Winter Write the Room Fun!

     I hope you had a wonderfully relaxing winter break! As you’re getting into gear for this month and prepping your January lesson plans, I wanted to share a fun winter writing activity – a “write the room” center!

     Have you ever had a “write the room” center in your classroom? It’s a great way to get your students up and moving and build their literacy skills! My students always LOVE “writing the room!” Here are a few reasons why I think my students enjoy it so much:

• They love searching for the picture cards around the room.

• It allows them to get their wiggles out.

• They feel so important walking around with a clipboard. 😂

• And probably the #1 reason – they get to wear special “reading glasses.” 😊

     Ok, so the reading glasses are definitely a big motivator! And they’re so easy and cheap to make! I bought a pack of kids’ sunglasses at the Dollar Store and then popped out the lenses. Viola! That’s it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right? 😉

      So, this is how to play:

1. Print the picture cards and recording sheet.
2. Cut out the picture cards. (Recommended: laminate the cards.)
3. Hang the picture cards around the classroom.
4. Give each student a recording sheet, clip board, and pencil.
5. Have the students “write the room” by looking around the classroom for the picture cards and then writing the matching words on their recording sheet.

     Here are a few tips for making “write the room” activities a success in your own classroom!

• Prep the materials ahead of time. Thankfully, this center activity is pretty low prep. Cut the cards out, hang them around the room, and put all the clipboards and writing utensils in a designated spot.
• Review the rules for participating in this activity. For example: Walk (don’t run) around the classroom when you “write the room.” Or even better, model how to use this center before having your students do it on their own!
• Limit the number of students in this center. I recommend only having 4 or 5 students do this center at a time. More than that and things start to get chaotic! 😜
• Monitor the students. Reinforce the positive behaviors and redirect the ones you don’t want the students to continue doing. You should only have to do this the first few times…even my kindergarteners were able to do this center independently!

     Are you ready to jump into doing “write the room” activities with your own students? Click the image below to snag this Winter Write the Room!

Happy Teaching!!

~Tara