Building Back to School: Writing Tools

I am back for the last week of the Building Back to School Linky Party hosted by Denise from # TeacherMom. I want to thank her for putting on this Blog Hop and congratulate her on the birth of her baby girl. Don't forget to enter our raffle below to win $20 worth  of Teacher's Pay Teacher's Products ($10 from my store & $10 from Miss Jenny's and Edutunes store).

This week we are talking about writing. I'm the first to admit that I writing is my least favorite subject to teach. However I will never forget what I learned in a workshop: Great writers are always great readers but great readers are not necessarily great writers. So I am partnering up with my friend Miss Jenny from Edutunes to liven up my writing instruction this year. She has already livened up my reading and math instruction through her amazing songs. You can meet Miss Jenny here.  

Her music is amazing and has great rhythm. Today I am reviewing her 6 Traits Writing Songs Book & CD.

 Tool # 1: Big Ideas Song

This is what my brain looks like when I'm thinking of what to write. Miss Jenny's Choose a Big Idea Song gives writers some questions to ponder to help them decide on their topic. My students loved the beat to this song. It reminded me of Sebastian from the Little Mermaid. You can hear a clip from this song here.

Tool # 2: Writer's Block Song

We have all been there, stuck on what to write. This song gives students four strategies to help them overcome writer's block: 1. Write about what's on your mind. 2. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they come to you. 3. Read. Reading helps you learn and gives you ideas to write about. 4. Ask a Friend. These are great strategies to teach students and to remember as adults. You can read the lyrics below and hear a clip from the song here.

Tool #3 Colorful Words

Her Colorful Words song encourages students to use "colorful" words in their writing. It gives students specific examples to help them understand what that means. For example, "It's not just pretty...It's darling, charming, dainty or delightful. " Like her other songs, this song has a catchy tune to engage students. You can listen to a sample here.

Tool #4 Writer Rhino

She created an character named Writer Rhino to introduce primary students to the writing process. She introduces him as "a friend who will dazzle your mind." I love that she tells students in this song that their writing will improve with every story. You can hear a clip of this song #24 on iTunes here.

Tool #5 Classical Music

The final tool Miss Jenny's suggests for writing is playing classical music while children write. The last song on her CD is 29 minutes of classical music to stimulate children during writing. There is a link between classical music and learning. Music helps create a desired atmosphere, focus concentration, provide inspiration and  motivation. Source: John Hopkins School of Education




You can contact Miss Jenny below:

Website: http://edutunes.com
Teacher's Pay Teacher's: Miss Jenny and Edutunes
Facebook:Edutunes

                                   

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