Friday, March 22, 2013

Happy Spring!

To celebrate the first day of my spring break, I'm hooking up with Teaching Blog Addict for Freebie Friday!  Here is a quick and easy way for your beginning writers to plan out a basic paragraph using a 4-Square Writing Organizer.  The topic sentence is provided on one version and and a blank 4-square with a writing prompt is on the other version.  Your students just have to write three things that they love about springtime and a concluding sentence.  Four choices of handwriting-lined papers are included for the final copy.  



I LOVE using 4-Square writing organizers with my Firsties!  My reluctant writers really get into doing this because of the extra support the organizer provides.  On the first day, the kids fill out the 4-Square.  The next day, I have my students check each sentence for capitals and punctuation.  They trace over the first letter of the sentence with a green colored pencil and trace the ending punctuation with a red colored pencil.  They love this part!  Later, we use "spell checkers" (high-frequency word lists) to fix basic spelling errors.   The kids work with a buddy to reread the writing for any revisions before writing the paragraph on the handwriting paper.  Ta-da! 

You can grab yourself a copy of the project at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  If you like it, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd considering following my store and letting me know what you think.  Thanks for your support!

I love spring weather (sunny, but cool) and beautiful daffodils (OK, so it snowed a bit this morning, but that was very strange for mid-March in Oregon)!  What is your favorite thing about springtime?

Have a happy weekend!
♥Corinna
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 23, 2013 at 5:40 AM

    That is a great freebie! I am a follower of your blog and store! I am going to use this next week! Thanks a bunch1

    ReplyDelete
  2. msjonesjunctionMarch 23, 2013 at 8:07 AM

    Hello My Sweet Blogging Friend,
    I just love your four square writing organizers. I think is will be a great help to my struggling students, especially with the idea of using the colored pencils to check for capitals and punctuation!! Luv it!
    I love the blooming flowers-as you look out the window you gradually begin to notice the budding flowers and trees...Nature is just amazing...I live in the south-SC, so we don't really experience seasons like everyone else. We go from cold to hot with no real fall or spring. I grew up in NY where we experienced every season like clock work...I still can't get used to this weather. It got warm for a minute but now it is cold again. The weather should break soon and turn warm-then hot!
    Crystal
    Ms. Jones’ Junction

    ReplyDelete
  3. LornaJuly 12, 2013 at 3:58 AM

    I love the 4-Square writing with my first graders also! Thank you so much for sharing!
    Lorna Alliston

    ReplyDelete

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