Week of December 12th Using the Rubric

The week of December 12^th. 

This week we continued to work with the rubric we created.  The students were able to write and use the rubric as a tool to help guide them, making their writing look better and focus on their knowledge of letter sounds and patterns to spell words correctly.  The students were getting into a routine of writing, rereading their writing, revising, editing, and peer review.  As students wrote, I conferred with them and gave them feedback on their writing per the rubric.  Most of the students this week were comfortable using the rubric and sharing their writing with their CF.

This week I learned that the students were having the most difficulty with determining which words were spelled correctly.  I knew this would be the case but, I wanted them to struggle with this just a bit so they would be aware of the importance of word work, but not so much that it would slow them down in writing.  I helped them by reminding them how they could use their wordbooks as a tool while they wrote and by putting up some of the most common misspelled words on the board.  I also reminded them to not worry about getting every word right when they are trying to use bigger words to make their writing more exciting.  I told them it is more important to try and make their writing sound more exciting and with more detail than it is to worry about spelling those words right now, just try your best.