Mentor Text: Good Dog, Carl. Mission: Writing Great Ideas

Today we read a book that was mostly all illustrations. The students talked their way through this story explaining what was goin on in the pictures and retold the story to me and eachother based on just the illustrations. We then made a work bank of different words they might like to know how to spell when they wrote their story. We reviewed sequencing words and then they were off to write. Their job was to write the story in their own words based on the illustrations given in the book. In some ways it was a difficult task, but in other ways it was fun. One student said to me, "Can we PLEASE take this home today? I am so excited to write about this!" I love to see that happiness when they are writing. In the morning for journal time they can write about whatever they want. In a writing time like this, it is more guided for a particular purpose. It is neat to see which kids excel at the different opportunities and inviations to write.