Writing mini lessons are an excellent way to break down writing strategies for your students. Students listen to a quick writing lesson and then get the chance to apply the strategy that you taught during their independent writing time.
There are a variety of mini lessons that can be taught, but it works best if you tailor the lessons to your students’ specific writing needs.
Hare are five tips for writing mini lessons that will work for the 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom.
Breaking It Down
One of the most common mistakes is when teachers make their writing mini lesson too long.
Each lesson should last no more than fifteen minutes. Then students should have at least twenty minutes or more to practice the skill in their writing.
When you start the year, you will see that more mini lessons are needed. That doesn’t mean you should teach longer. It just means you need to break down your lessons into smaller parts.
For instance, the first composition of the year usually takes my class three weeks to complete.
More Writing Than Talking
Teachers love to teach, but a writing mini lesson needs to be short and to the point. Therefore, students have more time to write.
Additionally, after teaching a mini lesson, the teacher should model the strategy for the students in his/her own writing.
For example, if I teach a lesson on using a hook for an introduction. I will write the different types of hooks in my own paper before sending the students off to do it on their own.
Will some students copy their teacher’s ideas? Sure they will. But, that is ok. They will eventually learn the strategy and be able to use it themselves.
Writing Notebooks
It is imperative for students to take a few notes on the writing mini lesson that is presented.
Taking notes help students understand and remember the strategy that they are learning.
Also, it makes it easy for students to reference the notes throughout the year when they are writing future compositions.
Taking notes takes valuable time, so I choose to use fill in the blank notes. This way students still get the content, but they don’t have to copy every single word.
Using a Writing notebook in correlation with my writing mini lessons makes it easier for the teacher and students.
In addition to students having their own copy of notes, it is beneficial to post Writing anchor charts throughout the classroom.
Revise and Edit
Revising and editing the composition is the most overlooked step in the writing process.
Be sure to plan several writing mini lessons around revising and editing compositions.
Students can be told to revise and edit their own paper, but most likely they’ll just look at it and say it’s perfect.
Creating a writing mini lesson on modeling how to use revise and edit strategies will help students see exactly what they are supposed to do.
Also, students should participate in peer editing. In order to make sure it is done in a kind and supportive way, students will need a mini lesson on how to peer edit correctly.
Modeling peer editing and giving students a list of what to say during peer editing will help it be more productive.
Be Consistent
Students thrive from routine. The number one writing mini lesson tip is to be consistent with your writing routine.
Starting your writing block with a mini lesson, taking notes on the topic, and then having students implement the strategy in their own writing will make your students stronger writers.
These tips for writing mini lesson are sure to help you create the perfect lessons for your class..
After students have produced a composition, it is time to conduct a Writing Conference with students. Check out my blog post on how to have a Successful Writing Conference with Your Elementary Students.
If you would like premade mini lessons for several writing genres: Personal Narrative, Expository, Informational, and Persuasive Writing, check out my Digital Writing Mini Lessons
This resource includes a digital slideshow to present the mini lesson to your students, guided notes for students to follow along, and 8 prompts in a digital writing template.
