Literature-Based Learning: Teaching Writing Standards Creatively

Develop Writing Skills with Your Students with New Creative Strategies Using a Mindfulness Theme

In this course you will develop and enhance writing skills through brief physical activities integrated with children's literature.  The course will provide K - 6 teachers with creative writing strategies to teach the Language Arts Writing Standards and will demonstrate how activity-based writing coupled with children’s literature can boost student engagement and the quality of writing. Teachers will learn a variety of creative methods to teach specific writing strategies to their students based on grade level and student need using an engaging children’s book focused on mindfulness.  Teachers will develop these new skills through research on mindfulness and writing, and the relationship of behavior and mindfulness, following and creating two lesson plans with engaging activities, developing a daily writing journal for students, conducting a lesson teaching students to create mindfulness cards in small study groups to present to the class, a final project tying mindfulness concepts and writing strategies together, and through course reflections.

Participants will learn how to use exciting and meaningful activities that will be incorporated into writing assignments.  Using mindfulness as the conduit, research shows that the added benefits for students are increased attention and focus, improved cognitive ability, less reactivity, and better social-emotional skills.  Teachers will also benefit from these same concepts resulting in better classroom organization, management, greater efficacy, and reduced stress.  Not only will you discover fun and meaningful ways to teach writing but you will also find new ways to support behavior and coping skills.