Today I am sharing how I set up and organize write the room for use during my literacy centers and answering questions about write the room! Write the room is actually the second literacy center I teach my kids because it’s so easy to implement!
Get an entire year of write the room activities by using our Write The Room For The Whole Year for only $10!! Keep reading to find out how I use it in my room and how easy it is to implement in your classroom starting TODAY!
Question 1: What is write the room (WTR)?
WTR is a movement-based activity that also great for learning vocabulary! Students get up and walk around the room finding words and writing those words down. They can find the words anywhere in the classroom which is why it’s called write the room! We use a more directed write the room where the students use a recording sheet with pictures and find those pictures around the classroom. The pictures contain the word. Students find the picture and write the word!
Question 2: How do you organize your write the room?
Our organization is quite simple: it’s color-coded just like our center wheel! (CHECK OUT OUR CENTER WHEEL HERE!) I use color-coded baskets or buckets that match the color of our literacy groups. This allows the students to know exactly which basket they can choose from. The baskets allow me to differentiate the recording sheets!
I use these baskets from the Dollar Tree. The baskets hang on the wall with command hooks!
Included in each basket are the recording sheets for write the room. These recording sheets tell students what pictures they are looking for and what words we are writing. Each recording sheet is themed to match our themes and helps students learn vocabulary! Students can choose any of the sheets in their basket!
Question 3: Do you differentiate? Do students have choices for the write the room?
Absolutely! Just like every center in our classroom, we want students to have a choice in their learning. This choice gives them a voice in their learning. Voice and choice empower our students. Empowerment means engagement! In each group’s basket, there might be 3 or 4 different choices for them. So usually in the classroom, I have 4 different “themes” hanging up! Students can choose any of the “themes” from their basket! This allows me to differentiate for my students!
Question 4: What skills do you include in write the room?
Write the room is great for thematic vocabulary. For example, each time we do a new theme or research project, we put up a “write the room” for that theme. This allows constant reinforcement of the vocabulary for that theme! I also use write the room for letters at the beginning of the year. And we use write the room for sight words all year long!
Question 5: Who changes the write the room?
THE KIDS! That’s right!!!! Train two or three students to help change our the write the room so it’s less work for ME! I use velcro dots to put the words on the wall. The velcro dots make changing out the cards easier. You can train the students to take the cards down, sort the cards, and put up new cards! The “Write The Room Team” puts the new cards up!
Are you looking for write the room activities for your kids? Check out our Write The Room For Year creation! It includes a write the room for each month! It includes cards and a recording sheet for monthly thematic vocabulary! Keep the learning going all year long and keep your students engaged by changing out the themes!
We also have a bundle of all three of our Walk The Room activities! You get Write The Room, Count The Room, and Add/Subtract The Room for ONLY $15! That’s a year’s worth of walk the room activities for $15! Click the image to grab your bundle!
Also check out our research projects for thematic write the room activities!
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16 comments
Are the write the room pictures/cards color coded for each group?
They are not.
Do you have ah example of how you differentiate a write the room for different ability groups?
They would have less words OR they would use the recording sheet where they color the word instead of write the word!
Since this is changed monthly, do they do the same write the room activity for 4 weeks? I know that some kids can differentiate and work their way up to the writing part. However, can you help me visualize how the rest of the really capable kids change it up week after week. Thank you!
Yes they do the same one for 4 weeks but because they have choices of centers and the turning of the wheel, it’s not done daily by the same students. There are also other write the room options available that are thematic or unit based that are mixed in with the other write the rooms. Hope that helps!
Is writing around the room part of the centers activity? If it is , is this included in the wheel?
It is and it is an option on the wheel
My students love this! I purchased your Write the Room for the whole year. I am just wondering how you keep them for the whole month and keep your students engaged? Does it take one day for a student to complete a recording sheet or do they continue to work on it throughout the week? My students are enthusiastic to complete it and then do not want to do another recording sheet.
There are 3-4 different themes in use at the same time. The choice keeps them engaged!
My students love this! I finding that they complete one recording sheet and then do not want do another one. How do you keep them interested? Do they only complete one “theme” then move to the next one?
They have 3-4 themes to choose from and they can choose whichever theme they want! The choice is key!
I struggle with the idea of having them write words they really can’t read. Help me understand why this is beneficial. Thank you!
Each set of write the room words contains two recording sheets: one sheet for writing the words and one sheet for reading and coloring the words. This differentiation allows you to meet the needs of all learners.
Do you have the differentiate recording sheets to purchase? I only see the two options in the bundle I bought…
As noted in the Write The Room For The Whole Year description ” Each set of write the room words contains two recording sheets: one sheet for writing the words and one sheet for reading and coloring the words.” That is all we have available for this product.