Sharing of Ideas

Sharing of Ideas

Third graders are often reluctant to write, especially when they have to come up with their own ideas. Many writers, young and old, have struggled with "writer's block" as they sit and stare at a blank piece of paper for what sometimes feels like hours! To help alleviate this struggle, we have been taking the time to practice telling our story ideas to writing partners and table mates before students even pick up a piece of paper. Sharing of ideas prior to writing is a technique that help students generate ideas, practice organization of thoughts, and receive helpful feedback. 

While working on our personal narrative stories, students told their stories orally to classmates, focusing on the details of events and telling the story in chronological order. While taking the time to share their stories, students were able to receive ideas and feedback from peers, before they even had a piece of paper in front of them. These suggestions proved helpful when the students actually sat down to begin writing. 

Now that we are studying informational writing, students thought about the many things in which they are experts. They then chose one topic they could teach to others. I did allow them to use  small index card to just jot down specific topics they would like to focus on when they shared their knowledge. Students then took turns sharing everything they knew about this one topic. Their teammates were able to offer feedback and tell the writer/storyteller things they had done well and areas they could improve upon. 

After sharing their findings as a class, we discovered that while each student really knows a lot about their expert topic, their ideas seemed scattered and unorganized. This feedback was well-received by all, and now we have a plan for our next lesson...work on organization!