5 Minutes to Write! Improving Writing Stamina - A Completed Work!

Are Your Students Writing?  

Could 5 Minutes of Writing A Day Make a Difference?

Well the school year is well under way for me and my third graders.  We are now 3 weeks into the school year and I am positive about the school year and implementing one of my summer goals.

Over the summer I wanted to compile my 5 minute writing topics that I worked on for an entire year into a friendly and inexpensive format for teachers.  I completed my 1st edition of 5 Minutes to WRITE! Improving Writing Stamina.

I am fortunate to work with a team of colleagues who are open to new ideas and so far my grade level is using it daily.  I am sure that I will have some mixed reports and some things that I could improve upon, but the most important thing is that it is making a difference with the students in my class.

It is already on TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers), and I also included a free download of the first 3 weeks, which includes the how to and classroom management along with 16 prompts.  Here is the link if you want to give it a try.  

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Minutes-to-WRITE-Improving-Writing-STAMINA-2035668

In the future my plans are to continuing blogging ideas about 5 minute writing, 5 Minutes to WRITE!, and to answer questions.  

Thanks for reading!

JC

DRAW A PICTURE! - The Best Gift for Father's Day

DRAW A PICTURE! - The Best Gift for Father's Day

Do you remember when you were a kid and you drew a picture, excitedly told your parent about what was happening in the picture?  Your mom or dad may have paused, smiled, looked at the picture, and either commented or asked more questions.  

Congratulations!  You were writing!  

As a dad I can't help but treasure the drawings that my kids make me.  Some are strange, some are of memories, but I can't toss them away.  With all of the obligations as a dad I do not get the time to draw like I want to for my books and publications.  When I do its not uncommon that I will open a journal ready to draw and  find something that has been "doodled" in one of my journals by my kids.  

I smile!  I am inspired!   

A picture drawn by a child is not just a picture, but a writing of a moment or a story that needs to be told.  It's better than a card purchased at a store.  It's an opportunity for a child to sit on Dad's lap and read their story.  

Stop and draw a picture. 

 It may be the best Father's Day gift you dad receives tomorrow.

Inspiring Kids to Draw - Write - and Read!

Happy Father's Day!

- Jeremy Cole

Looking for a book to read to your kids?  Checkout www.jeremycolebooks.com
Click here to buy The Boy Who Cried Ug!

5 Minutes to WRITE! SUMMER CHALLENGE

I feel so guilty for not posting in such a long time!  I tried some things with 5 minute writing, quick writes, or what I like to call "5 Minutes to WRITE!"  I enjoyed some great successes with the students in my class this year.  I will talk more about 5 Minutes to WRITE! and what I have been working on later, but right now I want to focus on my 5 Minutes to WRITE! SUMMER CHALLENGE.  19 out of my 25 students stated that they loved 5 Minutes to WRITE! in my classroom this year that they wanted to continue with it over the summer, if I came up with some topics.  So, here you go:
http://www.jeremycolebooks.com/5-minutes-to-write-.html
The students know to bring me their 5 Minutes to WRITE! SUMMER CHALLENGE journals at the beginning of the year.  I can't wait to celebrate their writing and success!

Please feel free use this for educational purposes and share it with your students now since summer is just starting.  I am excited about the 5 Minutes to WRITE! SUMMER CHALLENGE, but even more excited about what I am working on for 5 Minutes to Write! for next year.

Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions.  It helps with what I need to write in my next post.

How will I ever have time to write for this blog when I am too busy running from this T-Rex!

Whole Group Writing - Opinion

Whole Group Writing - Opinion

I had a great time with my kids beginning our journey with the writing process.  I used my writing prompt "What Flavor Would You Be?" with some modifications.  I wasn't happy that I couldn't use the Adobe file directly on the Smartboard, but that didn't stop me.  I captured the image with the camera icon and moved it to create a file on the Smartboard.  I did change the topic for my prewrite, My Ultimate Bowl....  The kids could identify with my favorite bowl of ice cream and we talked about changing the topic to something more specific so we wouldn't write about the same thing.  I emphasized the importance of just getting ideas on the screen.  It worked out wonderfully.  I purposefully misspelled some words and just wrote phrases to show the kids the importance of just getting the ideas ready for writing.   It worked!

