hot-chocolate

More samples of how to writing

 

http://mallonmessages.blogspot.com/2010/12/procedural-writing-how-tos-in-first.html

Procedural Writing

 

http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2010/12/procedural-writing.html

Procedural Writing (How-To Writing)

Procedural Writing (How-To Writing)

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/how-to-or-procedure-ideas/

Examples of a Students’ Writing: 

How to make a cupcake:  http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2009/02/procedural-writing.html

Cinnamon Ornaments:  http://mallonmessages.blogspot.com/2008/12/cinnamon-ornaments-with-dash-of-how-to.html 

How to make Stone Soup:  http://hkidshighlights.blogspot.com/2008/10/stone-soup.html

Examples of how-to writing:  http://hkidshighlights.blogspot.com/2008/12/writing-through-week.html 

You Tube video link

How to Make Crayons  http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/how-to-make-crayons/

Books that Support How-To writing:

Lucy Calkins:  http://www.unitsofstudy.com/toc_lc_lp.asp

Tony Stead’s book, Is That A Fact?,  http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/tony-stead-how-to-resources/ 

AWESOME wikispaces about procedural writing:    http://firstgradecce.wikispaces.com/Writing+-+Functional                         

Theme 7: We Can Work It Out – How to Read a Recipe T226
Theme 10: We Can Work It Out – Instructions T92-T103
Theme 10: We Can Work It Out – Giving Directions T125

Figure out and list classroom procedures that could be written as How-To Writing:

-How to sit on the rug

-How to sharpen a pencil

-How to read a book quietly

-How to line up quietly

Choose one topic and write in a list:

How to sit on the rug

First, stand up.

Second, push in your chair

Third, walk to the rug

Fourth, find a spot next to your partner

Fifth, sit down criss cross applesause, point your nose and knees at the teacher

How To or Procedure Ideas

Read lots of books that build the understanding of “How To” or “Procedures” books at a variety of levels from Newbridge and Sundance Publishing.

A teaching point that the students need to understand is, “What can you (the students) teach someone?”

Students brainstorm ideas…
How to make a sundae?
How to line-up to go outside.
How to ride a bike.
How to make a peanut butter sandwich.
How to be a good friend.
How to brush your teeth.
How to make your bed.
How to take care of your pet.
How to make ________.
How to pick out a just-right book.

Read several examples of pictures with captions to build understanding of how-to text.  The students realize through the lesson that how-to writing to told in order (sequence) and clearly is about one idea (on topic).   I used 6 picture sequences.

Teacher models writing in order. 

Teacher shares student writing samples.  ( I will post this in a few weeks since I had a computer glitch and need to retake these in April.  I have awesome examples!)

Tony Stead “How To” Resources

http://www.edsupport.cc/mguhlin/share/index.php?n=WorkshopNotes.TonyStead10262007 

Tony Stead, the author of the two books, Is That A Fact? and Reality Checks, is one of my favorite authors.  I have recently been revisiting his work.  One of the lessons I am developing is the writing understandings needed for “How-To” writing.  Tony Stead has lots of resources in his book, Is That A Fact.  I ordered 20 of the suggested “How-To” books from his student resource books.  I will post more as this lesson is developed later in the week.  I am having this lesson video taped in CO and using it as a training resource in staff development.  I am excited.