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Writers at Work Collection

The Writers at Work Collection contains stationery and posters, math journal story problem cards, writer's tools, materials for primary writers workshop, and suggestions for writing and publishing in a primary classroom. This set also includes reproducible picture dictionaries to support emergent or struggling writers as well as a high frequency word practice book. Colorful shape books support the final step in the writing process: publishing!

Birthday Writing Paper	Flap Book for Report Writing	Model Sentences
First Grade Writer's Workshop Checklist	Another 1st Grade Writer's Checklist	Five W's Chart
Geography Postcard	Informational Writing Checklist for Editing	Letter Writing
Letter Writing (Primary)	I'm Writing You a Letter (poem)	My Little Book of Words for Special Spelling
My Little Book of Words for Writing	Shared Writing	Sing a Super Sentence
Steps in Interactive Writing	Tiny Tales (Retelling or Personal Narrative)	Writers at Work Packet
Writers at Work (Cursive)	Personal Narrative Topics	Letter Diary
Diaries/Journals	Demonstrated Writing	Write the Room
Writing Logs (1 of 2)	Writing Prompts	Written Conversation
Lists	Thumb Ones	Wanted Poster
Writing Center Menus (1 of 9)	Writing Menu Directions (1 of 16)	Tantalizing Titles
Writing PowerPoint	Primary Writing Handout	Build a Better Sentence!
Wordless Book Writing	Primary Writing Presentation

Weekly Record of Writing Vocabulary

Keep track of the words your students use in their writing. When you get an initial writing sample from the Observation Survey, write all correctly spelled words on this chart. Keep this record handy when thinking about your lesson plans.

Writing Posters Set
(36 pages)

These writing posters are meant to support beginning writers. I have posted these in pdf format, but if you'd like them in a Word Document, just let me know at carl1404@msn.com. That way you can eliminate, add, or change the vocabulary for your particular class. I would suggest reproducing them on card stock and laminating them for durability. If you have other writing topics that you'd like to include here, please let me know at the above email address.

Writing Vocabulary Chart

Fill in this chart on a weekly basis, adding new words that your emergent writers record correctly in their journals. The chart shows change and growth over time. It's a good one to show parents and use for planning your lessons.

Writers Suitcase Homework

This reproducible form is meant to assess oral and written language that is used during sharing time. Children are expected to write about their sharing and then read it to their classmates before presenting the actual object. This greatly enhances the experience.

Writers Suitcase Letter to Parents

Writing Research Reports

These reproducible forms are meant to facilitate the development of research report and book report writing skills. The suggested ideas and activities on the pages below are intended for intermediate students in a library setting or in a regular classroom. Students should already be familiar with standard book reports that include character descriptions, setting, plot, problem, and resolution. These activities should enable them to go beyond the traditional "book report." Children should be encouraged to browse, scan the shelves and titles, and skim the tables of content before making a selection. Reading and reporting can and should be a pleasurable experience!

These Dewey book reports are not standard, fill-in-the-blank forms, but thought provoking questions and challenges with critical thinking skills in mind. Individual student and teacher interests and talents are allowed for and cooperative grouping is encouraged. Students should be motivated and trained to be thorough in their reporting and to make a nice presentation package. Teachers and/or librarians may choose to assign particular questions for certain students or add additional bonus projects for others. It is suggested that students always include the top portion of each report page for easy identification of the topic.

Flap Books

(Please note that all of the flap book patterns and samples need to be saved to your computer and then opened. Not sure why, but that's the way it works! Maybe it's the original graphics. Sorry for the inconvenience!)
T-Rex Flap Book Sample

Penguin Flap Book Pattern
Sports Biography Flap Book Patterns
Pilgrim Flap Book Patterns
Native American Flap Book Patterns
Ladybug Flap Book Sample

My Little Book of Words for Writing

This is a handy little reference book that is meant to support early and emergent readers and writers. It contains Dr. Edward Fry's first three hundred high frequency words. Each letter of the alphabet has its own page with a colorful graphic that serves as an anchor for the sound. I would suggest laminating the cover and then binding the book at the top.

(sample)

Grades K-2	Category
Chair For My Mother, A	Using Illustrations to Convey Information
Doorbell Rang, The	The Repeating Line
Fireflies	Beginning, Middle and End
Fireflies In the Night	New Ways to Write About and Old Topic
I'll Fix Anthony	Use Your Voice When You Write
Important Book, The	Moving Beyond "List" and "Love" Stories
Just Like Daddy	Surprise Endings
Little Nino's Pizzeria	How to Pace a Story
Medieval Feast	Using Illustrations to Convey Information
My Five Senses	Using Your Voice When You Write
My Little Island	Using Details to Describe the Setting
Officer Buckle and Gloria	Match Words With the Picture
Old Henry	Cause and Effect
Shrek!	Write a Strong Lead
Tar Beach	Describing the Setting

Grades 3-4	Category
Amos and Boris	Using Stronger Verbs
Birthday Presents	Time Focus
Brave Irene	Person vs. Nature
Cecil's Story	Exercising the Imagination
Danny the Champion of the World	Writing With Voice
Goose That Almost Got Cooked, The	Crafting a Title
Grandpa's Face	Sharpening the Focus
Honey, I Love and Other Poems	Writing With Voice
John Henry	Using Stronger Verbs
Louis The Fish	The Give-Away Lead
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother	Crafting a Title
Night in the Country	Using Sensory Details
Sarah, Plain and Tall	Creating a Dramatic Scene
Stories Julian Tells, The	Creating a Dramatic Scene
Twilight Comes Twice	Narrowing the Time Focus

Primary Set I	Category
All Pigs Are Beautiful	Unusual Structure
All the Places To Love	Unusual Structure
Barn Dance	Ways With Words
Canoe Days	Ways With Words
Cherry Pies and Lullabies	Unusual Structure
Dear Annie	Letter Writing
Dear Juno	Letter Writing
Earrings	Ways With Words
Grandad Bill's Song	Unusual Structure
Letter to Amy, A	Letter Writing
My Mama Had a Dancing Heart	Ways With Words
Seashore Book	Ways With Words
Somewhere in the World Right Now	Unusual Structure
Welcome to the Green House	Ways With Words

Primary Set 2	Category
All the Small Poems and 14 More	Poetry to Support Writers
Birthday Presents	Memoirs
Chalk Doll	How the Physical Things Hold Stories
Cherries and Cherry Pits	Characters Who Write
Dear Mr. Blueberry	Characters Who Write
Great Frog Race, The	Poetry to Support Writers
Jamaica Louise James	Close Observation of the World
Lemonade Sun	Poetry to Support Writers
Nappy Hair	How the Physical Things Hold Stories
Night on Neighborhood Street	Close Observation of the World
Picnic in October	Memoirs
Sitti's Street	Memoirs
Sky Tree	Close Observation of the World
Tell Me a Story, Mama	Memoirs
This Quiet Lady	Memoirs

Writers Workshop Folders

Materials: Two 12 x 18 pieces of construction paper, although I prefer using laminated vellum for durability.

Assembly: Fold the sheets of paper as indicated below.

#1 #2

Place the folded paper #1 inside folded paper #2 to form a folder with pockets. In first grade we would call #1 a "hamburger fold" and #2 starts with a "hot dog" fold. Staple the pocket on the bottom right hand side. Here's what your finished folders should look like:

Labels for pockets

Put the student's name on the cover and use for special assignments, menu of ideas and recording sheets.

Inside left pocket is for ongoing or incomplete work.

Inside right pocket is for finished or completed work.

Back pocket is the "mailbox" for conferencing once a week.
Move some of this work to student portfolios.