Purpose:

Students will build confidence in the writing process by using their creativity. They will work on developing ideas, organization, details, and voice. Students will craft their own writing inspired by other children’s literature. The desire is not to overwhelm students but for them to walk away from this class with a joy and love of writing.

Process:

Students will learn how to gather, collect, build, and expand ideas. They will use weekly quick writes to practice the skill of getting ideas on paper without the focus of perfection. Throughout the year, the students will be guided through the steps of the writing process. While expressing ideas with vivid details that paint a picture will be a primary focus throughout the class,they will also use short picture books as stepping off points for their writing. Types of writing that will be completed are comic strips, fictional narratives, fictional biographies, poetry, creating endings for stories, and writing from different points of view. Through enjoying quality literature, students will see examples of well-crafted creative writing and apply this to their own writing. By the end of the year, students will be able to use these writing skills not only to build confidence in their creative writing but also to apply the skill set to other, more structured forms of writing.

Parental Responsibilities:

Parents are responsible for helping their child complete weekly writing assignments. Students will spend approximately 20 minutes each non class day (4 days) on course work.