Daily 5—What Do Students Write About During Work on Writing?

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We know that to become better writers, we need to spend time writing. Work on Writing provides an opportunity for students to spend time engaged in this authentic literacy practice. The format and genre students choose can be letters, lists, poetry, songs, fiction, nonfiction, and more. What students write about during this time should be steeped in choice. What interests them? What stories do they have to tell? Who do they want to write a letter to? Having this choice is engaging, and it helps develop writers who come to know their voice and are able to craft written work independently.

Some writers have an ample supply of ideas to write about and their pencil hits the paper instantly. Others need assistance so they don’t waste their time developing an idea instead of a product. Here are a few ideas that might help students get started quickly:

  1. Pictures—Post a picture in the front of the room or have a collection of photos for students to use. They take a photo and develop a story about what is taking place in the image.
  2. Themed folders—Collect a variety of themed pocket folders. Students choose one and use the picture on the front to inspire a story or letter. (Some possibilities are SpongeBob, Batman, Ninjago, Aaron Rodgers, and Taylor Swift.)
  3. Writing prompt—We don’t require students to use a writing prompt during Work on Writing. However, some students occasionally prefer to have a prompt to get their creative juices flowing. Write a prompt on the board that students can use if they wish. This still provides choice, because students who use it choose to do so.
  4. Brainstorm—As a class, brainstorm a list of possible topics to write about. Post the list so students can refer to it when looking for an idea.
  5. Sharing—At least once a day we have students share what they are working on during Daily 5. Encourage students to listen closely to see if they hear an idea they would like to develop further.

You may find yourself using all of these options or just a few of them. The most important thing is that students have the opportunity to choose, so they are engaged in what they create as a writer.

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