Posts tagged #language arts

Elaborated Sentences

Other Ways to Use This Lesson:

Remember to allow the opportunity for your learners to write “visually”. Let them see the picture before they write. Train them early to ‘visualize’ and see the details. Guaranteed, your students will feel more confident with this approach.

As stated earlier, this lesson can focus on one skill at a time. When you are introducing “verbs” or action words, decide which kind of verb you want them to use and circle those words in their descriptive sentence. The children can use 3 pictures or clip art and compare “verbs” to make and create a verb list or verb pictorial dictionary. This activity can give you an on-going assessment as well. Try this activity with adjectives too.

 

Elaborated puppet sticks are a creative way to excite the children when they write. Children can use colored pictures, clip art, or their own art work to glue at the end of a craft stick as a puppet. Keep the puppet sticks in a basket to be reused throughout the year. Perhaps your puppet sticks are not of people or characters. Let them create scenery or object puppets too. Depending on the objective taught, if you only want to reinforce elaborative writing, allow the children to take a stick out of the basket and write a descriptive sentence. If the children want to use two puppets as characters, let them describe the puppets in an elaborative sentence while comparing the differences and similarities. The puppet is just a visual to ‘hold’. Their writing can be as creative as an elaborative poem, descriptive paragraph or narrative. Let your experienced writers stretch their imaginations and encourage them to use ‘details’.

 

Additionally, you can use this activity every week for practice along with reinforcing various topics throughout the year. For instance, you may be reading about birds one week, so allow the children to do a similar activity using pictures of birds. If you have stickers, try them to save time. Just illustrate the background.  If time is a challenge, keep pictures or sculptures of animals/people available, with or without a background for your students to use rather than spending time illustrating. If you have time to illustrate, try stencils to trace and add details as needed.

 

Moreover, create a worksheet with several clip art pictures along the left side of the paper corresponding with a blank line for kids to write an elaborated sentence. Remind the children that color will help their descriptions as well. You can cut the elaborated sentences into strips, glue to construction paper and trim, laminate them and use throughout the year. If you use dry erase markers, the children can color code parts of a sentence by circling each part and simply erase when completed.

Lastly, experienced writers can keep their elaborated work in a personal journal or portfolio to be shared as the year progresses. All you need is a cover.  Check for Visual Reading and Writing Activities for the Common Core in my store. All can be found at www.visualccl.com

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Kim Waltmire and tagged elaborated sentences visualizing Visual learning Visual reading Visual literacy creative writing common core Writing activities writing process writing activities language arts classroom strategies lessons lesson plans complete sentences second grade first grade writing sentences detailed writing details adjectives ellaboration ELA English Language Arts School learning teach ELL Special Education activities.

Visual Display Boards

I create boards like these to get the children excited about writing vocabulary. In this case, we were learning about Verbs. I often times gather pictures to bring it all to life. The children can play charades and act the words out and discuss words (verbs) that describe the cat’s actions. I keep the poster displayed as a vocabulary list. I have also used the poster as a learning center visual too. It is portable and fun for kids to use. Check for Visual Reading and Writing Activities for the Common Core in my store. All can be found at www.visualccl.com

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Kim Waltmire and tagged Visual Display boards verbs grammar writing activities writing process common core language arts display visual representation visual arts lesson plan projects.

Retell Bookmarks

My students use retell bookmarks all year long.   They are encouraged to memorize the order of questions on their bookmark so they can write their own retell/recount . My children love to reach this goal without using their bookmarks.

My above average learners have a retell notebook to respond with during guided reading. This allows them to write their own elaborative paragraphs. They are also encouraged to respond orally. This practice has been wonderful for public speaking and hearing how a story sounds as a retell.

My benchmark students complete a retell worksheet and store in their reading binder. They can read their work to a partner too.

My below average kids may answer the questions orally and try to respond with a shorter written application. Check for Visual Reading and Writing Activities for the Common Core in my store   LAMINATE BOOKMARKS… USE IN CLASS AND AT HOME!

