Work on Writing Through the Year and FREEBIES!

For YEARS when it came to center time, I would hear the dreaded "UGH...I HATE work on writing..."

This bothered me because I'm the type of teacher that wants to make it fun, regardless of the task.  If they're not having fun, then I'm not having fun.  I wanted to make work on writing a hit with my students.  But how do you do such a thing when it's already such a daunting task?
The first thing I did was designate a little space for this spectacular center to take place.  Then, I bought a peg board from Lowe's (it wasn't that expensive) and spray painted it white.
Then I added some FUN!
Most of the garland I got a Michael's.  I have one for every month and I switch it out every month.  It's always fun to add lights to the garland as well :)

Now you're probably thinking, "Where on EARTH does she keep all this STUFF!"  Well, I have plastic boxes bought from Dollar General that are all labeled and stacked!

Now if you are going to have a fantastic work on writing area, you need some seasonal words to display.  Michael's always carries fun seasonal clips and ribbon.  I like to make it fun and add those up there too.  I also made little word books for the students to use the words from the wall.  These books are usually geared toward my struggling writers.

Writing Prompts are a great way to get your students minds thinking about what they want to write.  All my writing prompts are kept on a ring and hang from the peg board.  That way, if they choose to sit elsewhere, they can grab a stack of prompts and move.  All writing papers are kept stacked in a clear container from Staples.

It's always important to have a variety of paper to meet the learning needs of your students.  Sometimes early in the year I'll include the thinking maps and later in the year I'll choose other lined paper options.

Rubrics are always something that I like to provide for my students to help remind them what is looked for during center time - even if I'm not putting a grade on it.  Some I run copies of and let them staple to their writing page, others I print and laminate and let them use a wipe off marker to check the list.

Any time I'm at Michael's or Target dollar spot I always see the cutest baskets and containers.  And I buy them.  The look on their little faces and the "awwww...that's so cute..."  It's such a simple and fun way to display pencils, markers and stickers for Sticker Stories.

Below is a small snapshot of what comes in my work on writing packs.

So hopefully this will help you jump start your writing center and make it fun all year long!

Friday for Friday Christmas Randomness!

It's been a while since I've linked up with Doodle Bugs Teaching.  I needed to get back into the fun!

First Grade Roars is doing 12 days of Freebies and she created this snowman craft I couldn't pass up!

They turned out precious!

Since we are working on How-To's in writing, I thought this would be a great way to incorporate a how-to writing prompt to go with their little craft.

Look at those eyelashes!

They look great in our hallway!

To get First Grade Roars snowman craft click HERE.

To get the How-To writing template click HERE.

I found a basket of old Christmas stamps...

STAMP STORIES! WHOOOO!

Sticker stories are so five years ago.

 They are OBSESSED.  It's all they want to do.  They don't even want to attempt my fun writing prompts anymore.  Boo. 

#nopunctuation #yesiknow #dontjudge #workingonit

If you would like my Sticker and Stamp Story pages you can get them HERE.

 I once had a parent tell me that ANYTHING with her child's handprint was all she wanted.

Shutup with the cuteness!

I got the canvas boards for 60% off at Michaels.  Well worth the money when I saw how adorable they turned out!

These little darlings went home today.

I got the plastic ornaments at Michael's for .48 cents a piece last year after Christmas.  A very simple fingerprint...a little glitter inside...top it with a bow...

And you have something that is all things adorable!

One of my students said he was SO relieved that they were plastic because he had already "shattered" one of his mothers glass ornaments.

#loveit  #highvocab

I wore this shirt today hoping it would remind some of my students that Santa was watching their every move.  It didn't take.

Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend!  We're going to need it with the week coming up!

New Life Ahead, Very Merry Centers and a Freebie!

It has been a hot mess express in the Johnson household!  My husband got a promotion, we put our house up for sale, and it sold in FOUR DAYS.  FOUR.  DAYS.  When Scott applied for this job, we kind of had the attitude that it was in God's hands and whatever happens, happens.  It has been a whirlwind!  He got the promotion, and we are moving to Annapolis, Maryland!  AGGHHH!!!  And since we've had the attitude of "it's in God's hands," literally everything has fallen into place.

We took a trip about three weeks ago to go house hunting and we stopped in D.C. to visit Arlington National Cemetery.  I'm a HUGE history buff and this is one place in D.C. that I haven't yet visited.  I loved it.

 The views were breathtaking.

 And I got to witness the Changing of the Guard.  It was amazing.

Unfortunately I have to leave my first grade babies in the middle of the year, which is devastating.  In addition, I don't have a job in Maryland.  If I can't teach, I don't know what I'll do with myself.  My whole reason for getting up in the morning is for my job.  I'm just hoping and praying that will all fall into place too.

So on a more positive note - VERY MERRY CENTERS!

I needed some little bags to hold my books on CD and TJ Maxx had these little bad boys for three bucks a piece!

So stankin cute, right?

I've also finished my Work on Writing for December and was able to get that set up for my students to use.

I like to keep a couple of laminated rubrics handy for them to use during writing.

The word cards I got a couple of years ago from Kristen Smith at A Day in First Grade.  You can get them HERE.  The clips and ribbon came from Michaels.  

I also added some new Sight Word Work mats.

I put the words in a cute little Christmas bucket and now the center is new and interesting again.  Viola!

I also started pulling activities from my Very Merry Phonics pack.

The cookies for Santa are a favorite.  I like to put the cookies in a little bowl and I give them spoons to stir it with.  It always makes it more fun!

I had some fall "Mystery Critters" where my students had to read a short passage and make inferences as to what the mystery critter was.  Then they had to draw what they visualized and write the clues.  Some of them liked it so much they asked me to make more.  So I made some for the Holidays!

Its really interesting to look at their illustrations and see that each child has a different vision.  If you would like to use these in your classroom, you can get them HERE.