Have you ever been so excited about a lesson to only be met with groans and moans from your students? This happens almost every time I say the word “writing”! I absolutely love incorporating writing into my daily routines with cross-curricular ideas and sprinkling it throughout the day. Did I mention that it can be fun too?!? Add these 13 ways to make writing fun to engage your students and be met with cheers instead of groans!
Immediately when a person hears the word writing, what comes to mind? Paper and a pencil, sitting in your seat, writing a story. Well, I found out quickly in my fifteen years of education that paper and pencil weren’t working and my students were really growing weary of using our whiteboards to practice writing words.
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Hands-on, multi-sensory activities provide students with more ways to connect to the content of the lesson making it more enjoyable and memorable. When students are engaged, the activities result in better memory of the skill taught. Although all students can benefit from multi-sensory learning, it can be particularly helpful for kids who learn and think differently. I use all 13 of these ideas in my classroom, but be sure to check out #13, it is my personal favorite!
1. Make writing fun with explicit instruction
Before my students can express themselves independently, I need to make sure I provide some direct instruction opportunities. Yes, we cannot just give our students a writing utensil and expect them to magically write a sentence. Well… a good sentence! Just like teaching any other subject, an effective educator provides direct instruction, modeling, and practice opportunities.
I like to have mini-lessons where I focus on a particular skill, taking baby steps. I like to start with some brainstorming activities because I found that sometimes that is the hardest stage for my students. Students struggle with just coming up with an idea of what to write about. Through dialogue, practice, and even anchor charts, I focus on the topic of brainstorming, before I move on to other writing concepts like punctuation, staying on topic, and adding details or descriptive words like in my anchor chart below.
2. Transform their writing in their own way
Sometimes you just have to let students create their own journey. I don’t know about your students, but mine LOVE to tell stories. So much so that sometimes that is all they want to do (anything to delay the work, right?). It is time to put these stories into words, literally.
My students love creating through transformation stations! With only one mark, my students transform it into a car, a Ferris wheel, a doughnut, or even a controller or camera like the picture above! It is shocking to me that one mark can be 25 different things without repetition! I love that my students take the lead in writing and will work amazingly for those students that have a hard time coming up with a writing prompt during free writing.
3. Silly Science
Remember how I mentioned earlier that I love a cross-curricular moment? How about bringing writing into the world of science? I personally try to incorporate writing into as many subjects as I can. It may come as a surprise, but science is one of those lessons that I find the easiest to pair writing with. Just think… observations, sequence of events setting up an experiment, hypotheses, and so much more!
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of different scientific facts in this world. Did you know that wombats' poop is cubed-shaped? What about that turtles can breathe through their behinds?!? I cannot wait to introduce some of these facts for my students to take and run with. They LOVE learning a new science fact and will tell anyone who walks through my door!
4. Hands-on, multi-sensory activities!
As educators, sometimes we need to get creative! In one of my first years teaching first grade, I found myself standing in front of a large group of disinterested and reluctant writers. Whenever I said the words “Time for our journal writing”… I heard audible groans and disgusted faces.
Writing doesn't always have to include pencil and paper. Students can build their sentence basic knowledge by manipulating words to create different sentences. Syntax slides work really well to help students practice building strong sentences.
5. Challenge alert!
Once my students have a basic understanding of punctuation and capitalization, I love to throw in a challenge every now and then. I typically dictate a sentence for my students to write on their whiteboards. However, every now and then I flip the script!
I will sometimes write a sentence on the board, however, I make several mistakes on purpose. It is my students' responsibility to edit the sentence appropriately. I will say “there are five (or any number) mistakes in this sentence (or paragraph)”. Then my students will re-write the sentence/paragraph on their whiteboards correcting the errors. We will then come back to our whole group and call on students to identify the errors. Once a student states a correct error they saw, I will use the appropriate symbols to edit the paragraph.
6. Providing a little nudge to get started
Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to get going. Sometimes, I don’t have time for a full-on brainstorming session before we write. However, many of my students struggle with coming up with a topic to write about. They will sit there staring at a blank page. They will literally sit there for the entire period with nothing on their paper. If you ask them why they didn’t start or why they don’t have anything on their page… their response? “I didn’t know what to write about”.