All can be found at www.visualccl.com

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Kim Waltmire and tagged guided reading bookmarks benchmark retelling sequential order retell notebooks recounting stories elaborative writing story elements common core writing retell worksheets writing creative writing reading literacy language arts English Language Arts elementary teaching strategies paragraph writing writing sentences complete sentences sentence elaboration story order questions asking questions.

Bring Visual Writing and the Common Core to Life

                                            A Note to you…

          Bring Visual Writing and the Common Core to Life!

The easiest way to tap into visual writing as it unfolds, whether non-fiction or fiction, is giving students multiple opportunities to express themselves verbally, creatively, and critically all year-long. I do this through enriching vocabulary activities, field trips, photographs, and constant use of pictures, sculptures, cards, posters, illustrations and really good graphic organizers

 

Kids need to see real life events fitting into the framework of a complete story. The key word is “see”.  We know stories revolve around some problems and have various parts. Stories begin by telling what is about to happen. They usually have a struggle. Then the story comes to a climax, followed by the resolution. But none of this matters if they can’t visualize their writing… So let’s help them do it!

 

While a story told has a beginning, middle, and end, every scene relates directly to a character(s), their motivation, theme, and plot. A still picture, sculpture, landscape, etc  is the beginning of an unfolding story, capturing only a small amount of story detail, motivation, theme, and plot.

One approach to writing is creating a visually powerful scene… Teach your students to ask questions, explain, and describe. Allow them to use illustrations and master artist posters, sculptures, photographs, and paintings to do the job …                                       

 

                                                     You can do it!!!!!!!

                                 All can be found at www.visualccl.com

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Kim Waltmire and tagged visual arts visualizing visual representation verbs visual learning Visual reading visual literacy visual writing vocabulary Visual literacy Visual learning visual reading creative conversations Visual Display boards adjectives activities creative writing narrative writing supportive thoughts descriptive writing elaborative writing informative writing interactive lesson activities collaborative groups character development writing activities Writing activities sequence of events writing creative writing graphic organizers pictures sculptures cards visuals story writing second grade reading retelling reading literacy riddles retelling stories retell worksheets recounting stories retell notebooks art grammar writing pre-writing creating critical thinking Mrs. Waltmire presentation props props with a purpose process writing strategies writing sentences primary grades writing process paragraph writing burning questions learning small moments silhouettes students stem speaking science School Special Education story elements story order start teaching scenery student learning sequential order sentence starters sentence elaboration science and literacy special educaion writing and speaking asking questions plot poetry places partners photographs topical writing expository writing expressing display comparison writing complete sentences comprehension descriptions lesson plans lesson plan projects animalspeople authors purpose real life events stories ELL ELA elaboration elementary English Language Arts elaborated sentences text teaching detailed writing lessons learning styles still pictures scene artists master artists questions listing questions highlighting questions paintings posters landscapes Language arts ellaboration illustrations classroom strategies collaboration animals factual writing Kim Waltmire classroom language arts beginning middle end genres story details themes climax story plots see senses common core bookmarks graphics multiple intelligencies curriculum Common Core.

Fiction Independent Reading Activities

Fictional Independent Reading Activities

I store multiple copies of these activities/graphic organizers in reading binders during Guided Reading. I will teach the children how to use them and I differentiate the activities based on academic levels throughout the year as well. While I am meeting with small groups, my students are assigned to reading levels and respond independently or with partners, depending on my expectations. They complete activities to represent the stories they have read. If you plan ahead, place the activities/graphic organizers in a particular order of Common Core standards being introduced in your English and Language Arts Units (ELA). Sometimes I may have small guided reading groups work with me using their binder as well. Other ways to use this packet is for morning work or homework. My students are engaged and everything is organized in their binders at their differentiated level.

I also created Easy Fictional Independent Reading Activities and both of these booklets can be found at www.visualccl.com.   Enjoy!!!

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Kim Waltmire and tagged differentiation fiction homework reading retell notebooks recounting stories retelling stories retelling reading literacy real life events retell worksheets creating writing creative writing pre-writing creative writing creative writing for CCSS expressing guided reading visualizing visuals verbs visual representation Visual reading visual arts vocabulary worksheets lesson plans listing questions lessons learning styles Language arts lesson plan projects lesson activities language arts ELA comprehension common core creative comparison writing orgainzers graphic organizers.