writing Archives - Teacher's Brain

5 Helpful Tips for Making Writing Activities Fun

March 29, 2024 teachersbrain education, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Writing

Looking for writing activities for kids that are actually fun? You’re in the right place.

It’s no surprise that writing is an essential skill for any student. It is something they will use for the rest of their lives. Making writing fun for our early elementary students is key to fostering a love for language and expression.

How do you make writing fun for kids?

Here are 5 writing ideas to get you started.

Creative Prompts: Use imaginative prompts to spark their creativity. For example, “Imagine you’re a superhero. What powers do you have? Write about a day in your superhero life.”
Incorporate Visuals: Use pictures, drawings, or objects to inspire writing. Show a picture and ask them to describe what they see or create a story around it.
Interactive Activities: Turn writing into a game or interactive activity. For instance, play “Story Dice” where students roll dice with pictures on them and incorporate those images into their story.
Collaborative Writing: Pair students up for collaborative writing projects. This not only makes writing more enjoyable but also teaches teamwork and cooperation.
Personal Connection: Encourage students to write about their own experiences, interests, and feelings. Personal writing connects them to their work and makes it more meaningful.

By focusing on these five strategies, we can create a fun and engaging writing environment that inspires our young learners to explore their creativity and express themselves through writing.

If you’re looking for done-for-you writing activities that you can do with your students, check out these ideas!

Opinion Writing with Cookies

A deliciously fun way to get your students excited about opinion writing!

Comic Book Writing Templates

A creative way to get students excited about creative writing!

Writing Poetry Activity

Teach your students to write poems for beginners with this engaging resource!

If you’re looking for more writing activities for kids, check out my post here!

3 Writing Activities to Get Students Excited About Writing

January 19, 2024 teachersbrain Writing

Writing is an essential part of learning in elementary. It’s a foundational skill that students will use again and again throughout their lives. Needless to say, we have to practice, practice, practice!

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done sometimes. Our younger students can get tired and bored, so it’s up to us to add some fun and excitement to our writing lessons.

If you’re looking for writing activities for elementary students, you’re in the right place. I’ve got three exciting and engaging writing activities that will turn your classroom into a hub of creativity.

But first, you may be wondering…

How do I make writing fun?

These are 3 of my favorite activities that get students fully engaged and excited to write:

Seasons Would You Rather Opinion Writing Activities for Kids

Be every student’s favorite teacher by making writing enjoyable! Would You Rather Prompts are a great way to get your students engaged in writing their opinions about each season. Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students show one or two fingers to share their choice. Then have them write why they chose what they did.

Opinion Writing with Cookies Activity

Do you need an engaging lesson to teach opinion writing? Opinion Writing with Cookies is a student favorite! Add some cookies and watch the creative writing flow.

Comic Strip Templates Writing Activities

Want to find a great creative writing assignment for students with comic strip templates? There are over 100 templates with examples and posters to teach children about design elements, sequencing, character design, and how to organize information!

These are great for interactive notebooks, early finishers, inside recess, writing centers, morning work, or just for fun! Use to teach sequencing, onomatopoeia, writing, character elements, speech bubbles, or storytelling!

Your students are guaranteed to love this activity!

I hope you and your students have a blast with these writing activities for kids! If you want more writing fun, you can check out my post here!

What are your favorite ways to make writing fun for your students? Let me know in the comments!

10 Inspiring New Year’s Resolution Ideasand Activities for Students

December 23, 2023 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips, Winter

Hey friend! Can you believe it’s that time again – the transition from one year to the next? Have you been thinking about New Year resolution ideas? I know I have! I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can make the upcoming year special for our kiddos. You know, sprinkle in a little magic and set the stage for growth.

So, I thought, why not get our students excited about some New Year’s resolutions? If you’ve been looking for the perfect New Year activities for kids or New Year activities for students, you’re in the right place. Let’s help them stride into the New Year with purpose and a sprinkle of fun.

What is the best New Year’s resolution for kids? Here are some ideas to get you started!

Practice Kindness

Foster a caring and supportive classroom environment by encouraging students to set resolutions focused on kindness. Whether it’s helping a classmate, being a good listener, or performing random acts of kindness, these resolutions contribute to a positive classroom culture.

Healthy Habits

Teach the importance of physical well-being by setting resolutions related to health. This could include goals like eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, or engaging in regular physical activity.

Organize Schoolwork

Help students develop valuable organizational skills by setting resolutions related to their school materials. Whether it’s keeping a tidy desk, organizing their backpack, or turning in assignments on time, these resolutions promote responsibility.

