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Topic: Primary Writing Instruction
 
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Greetings!
 

In our training specifically for K-2 teachers, and in our Primary module, we share many ways to adapt the materials in The Write Tools 101 for our Level 1 learners.  After attending our Primary training, some of our friends in the Pittsburgh Public Schools shared a suggestion for a great resource and a student sample for helping young writers work on summary topic sentences.

 
Goggles Book Cover
The book is Goggles! by Ezra Jack Keats. Goggles! tells the story of two young boys who find a pair of motorcycle goggles and proudly start wearing them around town.  When they are seen and hassled by older boys, they have to use their wits to out maneuver them and keep the goggles for themselves.  This book was a Caldecott Honor Book awarded for outstanding illustrations. 

Follow up the reading and discussion of the book by having students complete the student handout from the Primary Module, page 38. 

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Primary Student Sample

 
 

The focus in this lesson is on writing the topic sentence.  The students write the title, circle the verb from the three listed, and then draw a picture of the main idea.  After the students "plan" the three-part summary statement, they may write out the summary topic sentence on the lines provided.  If students are not yet ready to do the writing themselves, teachers may write the complete sentence based on a discussion of the picture with the child.  Kindergartners may begin this activity orally and then move to writing.

This book would also be useful for older students to generate a discussion of bullying.  Level 2 and 3 students could write a summary paragraph of the book, or even take it into primary classrooms as a read-aloud choice with a younger reading buddy.  They could use it to discuss how students sometimes feel about older students at their school.

 
For more great ideas on adapting The Write Tools for primary learners, please tune in to one of our upcoming webinars specifically for primary teachers.  Trainer, Nancy Conway, will have many more good ideas to share. 
 
Sincerely,
The Write Tools, LLC