Writing Prompts Build Writing Skills
Using Writing Prompts is a strategy that can be used to entice your students to work on improving their writing skills. You will see what some of the benefits are from using daily writing prompts and ideas on how to use Seasonal Writing Prompts as a resource for the purpose of improving their writing skills.
Using writing prompts with your students can get their creative writing juices going. It can help them to conquer writer’s block. They can study the pictures, and think (analyze) about them. Reading the labels should guide them in the direction to go in with their writing. It will help them to get creative vibes on paper. They will have fewer reasons for not knowing what to write. This will also ease the pressure that comes from just sitting down to write with no direct guidance. Getting them started is half the battle, so this should also help with the time factor.
As a classroom teacher, Writing was one of my favorite
subjects to teach. As teachers, we each have our strengths and that has
been one of mine. I loved watching the progressions of my students as they
learned each new writing skill.
I had the enjoyable opportunity to co-teach with a 2nd-grade teacher for about 7 years. Thank you, Ashley, for letting me do this and
trusting that I would help your students get better at writing! I got to teach
Writing to her classroom students through those years. Writing was only a small
part of the Language Arts block. So, I was challenged to accomplish as much as
I could in that short amount of time.
Why Use Picture Prompts?
Writing prompts are a way to narrow the topic and direct the writing. The writing prompt will help the student figure out what type of writing is needed. The writing prompts will have keys that will clue them in.
Four Types of Writing
There are four types of writing: descriptive, narrative, expository, and descriptive. Each of the writing prompts uses one of these types of Writing. Here is a list of Keywords to know the type of writing that is being called for from the writing prompt.
Writing Prompt Keywords:
- Descriptive - visualize, describe, define, imagine
- Narrative - tell, story, relate, imagine, describe
- Expository - how, what, explain, compare/contrast
- Persuasive - convince, persuade, why, opinion, argue
Writing with Picture Prompts Seasonal Set
I have created a set of Writing with Picture Prompts Seasonal Bundle that I want to tell you about.
In each set, I included a Model Writing Sample.
This can be used as an instructional tool or as a model
for how students should respond to a writing prompt. This writing sample shows
the students the type of response they can make.
They can see how to begin their paragraph using part of
the prompt. It demonstrates how they can use the labels in the response. This
is the one that comes in the Writing with Picture Prompts Spring Set.
Using Picture Prompts Facilitates the Writing Assignment
Picture prompts provides a place to start, provide details, and give the setting. Since the starting place has been set up, it is visually stimulating because you can see what is happening. You don't need to imagine or create the scene. Then creativity takes place because you can take what is there and further develop it with the writing response.
I have included pictures in my writing products for several
factors. The pictures are based on a topic or theme. It will help the
elementary students pull from their background-knowledge information they have
on the topic. Take a look at a picture
that has been included with the Writing with Picture Prompts Autumn Set. They
can study the details of the picture and identify what they are familiar with.
The Writing Prompts are based on Bloom's Taxonomy
As teachers, we know that we need to use Bloom's Taxonomy to get
our students doing critical thinking. The prompts were written with a variety
of Higher Order Thinking Skills to help with this. Just don’t tell the
students that because the idea is not to hamper but to encourage them to grow
and become better writers/authors. I included a link to a website that explains the levels of Blooms' Taxonomy. The picture is credited to Vanderbilt University.
On each product set, on the teacher page, I let you know what
level each prompt has been written at. Take a look at this sample from Writing with Picture Prompts Winter Set.
Displaying the Writing Expectations
Each set includes Short Writes Expectations. Post this
anchor chart on the wall. The student can see the same things we all want as
teachers for our students to include every time they do any kind of writing
assignment. We want them to remember to use conventions. You can present this
chart before they even begin doing any of the short write prompts. That way before,
during, and after the assigned writing time they can be checking on this list
to make sure they are doing what needs to be done. Just remind them to look at
that reference while checking their paper. This makes them responsible as well
as independent in doing what they need to do.
I have tried to include both fiction and nonfiction writing
prompts. It is easier to write a narrative as opposed to realistic
writing. Narratives are usually what we read and what we write so it comes a
little bit easier to our minds than writing and reading nonfiction.
Benefits of Writing with Picture Prompts Seasonal sets by
Froggy About Teaching:
- · Picture
cues
- · Labels
with purpose
- · Writing
prompts based on HOTS
- · Writing
Model
- · Writing
Expectations
I know that your assigned time for teaching Writing is not
long enough. These details have been included to help your students get going
and complete their writing in a short amount of time.
Each packet comes with 10 pages for students to write with a
prompt. Using this activity will strengthen their writing voice. They would not
just be writing out of the blue. So, chances of getting writer's block are less
likely to happen. Observation of the pictures/labels will further help them to develop
those writing ideas. They will get better at thinking “on the fly” as they
complete each writing activity. In the long run, we are preparing them for
college, this is training them to think quickly on paper. If you use these activities
regularly, they will become routine, and your students will know exactly what to
do. They get better able to independently complete these writing activities in a
short time, which is about how much time we have for writing.
If you do not have enough time to teach the writing
process, this is one way to help them become writers. It takes the practice of
writing to become better at it. You will see their sentence structure grow and
become more complex. This is also an opportunity to improve their grammar.
This is a freebie you can download to see a sample of what the
complete packets are like, Writing with Picture Prompts Winter Freebie.
Thank you for walking with me on this journey of creating
educational resources for the elementary teacher, especially writing lessons!
Debbie Mendoza - Froggy About Teaching
#writing prompts #picturewriting prompts #2ndgradewriting #3rdgradewriting @ampeduplearning