Learn Something New

Encourage a love for continuous learning by having students set resolutions to acquire new skills or knowledge. This could involve learning a musical instrument, mastering a new language, or exploring a particular subject in-depth.

Mindful Moments

Introduce the practice of mindfulness by encouraging students to set resolutions focused on being present and self-aware. Simple activities like deep breathing exercises or short moments of reflection can make a big difference in promoting a positive mindset.

Goal-setting Galore

Teach the importance of setting achievable goals. Have students break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. This not only helps in achieving success but also instills a sense of accomplishment.

Family Bonding

Foster strong family connections by encouraging resolutions centered around spending quality time with loved ones. Whether it’s a weekly family game night, cooking together, or sharing stories, these resolutions strengthen family ties.

Environmental Stewardship

Instill a sense of responsibility for the environment by setting resolutions related to sustainability. This could involve reducing waste, recycling, or participating in a community clean-up project.

Gratitude Journaling

Foster a positive outlook by encouraging students to keep a gratitude journal. Have them write down one thing they are thankful for each day. This simple practice can enhance their overall well-being and perspective on life.

If you’re looking or New Year activities for students that you can easily do with little to no prep, I have you covered!

Check Out This New Year’s Resolution Writing Craft

Are you looking for a New Year’s writing activity to help students understand resolutions and goals? This NO PREP activity is great to use in both boy and girl versions to create goals for the new year and an easy bulletin board!

What is in the download?

a vocabulary poster for the word /RESOLUTION/
3 Boy Options
5 Girl Options
1 Blank head to create your own (add a face and hair)
4 different writing prompt pages (With and without hands on the side, Primary and Intermediate lined)
2 Rough Drafts (Primary and Intermediate lined)

Looking for more New Year fun? Check out my post here!

Letter Work Activities for Kindergarten

July 21, 2023 teachersbrain Back to School, kindergarten survival, Teaching Tips

We all know that teaching letters to our little ones can be an exciting and crucial milestone. If you’re looking for a delightful collection of interactive and engaging letter work activities for kindergarten learners, you’re in the right place! From letter hunts to multi-sensory creations, you’ll love these ways to make letter learning a joyous experience for our little learners.

Here are some letter work activities your students will love:

Letter of the Week

Introduce one letter each week, and make it super exciting! Decorate the classroom with pictures of things that start with that letter, read books featuring the letter, and encourage kids to bring in items from home that begin with the letter of the week.

Multi-Sensory Activities

Engage your kiddos in hands-on activities involving different senses. Use materials like sand or shaving cream for letter writing, have them mold letters out of playdough, or use finger paint to create letter art (more exciting alphabet activities here!)

Letter Hunts

Turn letter recognition into an adventure! Organize letter hunts around the classroom or school. Give them a list of letters to find, and when they spot one, they can call it out with excitement.

Letter Sounds Practice

Once they get a good grasp of individual letter names, introduce letter sounds. You can do this through playful activities like “What Sound Does it Make?” where you show them pictures of objects and ask which letter sound they hear at the beginning.

Letter Writing Practice

Provide them with plenty of opportunities to practice writing the letters. Start with large-sized letters on paper or whiteboards, and as they improve, gradually move to smaller ones.

If you’re looking for a resource that has everything you need to make letter work fun and easy and more, I have you covered!

This Kindergarten Everything Mega Bundle will have you set for the year!

I have you covered with this huge endless curriculum bundle of bundles with a MASSIVE AMOUNT of materials made with kindergarten in mind! Even assessments are included.

YEAR-LONG SUBJECTS

Guided Reading
Monthly Writing Themed Journals
Morning Work Journals
Kindergarten Math Centers
Science
Social Studies

Check out the YouTube Tutorial!

Reading Curriculum includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

Phonics
Phonemic awareness
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Fluency

Kindergarten Math Centers includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

SCIENCE includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

Social Studies includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

BONUS – Butterfly Life Cycle Flip Book

Writing Journals Included: (with word banks and rubrics)

BONUS: Silly Story Starters

Kindergarten Morning Work Included:

• August and September Morning Work

• October and November Morning Work

• December and January Morning Work

• February and March Morning Work

• April and May Morning Work

When I say this has everything, I mean it! Check it out here!

I hope you found these tips and resources helpful! Remember to celebrate progress! Be generous with praise and encouragement. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in building kindergarten students confidence and love for learning!