Sometimes it’s not about the assignment. It’s not about the hooks that you’ve tried teaching to inspire your students to write. Sometimes, it’s all about the writing tools that are so much fun to use, that students begin to enjoy writing, or enjoy writing even more.
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I remember telling a student once long ago as I switched pencils with him, that my pencil had some special ability to just get those ideas out of his head and onto paper. Of course he looked at me with a “who are you kidding?” look and I gave him a smile and a wink so he knew I was kidding. (I’m not much of a fan of those little tricks that people tell to get kids believing in something not real – think Elf on the Shelf- except for the obvious ones at home) so I wanted him to know it was in his ability. It was very effective!
So then I got to thinking about other fun ways to promote writing and creativity in my classroom and thought I’d share with you what I like to provide for my students and they love it!
Pencils:
These twisty pencils used to drive me crazy. Now, I welcome them. Only the kids that truly need to twist while they write really gravitate towards them. You can even tell kids that if they are stuck, they can knot them and release the knot when they have an idea.
Pencil grips:
I love giving kids grips when they have a hard time with their pencil grip. It doesn’t work on all kids that need it because they seem to be already so engrained in their pencil grips but for some it works well. Sometimes kids just need something soft because their fingers get sore from the grip. I always have some of these on hand.
Scissors:
Fancy paper scissors are also handy to have. Kids just love making their paper all fancy. It makes your writing sound better when read aloud. Right? 😊
Seriously, what could be more fun than using these “writing tools” in your writing center? It’s also a great way to introduce the 6+1 writing trait: presentation.
Happy writing!
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