Maybe it’s time for a new mindset for writing prompts? I saw a post online sharing that as a new school year began or even as you returned from vacation breaks, we may need to get rid off…

What did you do over the break?

The author of the post explained that not every student has had a great break from the school environment. Maybe some students experienced things that they’re not eager to write about and/or share with their teacher or classmates. It was quite an eyeopener for me.

Expectations? What are yours?

Everyone has expectations, even if they’re not shared. What would the kiddos want to learn? What do they want to experience in our classroom, in our school? You’ll be surprised as I was that they know what they want, even if it’s a struggle to articulate.

“I expect my teacher ___.”

to like me.
to teach me about pictographs.
to teach me.
to help me.
to help me when it is hard.
to let me play.
to love me.
to give me a pie.

“My teacher expects me ___”

to be good.
to learn.
to do homework.
to go home.
to bring my homework back.
to stop talking.
to like her.
to study.
to work hard.

The Product

How could I use the items?

Present sentence frames “cold penguin”, discuss their responses orally, hand out writing paper, and see what you get. Aren’t you brave!?! Yeah, me neither. Just in case you introduce the sentence frames and you hear crickets, then use the following:

Definition Cards: Define “expectation(s)” by displaying, reading, and explaining the the provided cards.
Ask and elicit specific behaviors to tap into the kiddos background knowledge even if “expectation” isn’t a word they’re familiar with:
“What do your parents expect you to do in the car?”
“What do you expect your parents to do in the car?”
Other situations: coaches/sports, piano teacher, girl/boy scout leaders

Anchor Chart Headings: Present sentence frames one at time for Kinders and Firsties and record their responses in your favorite way to record using anchor charts (scroll for example), whiteboard, or entering data in a tablet or desktop for the class to view.

My favorite way to record responses, especially in Kinder

The heading for the anchor chart is the sentence frame. Write all the kiddos’ names. Depending on your kiddos’ personalities, record 4-5 responses at a time in a whole group setting or in small group at your “teacher table”. Don’t beat yourself up if your friends can only last to record 1 or 2 kiddos at a time, maybe the “teacher table” is the place to record their responses. Each time reread the sentence frame and previous responses as you add a new one. Even the non-readers will remember what they said. Here is an example from Kindergarten (I loop with my kiddos to First grade.).

I have found this method of recording responses to be a great opportunity to model phonological, capitalization, and punctuation skills that the kiddos need to master.
Or maybe record responses on sentence strips, kiddos can either take the strip to their work area to complete on writing paper or copy the strip from a pocket chart.

Verb Cards: Use the Verb Cards to stimulate sentence frame completion during your discussion and later for independent writing. i.e.
play       I expect to play with blocks in the classroom.
               My teacher expects me to play nicely with the blocks in the classroom.

Writing Paper for K-2: Kiddos can either complete their writing at workstations or in a whole group setting.
Version 1   “I expect my teacher __” with traceable sentence frame and “headline-midline-baseline” writing lines (see above) in color and blackline.
Version 2   “I expect my teacher __” with traceable sentence frame and single writing lines in color and blackline.
Version 3  “My teacher expects___” with traceable sentence frame and “headline-midline-baseline” writing lines in color and blackline.
Version 4  “My teacher expects___” with traceable sentence frame and single writing lines in color and blackline (see below).
Versions 2a and 4a have 30pt. “headline-midline-baseline” writing lines.
Versions 2a and 4a have 28pt single writing lines.
Versions 2a and 4a have blank writing areas in color and blackline.

Lesson Plan Timeline 1-2 weeks

Once the prompt(s) have been discussed thoroughly, the choice of how the kiddos write is totally up to you. This assignment will work if you have a dedicated writing time of 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Or if you want your kiddos to write in a whole group setting or at workstation. For Kinders and Firsties, I usually do one sentence frame at a time.

Option A Whole Group
Week 1: First sentence frame introduction, discussion, and explanation. Use your choice of Writing Paper for whole group writing time.
Week 2: Repeat with the second sentence frame.

Option B Workstation/Center/Small Group
Week 1: First sentence frame introduction, discussion, and explanation. Daily record 4-5 responses in whole group or “teacher table”. Each day rereading and highlighting the preview responses and celebrating the new one. Keep anchor chart visible- during free time I’ve had kiddos “read” the chart on their own.
Week 2: Quickly revisit the anchor chart for the first sentence frame. Put Writing paper at a workstation. As kiddos cycle through, they will refer to the anchor chart for their responses, copy, and add illustrations.
**Kinders/Firsties: their responses could be written on sentence strips/index cards. Then place sentence strips/index cards in a pocketchart in view while they at the workstation.
Week 3: Repeat Week 1’s suggestions for the second sentence frame.
Week 4: Repeat Week 2’s suggestions for the second sentence frame.

Option C Whole Group/Workstation Same Day
Week 1: First sentence frame introduction, discussion, and explanation. In a whole group setting, record the responses of the 4-5 kiddos that will be going to the Writing Workstation in the next rotation. Then during Workstations/Writing time that same day, those kiddos will complete their writing and illustrations.
Week 2: Repeat with the second sentence frame.

*****Second graders could probably do the sentence frames together.

Whew! If none of the Options ring a bell or if you’re thinking, “What is she talking about, you do what??” Please email me, I would be happy to be more helpful. 😉
I hope your responses will be as entertaining and enlightening as some of mine have been.

I hope you come back and share what your kiddos expect from you.
Until next time,