"How To" Writing Center Activity

Carrie and I had our weekly "table talk" collaboration time this week and our main focus was literacy centers.  We worked together to figure out new engaging activities to help students continue to stay motivated and engaged while we are teaching guided reading. We strategized and came up with several new things for each of our centers and we wanted to share our first new writing activity with you.  Students have been given various writing choices during their writing centers and have been practicing writing for real purposes.  Some writing activities that the students already do are:

*Make lists (shopping, birthdays, holidays, etc)
*Writing a letter to a friend/family member/teacher
*Writing poetry
*Writing narratives (special occasions, pets, vacations, weekends, etc)
*Writing make believe stories with B-M-E

We are now adding a choice of writing "How To" books.  This type of writing experience provides students with a certain structure and format and uses transition words in a natural writing setting.  Some of your more struggling writers might benefit from this type of writing practice because of the sequential steps needed to elaborate on the topic.

This Freebee includes 3 pages of "How To" writing ideas along with a graphic organizer page for students to draw a picture of their "How To" topic, a word bank with transition words, and a space to write down the steps. At the bottom of the page there is a writing checklist for students to check their work before they turn it in. You can cut out all of the different HOW TO topics and put them on a ring, put them in a box, or post them on chart paper.  Students can then choose which "How To" Book idea best relates to them! 

Click here! to get a copy of your own "How To" writing ideas for your centers!