 I have decided to create a full size display of our group writing for a reference when we continue to write with the opinion genre.

 

Pictured below is our prewrite:

Inspiring Kids to Read, Write, and Illustrate!

You can support my blog by purchasing e-books, items, and writing prompts from the following:
Teachers Pay Teachers - http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jeremy-Cole
Jeremy Cole Books - http://www.jeremycolebooks.com/Store.html
E-Books from
Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boy-who-cried-ug-jeremy-cole/1112439624?ean=2940012535788

Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/The-Boy-Who-Cried-ebook/dp/B004IEABE4

http://www.amazon.com/The-Delightfully-Delicious-Dilemma-ebook/dp/B00BIB2K1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378335630&sr=1-1&keywords=the+delightfully+delicious+dilemma

Ibooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-boy-who-cried-ug!/id468470884?mt=11

Managing the Writing Process in the Classroom

Managing the Writing Process in the Classroom

I am a visual person!  We have been in school for a couple of weeks in Georgia and I was excited to return.  I was eager to try one of my writing prompts to begin opinion writing.  I began by teaching the writing process through modeling as a whole group.  I started my year with "What flavor would you be?", but I focused on the children's favorite flavor.  I changed my topic a little to "My Ultimate Bowl..." (You can download my prompt from Teachers Pay Teachers for just $1.99.)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jeremy-Coles-Writing-Prompt-What-Flavor-Would-You-Be-724994
As we started our writing journey as a class, I found that the children were working at different paces and I has to come up with some way to manage where each child was in the writing process.  I recycled a hallway display and placed it on my metal cabinets with magnets.  Because I am visual, I can look at the cabinet and easily see where each child is with the writing process.  Some of the children are more motivated that others, but the fact that they have to move their name on their own helps them to self evaluate.
Others have used charts and clothes pins with names.  Hey, whatever works for you and your class.  Just don't forget to write.
Inspiring Kids to Read, Write, and Illustrate!

Ice Cream - What Flavor Would You Be?

Ice Cream - What Flavor Would You Be?

I finished my fourth writing prompt for Teachers Pay Teachers today!  "What Flavor Would You Be?" is a question that is often asked by a fellow author, Eric Simmons when he attends book signings.  Eric Simmons wrote the book, We're All Ice Cream.  I'm Just a Different Flavor.  I used his story this year with my students to "spring board" my writing prompt, and the students produced wonderful written works.  It is an awesome example of a fictional narrative for children! 

Eric and I have attended a couple of book signings with our families and he always amazed me with his approach.  "If you were an ice cream flavor, what flavor would you be?", he asked approaching readers.  He never failed to follow up with, "Have your seen Jeremy's book?"  Many times he promoted me just as much as he promoted his own work. 

Eric Simmons is not only an imaginative author, but a great friend, husband, and father who thinks of others before his thinks of himself.
http://www.amazon.com/Were-Cream-Just-Different-Flavor/dp/0615419666

This writing prompt is dedicated to Eric Simmons,...


PS- What flavor would I be?  I would be a scoop of mint chocolate chip, a scoop of chocolate, and a scoop of butter pecan, because I am a little NUTTY!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jeremy-Coles-Writing-Prompt-What-Flavor-Would-You-Be-724994

Jeremy's The Delightfully Delicious Dilemma E-book and Reader's Theatre Script Releases from Teachers Pay Teachers

Jeremy's The Delightfully Delicious Dilemma E-book and Reader's Theatre Script Releases from Teachers Pay Teachers

Please follow the link below to check out Jeremy's newest e-book release, The Delightfully Delicious Dilemma.  The fie also includes a reader's theatre script for teachers to use in the classroom as well.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Delightfully-Delicious-Dilemma-E-book-with-Readers-Theatre-Script-721796