Fix the Morning Message
Providing Meaningful Practice with Editing and Revising
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 2: Consolidation / FluencyStage 3: Literacy for Growth
Ages:
5-9
Grade Range:
1st 2nd 3rdFood Groups:
Primary:
Writing Conventions
Activity Description
Preparation:
-
Prepare morning message
- Write a message to the students on a piece of chart paper
-
Make various mistakes or omissions, for example:
- Leave blank spaces for students to fill in the correct word
- Within the message leave out punctuation marks and include incorrect punctuation marks and spelling errors
Implementation:
-
Share your morning message
- You may wish to read the entire message aloud before students begin identifying errors
- Invite students to read each sentence
-
As the message is read have students identify punctuation and spelling errors
- Make corrections directly on the message
-
Invite students to share appropriate words to fill in the blank spaces
- Have students write the words directly on the message
- Reread the entire message in its completed form
Adaptations For
English Language Learners/ESL:
- Include pictures and symbols for adjectives and nouns
LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:
- Use a different color when making corrections to punctuation and spelling
- Use a different color to underline new words
Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:
- Include information in the morning message that is familiar and culturally inclusive
Differentiated Instruction:
- Providing students with an opportunity to orally share corrections with their nearest neighbors will allow all students to participate
Related References
Evidence:
Jasmine, J. & Weiner, W. (2007). The effects of writing workshop on abilities of first grade students to become confident and independent writers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35, 131-139.
Activity Objective
The goal of Fix the Morning Message: Providing Meaningful Practice with Editing and Revising is to provide students with practice in editing and revising written work.
What You Need
Prep Time:
10-20 minutes
- Prepare message
Task Time:
20 minutes
- Teacher shares message
- Students edit spelling and grammar
- Students make revisions
Materials Required:
Teacher:
- Chart paper
- Markers
Optional:
- Smartboard
What You Do
Teacher Role:
Direct instruction:
- while sharing message
Facilitator:
- while students edit message and make revisions
Student Grouping:
Whole class:
- during sharing of message, editing and revising
Assessment Ideas:
- Keep a chart next to you during the whole class discussion and take anecdotal notes as students respond
- Use a checklist to track students understanding of editing and revising
- Track students participation, listening and speaking skills
Quick Tips
Activity Extensions:
- Provide students with a variety of sentences that contain mistakes and have them make corrections
- In pairs, give students a personal message that contains mistakes and grammatical errors and have them work together to edit and revise the message
- Create an Editing Center that contains dictionaries, thesauruses and writing materials
- Create an anchor chart for editing and revising written work and display the chart at the writing centre
a. Refer to the chart during writing workshops and written tasks
Additional Comments:
- Before expecting students to edit your morning message, make sure you have already explicitly taught and modeled the editing conventions you expect them to use (for example, sentences start with a capital letter).
- Consider the age and developmental appropriateness of the morning message. Include an appropriate number of errors and blank spaces.
- Emphasize the differences between editing and revising where editing is making changes to spelling, grammar and basic sentence structure. Revising writing occurs when details are added, words are changed or sentences are moved.
- Repeat this activity on a regular basis so that students become more familiar with the process of editing.
Other Adaptations/Modifications:
- Use proximity seating for students who may require cues to refocus
- Record the morning message in large font for students who may have a visual impairment
Other Recipes by this Teacher
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Candy Ads: Developing Media Literacy and Persuasive Writing Skills
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Media Literacy: Responding to a Captivating Photo
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