Categories Centers, Classroom Management

Write The Room!

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!

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Question 1: What is write the room (WTR)?

WTR is a movement-based activity that is also great for learning vocabulary and working on handwriting! 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 they are writing. Each recording sheet is themed to match our themes and helps students learn vocabulary!

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 unit 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.

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 you! 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!

Any tips for making write the room even more fun?

YES! PROPS! We have a basket of headbands and glasses that the kids can wear when they write the room! They can choose ONE prop to wear. If they take it off, they don’t get another one. This eliminates them spending their time at the prop basket! We get most of our props from Dollar Tree!

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 two different recording sheets 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!