Interactive Writing Lesson {Freebie}

Here’s a fun interactive writing lesson for you to use as you introduce your students to sharing the pen!  This lesson comes from the book Interactive Writing: How Language and Literacy Come Together in K-2. 

“Simply defined,  interactive writing is a dynamic, collaborative literacy event in which children actively compose together, considering appropriate words, phrases, organization of text, and layout.  At points selected by the teacher for instructional value, individual children take over or “share the pen” with the teacher.”

What I personally love about IW is that it can be used across all subject areas in so many ways.  Students feel such ownership that they will reread their collaborative work tirelessly throughout the year and refer back to those moments when they created something important together!

For this lesson, students and teacher read and reread and then reread again the adorable nursery rhyme of Old Mother Hubbard.  Using the poem sheet of your choice, students can highlight sight words or circle rhyming words…whatever fits your learning objectives.

For the interactive writing portion of this lesson,  students join you in creating Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.  But this time rather than the cupboard being bare, they will help to fill it up!

Begin with the Title.
While students are sharing the pen here are some considerations:

• Break up the speech stream into words, then sounds, so that they can be identified and written.
• Use space to define words so that they message is easier to read. (we physically cut them apart)
• Remember a known word such as a high frequency word and write it more efficiently.
• Say the words slowly and listen for the constituent sounds, in sequence. 
• Connect new words to known words to help in writing them.
• Reread the message to help in remembering what was composed or to revise it in process.

 As the “chosen” student is writing the important word selected by the teacher, the rest of the students are also writing the word on individual white boards or on the carpet with a finger.  It’s the perfect time to discuss letter formation. 

Next, each child gets create a word and picture of a food to put in Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.  I like the size of quartered plain paper best.

Students write their word on the whiteboards first.  As they do, teacher circulates for a quick sounding out and fixing as needed.  Next, they write their word in pencil on their paper and then outline in sharpie for easy reading by the class.  Drawing and coloring a matching picture is last.

 Finally create a cupboard on large chart paper or butcher paper and glue your items inside.  Hang it in a prominent place for students to revisit, reread, and remember!  Click HERE to download this freebie!