April...Break...Easter...Vacation!

​      This season is an incredible opportunity to share stories (like a caveman or woman).  Tell stories of things that really happened, make up stories about things that never occurred. Use real life samples or travel via time machine.  Use science or social studies as the root of your stories. Humor the students. Make them giggle. Create Stories during spelling tests or after recess. 
      Pull out templates for story telling and review the needed components to build a strong story. Model different ways to begin the stories (strong dialogue, character, action,or setting) Remember, if  you teach a lower grade, do not use dialogue as your model. The students are not there yet, even if it is an interesting way to begin.
      Simple modeling is best to begin with.  As time progresses, add more colorful words and increased descriptions that send pictures to their little minds. Change voices and add sounds. Sing parts of the story. Laugh when you get stuck. Change the story if the direction is wrong.             Model that mistakes are ok, and revising makes the story stronger.
     Let them see you write, make mistakes, and edit.  Give them pieces written by you, by students in the class, and pieces you discover in books or on the internet. Evaluate them; discuss them.  What makes these pieces exciting? What makes them dull?  Could they be improved?
       Most of all, create a love for writing and not a HATE!  \
       Write ON!