ways to get students excited about writing

3 Simple Ways to Get Students Excited About Writing

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Is your classroom full of reluctant writers? Like the kind that just pushes the paper away? Or rush through to finish? Or how about those kids who completely refused to even start? If this sounds like ANY of the students in your classroomโ€ฆ do not worry! You are not the only one with students who are self-proclaimed โ€œwriting haters.โ€ Butโ€ฆ it doesnโ€™t have to be that way. What if I told you there was a way to get your students not only interested in writingโ€ฆ but actually excited about writing.ย  Today, Iโ€™m sharing three ridiculously easy tips for getting your students excited about writing. Yesโ€ฆ even the ones that tear up even at the mention of the word!

students excited about writing

Excited Writers Tip #1: Use a Book

Okโ€ฆ this one seems almost too simple, but it the most powerful one on my list, so Iโ€™m sharing it first. If you want your students to actually like writing, then start with readingโ€ฆ a book that is!

excited about writing
Here I am reading โ€œRoom on the Broomโ€ in full character!

See, reading gets your students to make connections. When students listen to a story, they start to think about a time that something similar happened to them, or how the information presented applies to them, or to things they already know. Reading gets them thinking about a specific topic.

So, if you want to have your students write about a specific topic, idea, or focus, work to find a book that can โ€œpresentโ€ the idea. Want your students to work on a persuasive piece about pets? Pull the book, I Wanna Iguana.

Books can also help build background information that students might be lacking. Itโ€™s hard to write about something you know very little about. Books can help build a background. For example, you want your students to use โ€œsmall momentsโ€ when writing personal narratives. Chances areโ€ฆthey donโ€™t know what that is. Use a book, that shows a small moment, like Roller Coaster, to help your students better understand the concept. (Need some book suggestions? Be sure to check out the end of this post! Iโ€™ve got a free goodie to help you out!)

Read more about Small Moments here!

Take away: Select books that support an idea or theme related to the writing youโ€™d like them to do. Use the book as a base to build a connection and background to your writing topic.ย 

Excited Writers Tips #2: Writing About What They Know/Love/Interest

Itโ€™s much easier to write about things you know a lot about. Maybe youโ€™re an avid Real Housewivesย fan. You could probably write a novel about the intimate details of the showโ€™s cast, like whoโ€™s beefing with who, whoโ€™s dealing with marital issues, and whoโ€™s had more plastic surgery. But, if someone asks you to write about the golf game that was just onโ€ฆ youโ€™d probably freeze. Hereโ€™s whyโ€ฆ you donโ€™t know much about it. It doesnโ€™t mean you could NEVER write about a golf gameโ€ฆ it just means that you need time to better understand the topic. Like what is a birdie, anyway?

All about me writing activity for back to school

So hereโ€™s how to apply this strategy to your classroom. At the beginning of the year, build confidence in your students as writers by giving your students to opportunity to write about the topic they know the most about: themselves!ย Itโ€™s a lot easier to write about something you know about, so allow your students to feel that success. (No seriously guys, Iโ€™ve used this writing activity for K, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th and it is always a hit!)

I love doing that with this โ€œAll About My Selfieโ€ writing project (that doubles as the perfect โ€œOpen Houseโ€ display.) I use it as our first introduction to the formal writing process. The students are always excited to write it and even more excited to share the finished product. #easyteacherwin

From there, use this momentum to build your studentโ€™s confidence in writing. Move on to other topics your students know about (based on a student survey like this one) or from your own classroom experience. Like how friendship is huge in the second grade, so after weโ€™ve written about ourselves, we usually move on to writing about their best friend.

Use these tiny wins to then build a bridge to higher more in-depth writing. And if thereโ€™s any resistance, donโ€™t hesitate to remind them of all the wonderful writing theyโ€™ve done in the past.

Take away: Use student interest to build writing confidence early on. Donโ€™t forget to remind your students of how well they wrote in the past.ย 

Excited Writers Tip #3: Add a Craft

Okโ€ฆ this next tip seems a little frivolous and youโ€™re probably thinkingโ€ฆ really Leigh? A craft?ย  But hear me out on this one. Very few students actually get excited about writing just so they can write. If that were the case, you wouldnโ€™t be reading this post and every person in the world would be a published author. Butโ€ฆ every student does enjoy getting creative. Yesโ€ฆ even those moody 5th graders. And the craft is where you can let the creativity come out. I mean, it does in the writing, but many students fail to see how creative writing can be. Itโ€™s not as in your face. But a craftโ€ฆ thatโ€™s something you can see.

Seeโ€ฆ if I said to my second grade class, โ€œToday weโ€™re writing about what you did this summer.โ€ Some kids might get excited to share their trip to Disney World or about how they went to the beach. But others stop at the word writing and think: BORING!

But, if I said to my class, โ€œToday weโ€™re writing about what you did this summer,โ€ and held up this fun finished cactus craftโ€ฆ thereโ€™s a lot more buy-in. Suddenly, this writing project doesnโ€™t feel like a boring writing thing. It feels like a fun activity that our teacher is letting us do.

back to school summer writing

Writing is all in the packaging, and a craft makes the packaging more attractive.

Take away:ย Use crafts to add buy-in and to add a level of creativity. Especially at the beginning of the year.ย 

So these are my three ridiculously easy tips for getting your students excited about writing. Using books to make connections and build a background on a concept is a great way to anchor the writing process. You can build up your writerโ€™s confidence by selecting writing topics that interest them. And finally, donโ€™t ever underestimate the power of a craft.

Writing Made Easy: Writing All Year

So teaching writing is a challenge. I get it. Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™ve worked to make teaching writing as easy as possible! Writing All Year is a collection of all the writing activities in my store. This never-ending bundle will literally take all the guesswork out of writing. Each activity includes everything you need to guide your students through the writing process. From brainstorms to rough drafts, rubrics, final publishing sheets, and of course crafts! All while focusing on things your students are interested in! This use all year long pack is perfect for 1st through 3rd grade writers.

writing all year buy now

You can check out this bundle here in my TeachersPayTeachersโ€™ store. Youโ€™ll save big $$ by purchasing the bundle.

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Want to know more about writing in your first through third grade classroom? Check out the blog posts below!

The EASY 5 Day Writing Routine that is Guarenteed to produce better writers! Includes a free writing lesson plan template TheAppliciousTeacher.com

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Hi, I'm Leigh.

The Applicious Teacher is all about creating hands-on and engaging lessons that align with the standards while still having time for your life. This is your place for ideas, tips, and resources for the REAL teacher!

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