Students LOVE to share their thoughts about any topic! For instance, it may be about their favorite food or the best name for a fish. Honestly, listening to students as they share their thoughts is always enjoyable. One of my favorite ways to combine the love of sharing with academics includes opinion writing. Since writing can be challenging for students to learn, this makes the process fun and exciting. Thankfully, the Opinion Writing Workshop helps support and guides students as they become writers.
Spiral Format
Kindergarteners grow leaps and bounds! Honestly, it is incredible to stand back at the end of the year and reflect on the growth of each student. To help guide students through opinion writing, I like to teach it spirally. This means that lessons occur throughout the entire year. Since students love sharing their opinion, they love this writing time.
Writing Growth
When using the spiral format, it is incredible to look at the first piece of writing and the last. Truly, this is one of the best ways to see growth. For instance, the first writing piece may be a few words. Additionally, students may miswrite letters, and there may be several spelling errors. Then, the last piece has multiple sentences with solid writing and conventions. This is what spiral writing produces! As the year progresses, students learn about sentence structure, writing conventions, spelling tips, grammar, and staying on topic. As students learn these elements, they apply them to their opinion writing pieces.
Opinion Writing Workshop
Honestly, this resource is a wonderful way to incorporate ELA standards while showing students how fun writing is. It is a comprehensive unit to support kindergarteners or first graders throughout the year.
There are many helpful aspects included. For instance, there are visual aids to support students through the opinion-writing process. This even consists of a Think- Decide- Explain poster. Luckily, this is an excellent reminder that it is crucial to take time to think before making a decision. Then, students can decide which option they like best and explain it. Additionally, there are Smartie Speller posters to help students remember to sound out words.
When it is time to write, there are tons of opinion writing prompts! Once students receive a prompt, teachers will guide them through the writing process. They will think about the options and select their opinion. They will then compose a sentence stating their choice and restating the question. Afterward, they will explain their answer. This may be one sentence for beginning writers or multiple for advanced writers. Finally, students will conclude their writing with a sentence summarizing their thoughts. Students will show so much growth by following this opinion writing format!
After writing, students can use the Fix It Up Checklist. Honestly, it is so important to learn the importance of proofreading. Students will ensure their capitalization, punctuation, and spacing are correct before finishing.
Differentiation
Some students may not be ready to begin writing sentences. They may not know enough letter sounds to form words. Or, they may be focusing on writing single letters correctly before putting words together. Thankfully, this resource supports all students right where they are. Instead of writing, some may use illustrations to share their thoughts. Then, they can progress to simple sentences as they become ready.
Writing is a huge aspect of a student’s educational journey. Honestly, they will write more and more each year. This means it is essential for students to learn foundational elements early on. Thankfully, the Opinion Writing Workshop provides fun prompts through guided instruction. Students will have an incredible foundation after using this resource for the year.
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