August 16, 2012

WBT: Oral Writing Freebie

It's a simple idea really.

Get kids to talk in paragraphs and then they write in paragraphs...easily. That is the base of Whole Brain Teachings Oral Writing philosophy. Have you heard of it?!?

I discovered WBT teaching earlier this year.  I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but suddenly I was consumed with watching YouTube videos.   All these wonderful teachers had ALL their students engaged. I found the website, signed up, used the weekend to read everything I could, and started implementing the 5 Rules and several other strategies the first day we came back from Winter Break. It changed my classroom dynamic. I love it!

Yesterday, Becca at Simply 2nd Resources posted about WBT Oral Writing.  I hadn't heard of it until yesterday and I'm already a believer.  I watched the entire webcast below right then and there on her blog AND I took 4 pages of notes!  Just watch and you'll see!!


Watch live streaming video from wholebrainteaching1 at livestream.com

Her post is perfect, so head on over and check it out. She highlights the most important points in the lecture and does a wonderful job describing the technique.  She also has several pictures of her super cute room that you won't want to miss.  Simply 2nd Resources: WBT Oral Writing

I'm especially excited about Oral Writing because my 4th graders take the state writing test and many of my students come to me very low in language to begin with. Teaching them how to formulate their thoughts and add on to their thinking is key! Oral Writing is a great way to develop language skills and incorporate higher level thinking while preparing them to be excellent writers. You can't beat that!

So... You can start building writing and elaboration skills from day 1 in a fun, interactive, whole brain way!

I was so excited about getting Oral Writing started in my classroom... I made POSTERS and you can download them for FREE!

Here are the posters I created that go through the Oral Writing Steps.  I plan on hanging these up by my white board as a reference and reminder to both my students and myself. Each poster is only half a page to conserve wall space, especially if you (like me) have only two real walls in your classroom.

 
I hope these posters are helpful to you and your class.  Please email me with any questions or suggestions.  You can grab my posters (plus 2 more not pictured) in my TN store by click here or clicking directly on the picture above.  Remember, all Whole Brain Teaching resources should always be 100% free!

Well, that's it! If you haven't heard of Oral Writing, I hope you learned something new today AND I hope you are as jazzed about it as I am.  The posters are just the icing on the cake!

Freebie Fridays


11 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing! I just finished watching the video. I'm really excited to add this to my classroom!

    Christine
    Tales From Rm 17!

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  2. Thanks for sharing Amanda! I just recently stumbled upon WBT UTube videos and its fabulous. I can't wait to try some of the things out in my classroom next year. I can't wait to watch the video you posted. I think I'll have to wait until I get to school though since our internet is SOOO slow. :(

    -Jessica

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    1. I actually lost my connection in the middle of the broadcast. I paused for a little bathroom break and had to reboot my whole computer. Ah...technology...it's great most of the time! :) Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  3. Amanda, Thank you so much for the WBT writing resources. I've been meaning to watch some videos to familiarize myself with this whole process. As a newbie, do you suggest starting the viewing process at a certain spot? Thanks,
    Ursula

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    1. Hi Ursula! Great question. If you go to the website and find the link "First Steps" it will walk you through everything. I would start there. Then, start watching the videos to add to your repertoire. I think Class-Yes, Teach-Ok, Mirror, and the 5 Rules are the best things to start with. You will be surprised how easy it is. Kids think it is fun, so they just hop right on board. I'm thinking of doing a post on getting started, so stay tuned to learn more. :)

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  4. Amanda, your posters are awesome! I am going to use them. Thanks for linking to me. Do you teach in Texas?

    Simply 2nd Resources

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    1. I'm in San Antonio and looking for anything to help with that writing test. Hehe!

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  5. A lot of teachers in my building utilize WBT - I would love to attend a workshop to learn more. I'm nervous about trying to add it into my classroom without knowing more!

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  6. Amanda,
    Thanks for this great freebie! I appreciate all of your hard work. I have been trying to read up on WBT and it sounds great! I’m having my big 100 follower giveaway! I’d love it if you wanted to come on over for a visit sometime. Thanks!
    Your New Follower,
    Corinna :)
    Teaching Fabulous Firsties!

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  7. I also started WBT this year! Isn't it awesome! I teach 1st and they love it. I am your newest follower. I have a few posts on WBT, stop by sometime!
    Dana
    Fun in 1st Grade

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Thank you for taking a moment to share your thoughts!