I have seen students and teachers roll their eyes when they hear the words literacy and writing.  I have heard the moans and groans and the “how much do we have to write” questions more times than I care to admit.  However, I have also watched the excitement about writing when I made a few changes in the way I approached it. I realize not everything in this life is supposed to be fun, but making writing instruction a little more exciting only gets the end result you are looking to see.  This list is not all inclusive, but is a way to get your mind moving for ways you can jazz up your writing instruction in your classroom.

1. Use photos and paintings to create stories.

2. Write plays based on history.

3. Use Readers’ Theatre.

4. Sponsor poetry contests.

5. Have students create puppets using clay or some other medium based on the characters.

6. Make “All About Me” posters.

7. Play music while students write.

8. Read to students regardless of their age.

9. Have students “write for change.”  We all have opinions.

10. Teach HOPSAM. (hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, alliteration, metaphor)  Have students decorate phrases on posters and then use them in their writing.

The ideas are endless.  Students will rise to the occasion if we motivate them.