"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."
                                                           –Mark Twain

Verb Charades

Using index card, write a different verb on each card.  Place the card in a bag.  Have students take turns selecting a card acting out the verb on the card.  Classmates try to guess the verb.

Noun Scattergories

Preparation:  Make game sheets that list several categories with a blank beside each.  Photocopy the game sheets. Prepare a ziploc bag with 26 letter tiles or cards—one labeled for each letter of the alphabet.

To play:  Divide students into small groups.  Give each group a copy of a game sheet.  Draw a letter from the bag.  Each group writes the letter at the top of the sheet and works together to think of words beginning with that letter for each category.  Teacher designates a time limit.

Scoring:  At the end of the time limit, each group shares answers.  A point is earned for each word that was not found by any other groups.  Double points may be earned for answers that have two words beginning with the same letter (i.e.:  jello jigglers, cotton candy).

Traveling Books

Class traveling books are a great way to introduce children to the parts of speech. 

Dramatize Verbs

Read aloud a book such as Denise Fleming’s In a Small, Small Pond.  Discuss why Fleming chose the verbs that she used.  Have students “become” the pond creatures as they “wriggle like tadpoles” or “hover like dragonflies.”  Repeat with other books such as In the Tall, Tall Grass. This activity not only introduces them to many new verbs and rich vocabulary but also helps them learn the meanings of the words as they act them out.

Adjective Activity

Read aloud Good Night, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas.  Reread the book without using the adjectives.  Which version sounds better?  Why?  Optional: put the text on the overhead and cover adjectives with sticky notes.

Cracking Open Words

Georgia Heard uses the analogy of cracking open a geode to describe one of her word choice mini-lessons.  (She even cracks one open in front of the class). On the outside a geode looks like an ordinary rock.  You have to crack it open to discover the beautiful crystal hidden inside.  Words are like this.  Words like fun, nice, pretty, wonderful, and scary are ordinary, generic words.  Have students compile a list of these tired, overused words and phrases.  Then have them “crack them open” to reveal the deeper meaning behind the word/s and provide mind pictures for the reader.   Encourage them to close their eyes and picture the person, place, event, etc. that they are describing.  They should think about what they see and how they feel as if they are really there.                   

Thesaurus Activities

• Create a thesaurus section in a Quality Writing Notebook for tired words like nice, fun, like, said, went, walk.  Teach them that the word “thesaurus” comes from a Latin word meaning “treasure.”  This ties in well with the geode analogy described under "Cracking Open Words."  As students encounter synonyms for these words, encourage them to add the words to their thesauruses. 
• Do whole class word hunts.  Create posters for these words and make class lists.  Read-aloud is a great time to collect these words.
• Have students read through a piece of writing they have already worked on.  Have them look for tired words and replace them with “treasure” words from their thesauruses.
• Give students a two-word phrase.  Have them work in pairs, using a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words.  At first just ask them to change the adjective.  Eventually, have them change both the adjective and the noun. 

Examples:
funny movie  =   hilarious flick
nice house =  cozy bungalow
pretty dress  =  stylish gown

Be Specific

The more specific the verb, the more accurately the writer can convey an image or create a scene.  Give students a sentence with the verb blanked out.  Have them brainstorm a list of verbs that could be used to complete the sentence.

The car _________ down the road.
skidded, raced, swerved, putzed, flew

I explain to students that each time we change the verb, I get a different picture in my head.  Writers want to create mind pictures for the reader through their word choice.

Nouns need to be specific and concrete, too.  Have students brainstorm specific nouns for a list of vague ones.

bird = cardinal
dog = German shepherd
things = paper clips
flower = chrysanthemum
boy = student

Then have students look at a piece of their own writing and find some vague, generic nouns that they can replace with more specific ones.

Retire “Tired” Words

“Don’t be kind of bold. Be bold.”

                                                             –Wm. Zinsser

Introducing Letter Writing

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Dear Tooth Fairy by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Journey of Oliver Woodman by Darcy Pattison
The First Year Letters  by Julie Dannegerg
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
With Love, From Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada
Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada

Point of View

Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller
Cinderella’s Rat by Susan Meddaugh
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices by Paul Janeczko (ed.)
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
I Am the Dog, I Am the Cat  by Donald Hall
My Big Dog by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
Wolf!  by Becky Bloom

Coming soon.

Ralph Fletcher

Teacher’s First Writer’s Workshop

Beth Newingham’s Third Grade

Mrs. Russ’ Rockets

ABC Teach

Reading Lady

Harry Wong

“Alexander” books by Judith Viorst
Airmail to the Moon by Tom Birdseye
Alice the Fairy by David Shannon
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr.
My House Has Stars by Megan McDonald
My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nelen
The Camel’s Lament by Charles Edward Carryl
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynn Cherry
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume
The River Ran Wild by Lynn Cherry
Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Cinderella’s Rat by Susan Meddaugh
Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices by Paul Janeczko (ed.)
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
I Am the Dog, I Am the Cat  by Donald Hall
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Wolf!  by Becky Bloom
Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller
Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
My Big Dog by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Ideas Trait

• Clear message
• Focused topic
• Attention to detail

Organization Trait

• Balance in the pictures or text
• Structure or framework that holds the piece together
• Opening that grabs the reader’s attention
• Logical order
• Sequenced events
• Transitions that link ideas together
• Satisfying ending

Word Choice Trait

• Rich, colorful language
• Ordinary words used in interesting ways
• Words used correctly and accurately
• Words create mind pictures for the reader

Voice Trait

• Individuality, personality is evident
• Sense of audience is present
• Writing is expressive
• Captures a tone or emotion—humorous, playful, sad, persuasive, etc.

Sentence Fluency Trait

• Sentences flow easily when read aloud
• May have a rhythmic quality
• Variety in sentence structure—not all sentences begin the same way
• Balanced between short and long sentences

Conventions Trait

• Concepts of print
• Spacing between letters and words
• Readable spelling
• Awareness of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (one day)
An Interview with Harry the Tarantula by Leigh Ann Tyson (interview format)
Box Turtle at Long Pond by William T. George (a day)
Cow by Jules Older (time order clue words)
Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James (letter format)
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French (diary format)
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Elhert (sequential order)
Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test by Cynthia Rylant (beginning, middle, and end)
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson (compare/contrast)
How Is a Crayon Made? by Oz Charles (process)
I Love Going Through This Book by Robert Burleigh (organizing a book)
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff (circular story and cause/effect))
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (circular story and cause/effect)
Raindrop’s Journey by Mark Graber (sequential order)
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown (main idea/details)
The Magic Fan by Keith Baker (sequencing and transition words)
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey (sequential order)
Things I Learned in Second Grade by Amy Schwartz
What’s Up, What’s Down by Lola Schaefer (special organization)
When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang (problem/solution)
Where Have All the Pandas Gone? by Melvin and Gilda Berger (question/answer format)