Spelling The Best We Can & Moving On!

Over the last few days our writing workshop mini lessons have focused on stretching words out (saying them slowly) and hearing/recording the sounds. Today, we stretched words out and practiced spelling words with this strategy without worrying if we had every single sound. Our motto was: "Spelling the best we can & moving on!" In other words, don't get stuck . . . . keep writing! 

Each Writing Workshop Minilesson consists of six components: connection, teaching, active engagement, link, write and confer, and after the workshop share. The following are descriptors of our lesson today.

Connection - I reminded the kids that they've previously learned to draw the best they can and keep going. This applies to spelling as well. I modeled a time I was stuck but I said "I'll try" and did the best I could.  "Today I want to remind you that when we write words, we need to say: That may not be perfect yet, but I'll just spell the best I can and keep going."

Teaching - I demonstrated hesitating, trying to spell a hard word, and then continuing on to write more. I dictated to myself (while the kids watched and listened), moved quickly, stopped and thought on a hard word and then said out loud: "oh well, I'll leave it like that for now and keep going."

Active Engagement - I invited the kids to try it with me. We used markers and white boards right at circle. We admired our work and then kept moving.

Link - I encouraged the kids to use what they just learned in their own writing: "Do the best you can and keep going!"

After The Workshop Share - there are so many ways to share and celebrate our hard work. Today we went on a "museum walk" Everybody left their writing at their spot and we all walked around and admired it! When we saw evidence of stretching words out, spelling the best we can and moving on,  we stopped and gave it a thumbs up.

This approach to writing with students comes from the Writing Workshop model, adopted by our district this year. 

This lesson focuses on the following Common Core Standards:

K.W.3 Writing - use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

K.L.2  Language, Conventions of Standard English

Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

3. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes)

4. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships