Writing Celebration: Completing the Unit of Study for Narrative Writing

"Celebrating our Writer's and Their Writing" was the theme of the day.  We have concluded the first writing Unit of Study for Narrative Writing (Small Moments) and it was time to celebrate. Students were greeted with balloons, cookies, juice and brand new pencils. Thank you to our room mom - Mrs. Long for all of the treats.

 Students picked their best piece and polished it up for this special day. The stories were put at their table to share with their table partners.

 Each child came up to the front, stated the title of their book and placed it in the "Small Moments" bin. This bin will now be available for all to look at and read in the classroom.

 Afterwards students enjoyed cookies and juice and talked about how "This is the best day ever..."

 

 

It's great to celebrate writing!!

Writing Small Moments: Personal Narratives in First Grade

Looping with a class has so many advantages. Having most of these children in Kindergarten, we already know what was taught, where we need to go, and how we plan to get there. Writing Small Moments (also known as Personal Narratives) is how we started Writer's Workshop this school year. Years ago, the prompt may have been to write "What I did on my summer vacation..."  Now we write about specifically what happened in the story you want to tell. It may be the super hot day at the beach when you got a sunburn or the day you caught a gecko in your house...not so much that you went to Disney World and had fun -- unless it was about a specific incident at Disney World. We teach the students to set the scene, let readers create pictures in their minds, have a great beginning and stay close to the moment when ending the story (not "I went home" or "I went to bed.")
The following story was written by Sofia. She couldn't wait to share this particular highlight of her summer with the class. This is a wonderful example of what we are looking for from our young writers.

 The time I RESCUED a Kitten

 

 One afternoon Andrew was playing video games and he looked out at the glass door and...he saw a KITTEN swimming in our grandparents pool! :(  So Andrew told me "Sofia there's a dog in the pool" so I told mom that there is a puppy in the pool and dad heard what I was saying and that made him come down stairs so we all went outside. That is not a puppy said dad It is...

 a KITTEN! Then dad said "Type up on the iPad emergency vet" and mom did. So then it said on the iPad rap it up in a washed cozy towel. Then we went to the VET. Then the Vet asked us questions.
so the Vet took the kitten and brought it in the room. So when we went back home and at night mom called the Vet and mom asked "Is the kitten alive?" and the vet said.....

 YES!!! Mom was excited. She told me the cat was alive and he was so CUTE!  THE END

Loved this story Sofia -- A Small Moment with such a happy ending!!