Build an Engaging Writing Center With Choice
“I don’t know what to write.”
If you’ve ever heard those words during writing time, you know how quickly a promising writing activity can turn into a blank piece of paper and a frustrated student.
Young writers need lots of opportunities to write, but they also need ideas, structure, and choices.
That’s exactly why I created this top-selling collection of Writing Activities, Writing Menus, and Writing Templates.
Instead of asking students, “What do you want to write about?” and hoping inspiration strikes, give them a menu of possibilities!
A Writing Center Filled With Choices
Imagine your students walking into the writing center and immediately knowing what they can do.
They look at the writing menu, choose an activity, find the matching template, and get started.
No waiting for the teacher to give them an assignment.
No staring at a blank page.
No asking, “What am I supposed to write?”
Just choose, write, and create!
These student-friendly “I Can…” menus make the choices clear and accessible. Students see the different kinds of writing they can do and gradually become more independent as writers.
And with 28 different writing menus, there are plenty of choices to keep students writing throughout the school year.
28 Ways to Practice Writing
The variety is what makes this resource so much fun!
Students can:
- Write labels
- Write sentences
- Make lists
- Write notes
- Write an All About...
- Share Weekend News
- Write in a writer’s notebook or journal
- Write letters
- Write emails
- Write postcards
- Create cards
- Write invitations
- Write reports
- Write how-to pieces
- Write opinions
- Write book reviews
- Share 2 Facts and a Fib
- Complete a 3-2-1
- Write stories and narratives
- Make books
- Create Scribble Stories
- Create Sticker Stories
- Make comic strips
- Write poems
- Create menus
- Write recipes
- Make posters
- Create word searches
That’s a lot of writing possibilities!
And the best part? Students aren’t all doing the same thing.
Let Students Choose What They Want to Write
Choice can make a huge difference in how students approach writing.
When students can choose between writing a letter, creating a recipe, voicing their opinion, or designing a poster, they can select something that interests them.
That little bit of ownership can turn:
“I don’t want to write.”
into:
“Can I do another one?”
And isn’t that exactly what we want?
We want students to see themselves as writers who have ideas worth sharing.
Writing Templates Provide Just the Right Amount of Support
Choice is important, but young writers also need support.
A blank sheet of paper can be intimidating. A well-designed template can give students the starting point they need without taking away their creativity.
That’s why this resource includes tons of writing templates.
And they aren’t all the same.
You’ll find options with:
This makes differentiation simple.
Students can work on the same type of writing while using a template that provides the right level of support.
One student might need more drawing space and fewer lines.
Another might be ready for more writing.
Another might benefit from straight lines rather than handwriting lines.
You choose the template that works best for each writer.
More Than a Writing Center
Of course, you can use these activities in your writing center, but that’s just the beginning.
They are also perfect for:
You can introduce one activity at a time or put several choices out at once.
You can rotate the menus throughout the year.
You can use them for independent practice or pull a small group and work on a specific type of writing together.
The flexibility is what makes this resource something you can actually use again and again, rather than something that gets printed once and forgotten.
Writing for Real Purposes
One of the things I love most about these activities is that they give students opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences.
Students aren’t simply filling in blanks or responding to the same prompt over and over.
They’re learning that writing can be used to:
Inform. Describe. Explain. Tell. Share. Create.
They can write to a friend.
They can share information.
They can tell a story.
They can explain how to do something.
They can express an opinion.
They can create something fun.
They’re learning that writing has a purpose beyond completing an assignment.
Make Independent Writing Possible
One of the biggest goals of a writing center is independence.
But independence doesn’t mean putting a student in front of a blank page and saying, “Go write.”
Students need to know:
The writing menus help answer the first question.
The templates help answer the second.
And with repeated practice, students begin to figure out the third for themselves.
That’s when your writing center really starts working.
Students walk in, make a choice, grab what they need, and get to work.
Give Your Writing Center a Makeover
If your writing center has become a place where students aren’t sure what to do, or if you’re tired of coming up with new writing activities week after week, this resource can give you a fresh start.
Create a collection of writing choices.
Display the menus.
Organize the templates.
Then let your students choose their writing adventure.
Some students may choose to write a story.
Some may write sentences.
Some may write a poem.
Some may make a comic strip story.
And some may surprise you with an idea you never expected.
That’s the beauty of giving students choices.
Ready to Get Students Writing?
With 28 writing menus and tons of differentiated writing templates, you’ll have a flexible collection of writing activities ready to use throughout the year.
Give your students the choice, support, and inspiration they need to become confident, independent writers!
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