Well, as I stated before sometimes we just need a little nudge. If you're like me and some days need to save time and can't use a brainstorming, graphic organizer, or web activity... Journal prompts are a saving grace! Whether I need a quick and easy prompt, a themed writing idea, funny question, or a debate question. I just simply place a journal prompt slide on my SmartBoard and we are set to go!
7. Mentor texts to help
One thing (of many) that lacks in teacher prep programs is how to get students to write. How to get students to write well, that is. Also, if you personally, as an adult are not a fan of writing you may also stray away from numerous writing activities for your students because you just don’t enjoy them!
How about a mentor text? I believe that it is safe to say that most educators love a good read-aloud. Read-alouds are one of my personal favorite things to do! If I can pair a book with a lesson, I’m happy and all in! Whether you enjoy writing like me or don’t really enjoy writing, mentor texts are the way to go!
8. Directed drawings
Alright, I have a slight confession to make. There are certain moments in my career when I “trick” my students into writing. Yes, I did say trick my students. It may sound horrible, but hear me out first before you judge!
Have you ever heard of a Directed Drawing before? Me neither until I stumbled upon them! I tried one with my students and they were asking for another piece of paper to continue their stories! WOW!
With easy step-by-step drawing instruction, your students are able to draw hundreds of things from food to cars, animals, and even fantasy characters! My students don’t even know this is a writing activity because they are busy drawing and creating! My steps in this activity are: 1) draw your illustration, 2) write your story, and 3) return to the illustration to add details and color.
9. Sing a Little Song
"All you need is..." ice cream? pizza? chocolate candy? What will your students say? Finishing the Song Lyrics is one of my favorite writing activities.
The familiar melodies make it easy to get started, while the challenge of crafting their own lyrics sparks imagination and originality. Plus, it encourages collaboration and laughter, making learning feel like play!
10. F - U - N!
Get creative with the finished projects your students complete during writing time. Can you turn a writing project into a quick TV commercial? How about creating a lapbook instead of a research report? The possibilities are endless. Choose a writing curriculum that allows for flexibility in the writing projects you create with your students.
11. Super Sentences
Are your students good at writing a solid sentence that includes a noun and verb, but struggle when it comes to "telling you something more"? An easy activity to drop into your literacy centers is to help them Stretch a Sentence, or supercharge your sentences by practicing Super Sentences activities.
12. I love a good theme!
I am ALL about a theme. Whether I am planning a party, holidays, or even sometimes planning a dinner for my family (yes, I’m weird like that on occasion)... I AM ALL ABOUT A THEME! Did you ever try to cook an entire meal based on a letter of the alphabet? Try it next time… for example the letter: B (3-bean salad, brisket on a brioche bun, broccoli, and a baked potato. Try some banana pudding for dessert with the entire meal washed down with some birch beer!)
Anywho, I digress from the topic of writing, unless we are writing down some recipes for each other! Themes are my jam, obviously! And, themed - writing opportunities do NOT disappoint! Whether you are focusing on the season, holidays, or the month we are in…my lesson plans are revolving around a common theme!
13. Write the Room
Save the best for last, right? Even though the twelve ideas before this one are amazing in their own way, there is something about writing the room, that I am OBSESSED with!
I love when I can allow my students to get up and move (in an organized, structured way)! Students get excited over the littlest things sometimes and when I say we are using a clipboard, they go nuts! A CLIPBOARD!?!
With their clipboards in hand and a pencil, my students are ready to move! Working around the room they need to find the write the room card and write the word (or even math problem answer) onto their recording sheet! Sometimes, I even like to “hide” the cards in random places to make it a bit more challenging for my students! Whether you are taping them to the towel dispenser, a magnet to the side of a random student desk, or even taped underneath a table… my students will be engaged and working together to find them all!
I know in my classroom, I am lucky enough to hear those groans and moans early on change to cheers when I say the word "writing". Which writing activity is the favorite in your classroom? Be sure to reach out and comment below to add to this list! Together we can make writing less "boring", less stressful, and provide the skill of story-telling to our students!
Written By: Christopher Olson
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