Quick Write Warm-Up: Writing Conventions for K-2

Overview

Start every writing lesson with a 10-minute Quick Write Warm-Up focused on writing conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and spacing. This routine builds foundational skills, reinforces grammar rules, and encourages confident, independent writing in young learners.

Materials

• Small whiteboards or writing notebooks
• Dry-erase markers or pencils
• Prepared sentence starters or prompts
• Anchor chart showing basic writing conventions (e.g., capital letters, periods, finger spaces)

Routine Steps

1. Introduction (2 min)

• Teacher does: Briefly review one writing convention focus for the day (e.g., “Today, we’ll make sure all our sentences start with capital letters.”). Point to the visual on the anchor chart.
• Students do: Look at the chart, repeat the focus rule back to the teacher, and ask questions if needed.

2. Model the Quick Write (2 min)

• Teacher does: Write a short sentence or two on the board (e.g., "I like to play.") using the day’s focus convention. Think aloud as you write, emphasizing correct capitalization, punctuation, and spacing (e.g., "I’m making sure I leave finger spaces.").
• Students do: Watch and whisper along while the teacher models. Raise hands to share observations about how the teacher applied the convention.

3. Student Quick Write (5 min)

• Teacher does: Provide students with a short, open-ended prompt (e.g., "Write one thing you like to do at recess.") and circulate to observe and provide on-the-spot feedback.
• Students do: Write their own sentence(s), focusing on the writing convention of the day. Use the anchor chart as a reference if needed.

4. Share and Reflect (3 min)

• Teacher does: Invite 2-3 students to share their sentences with the class. Give specific praise for where they followed the convention, and provide gentle correction if needed (e.g., “I noticed you used a capital letter at the start—great work! Let’s check if we remembered punctuation at the end.”).
• Students do: Share their work with pride, listen to their peers, and provide a thumbs-up when they spot a convention done correctly.

Differentiation

Support

• Provide struggling learners with pre-written sentence starters they can complete (e.g., "I like to ___.").
• Seat them closer to the anchor chart for easy reference and more direct teacher support.

Challenge

• Ask advanced learners to write 2-3 sentences instead of just one.
• Encourage them to use more complex punctuation like question marks or exclamation points.

SSP / Mixed-Level Adaptation

• Use visual aids such as color-coded examples to highlight conventions (e.g., underline capitals in green and periods in red).
• Pair students for peer support, where one student writes and the other gently checks for conventions using a checklist.
• Utilize assistive tech like speech-to-text for students who struggle with fine motor skills.

Copy-Paste Plan

```

Quick Write Warm-Up (10 min)

1. Intro (2 min): Review the daily convention focus (e.g., capital letters).

2. Model (2 min): Write 1-2 sentences on the board, thinking aloud about the convention.

3. Student Quick Write (5 min): Students write a sentence using the convention.

4. Share and Reflect (3 min): Students share their work and receive specific feedback.

Materials: Small whiteboards or notebooks, markers/pencils, anchor chart, sentence prompts.

```

Quick Check

• Did students correctly apply the daily writing convention (e.g., capital letters, punctuation, spacing)?
• Are 2-3 students able to share their sentences and explain their choices?
• Did the teacher provide at least one piece of specific feedback for improvement and one piece of praise per student?

FAQ

Q: What if students finish their sentence quickly?

A: Encourage them to add more details to their sentence or write additional sentences using the same convention.

Q: My students struggle to start sentences. What can I do?

A: Provide sentence starters or a word bank to inspire ideas (e.g., “I like to…,” “My favourite animal is…”).

Q: How do I manage time if students take too long to write?

A: Set a timer and let students know they’ll have 5 minutes. Remind them it’s okay if their work isn’t perfect—it’s practice.

Q: How can I keep track of progress?

A: Use a simple checklist to document which students demonstrated the convention correctly during the share time.

Q: How often should I do this routine?

A: Aim for 3-4 times a week to build consistent habits and reinforce conventions.

Q: Can this work for non-writers?

A: Yes! Allow them to draw their ideas and dictate their sentences to you or a peer.

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