Writing Process...Through Play Dough

Before launching our Writing Workshop in second grade, we enjoyed an activity with Play Dough that mirrors the writing process we will be using all year. In the first stage, called Prewriting, students poked, rolled, twisted, pressed, and played with their Play Dough as they began their thinking process about what they would make. In the Prewriting Stage of writing, students illustrate and complete graphic organizers to begin thinking about how their writing will look and sound. In the second stage of the process, the Drafting Stage, students were asked to create something out of their Play Dough. It is in this stage where the creative thought process goes down on paper. In the third stage, the Revision stage, students were asked to add something or take something away from their creation. This is sometimes the toughest part...It reminds us that our work can always be improved from our original plan. We have a saying in class, 'When you think your work is done...it's really that you've just begun!' The final stage of Publishing allowed us to put our creations on display and share them with our classmates. We 'oooohed' and 'ahhhhed' over each other's work and I had the pleasure of watching my student's confidence soar. You should see us on Author Share Days...not only do we enjoy hearing the work of our friends, but we sure enjoy the compliments they pass onto us after we share our work. Happy Writing Second Grade Friends! :)