The Writing Workshop: Characters

The Dead Family Diaz

by P.J. Bracegirdle.

(Click on the book cover to be redirected to Amazon.com for bibliography info and to purchase the book!)

This book was chosen by the first Writing Workshop group so that students could hear the individual character's voices in the story. Additionally, the book is on a third grade level, so most students could read it independently.

3rd grade Common Core Standard:

Develop character personalities

• The Writing Workshop starts at a predictable time every day so that students will have a routine that they can expect

• Students can work in their own space around the room, as needed

• Supplies are readily available in the back of the room

• Conferencing: teachers will walk around the room and conference with students in their spaces as needed

• When independent writing time is over, the lights will flash to let them know it's time to go back to the carpet for whole group

Writing Prompt: Write about a character that you have come up with who is in an unfamiliar place...

"It was his third year attending Pickle Academy, and it was the night before the first day of school. Tommy was nervous. He wanted all of the girls have a huge "crunch" on him, as his mom called it. Tommy Dill was a sweet little boy, his mom called him her "bread and butter". He was always being criticized by his Kosher friends for having too many wrinkles and too much sweetness. He woke up the next morning before his beeping alarm clock, and hopped out of his jar. Throwing his sheets to the ground, he stretched his little arms as far as they could reach. Tommy adjusted his round, thick rimmed glasses, rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly. Wrinkled with sleep, a smile crept across his face, eagerly waiting for the day to begin."

Questions & Comments

• The Writing Workshop: As the author mentions, this is not to be used as a personal time for us to work on other things, but the author previously mentions that we need to practice what we preach and write ourselves. What is the appropriate mixture of walking around and helping students versus writing our own personal pieces? Should we focus more on the individual student conferences?

- More of student conferencing and less of own work

• Craft Lessons: The book mentions that gesture is a powerful tool to use when helping students to understand characterization, yet it is hardly used. I know that acting things out is something kids enjoy, so why do we not use this form of creating characters?

• What does it mean to model writing?

- What is important to you is important to show students to tell them how important it is to do what you love when reading and writing.

• When it is hard for a student to start writing- do you give a prompt to help?

- Give broad suggestions or topics for the week. Conference with the students that need something to find what theyre interested in. Draw a picture and write about it.

Caroline told us about her practicum in first grade, and the teacher has a bucket of prompts that they can choose from if they're stuck.

Books to read aloud in Kindergarten:

What standards do they cover for ELA?

The Edible Pyramid: ELACC-W8- what's the pyramid? For a question from text (Shared by Emma)

Goodnight Gorilla: ELACC-W2- compose an explanatory text; drawing-writing connection (Shared by Laura)

Good Boy, Fergus: ELACC-L2.b- recognize and name end punctuation (shared by Chelsea)

Bon Apetit: ELACC-W7- Shared research, genre of biography thats difficult for young children to read individually (Shared by Lisa)

No, David: ELACC-W3- narrative writing related to happenings in a book (shared by Jo)

Love,

Ms. Verner