Saturday Celebration #WWW

It's Saturday and time to Celebrate.  I'm always thankful when it is mid week and I have already decided about my celebration for the week.  I hope that isn't cheating starting my blog post early on Thursday and waiting until Saturday to push the publish button.  I am thankful for Ruth for encouraging us to celebrate.  Today as you read this post I will be at the Dublin Literacy Conference which is always a highlight of my winter.   I will be tweeting my new learning #dublit16 feel free to follow along and learn side by side.  Here is the link up this week. 

My celebration is simple but makes me happy.  I've been struggling with writing lately.  There are way too many posts to link back to that talks about not having my writing voice.  I've learn a few lessons about writing and the biggest one has been that sometimes we are our own worst critic.  As I think about my #OLW16 (quest) I chose that word purposefully to move me in my writing.  I've found my niche again and I'm excited.  My passion is vocabulary.  I'm constantly thinking about it, wondering why authors choose that specific word, collecting words from EVERYWHERE.  It's in my DNA and I have decided that is where my writing is leading me.  Down a path to share my journeys.  I am not sure of the big picture ahead but for right now the quest I'm on is worth celebrating.  I would encourage you to join me in in blogging on Wednesdays about word work. if you do leave a comment on my post and we can link up. Here's to s a Super Saturday of living and learning. 

Wednesday Word Work: Mapping the Course

With anything we teach routines are crucial for students and teachers. In our district, we have Grade Level Progressions to follow, and I am thankful for that map which helps me plan the lessons. In addition we are required to do 10-15 minutes word work a day; however, I always go over this time because I am weaving the skills into so many different content areas. 

Building excitement with words - teaching my students that words are everywhere!

Routines are established around three important principles to develop and encourage strong wordsmiths in my classroom.

1. exploration
2.  practice
3. connections
4. assessments

Exploration is my favorite part of word study. Nothing is better than when students are looking, thinking and working with new words. Several years ago I read Max Brand's book Word Savvy and it changed my word work teaching instantly. Here is the link to that post. After the students spend the first week discussing their names and practicing with them, we stretch our word learning to outside the classroom. See photo above. Our first month of word work is focused on the following:

• assessing our students through a spelling and sentence dictation
• word observations
• word connections
• word webs
• word sorts

My goal is to encourage students to think differently about word work. One way I incorporate fun with words is collecting greeting cards all year. It's fun each month to pull out new cards and share them with the students eventually my students start to bring me their "fun" with words ideas. Here are some past blog posts about building fun in word work. 

• Word play is crucial the first month of school.  
• Greeting Cards make word work fun.
• Word Observations (Have you tried stickers?)

Thanks for stopping by on Wonderful Wednesday I am excited to learn along with you as we explore word work.

Launching Wednesday Word Work

It's Wednesday, and I am always thankful for Wednesday.  Half way through the week which is a celebration on both ends. 2 days completed and 2 more for learning.  I love sharing with my students my favorite phrases for the days of the week. 

• Marvelous Monday
• Terrific Tuesday
• Wonderful Wednesday
• Tremendous Thursday
• Fabulous Friday

I wonder do any of you have habits likes these that just make you happy?  I'm not sure my students even notice anymore that this is how our morning message starts everyday.  But I'm thrilled when I type it every morning for them. 

Thanks ML for my writer's notebook and here are some of my favorite words.

I am intrigued by words and collect them in all my notebooks typically on the inside and back cover.  I often find myself thinking more about the words than the story.  I find myself stuck often if I don't know a word even with using context clues.  I like getting my old Webster's dictionary,not Googling it.  I preach to my students about word work.  The importance of noticing the authors' word choice as well as the spelling. 

I purchase cheap little notebooks all summer so when the students get ready to start their own they can choose from the basket.  This happens quickly in my classroom because I share my notebooks and how I collect words.  I read amazing picture books to get them excited. Have you read the following titles? Here is the link to favorite 10for10 picture books about focusing on creating curiosity about words.  I also have several word games in my classroom that my students play every Friday. After we celebrate Poetry Friday, the students play word games and this is my chance to work with small groups to help them with their spelling patterns.  My recent group has been focused on the different Long "o" sounds.  

I've been searching for ways to share more on my blog about my teaching life. Lately it feels like I'm slicing and celebrating which are really important to me personally.  Often those posts include school and personal life.  But I asked a friend recently about being stuck in my writing, and she said I always start with what I know and love - words!  I am going to try and post on Wonderful Wednesday about word work.  Is anyone interested in joining me?  Do you have any thought about future posts for word work in your classroom? After all it only takes, two of us for a conversation.