Writing is often linked with Reading, but Writing and Math? Now that seems like a stretch!
But with persistence, I have found three books that prove once and for all that math and writing don’t need to be taught separately. In fact, they are all the more enjoyable when combined!

Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems by [...]

I always enjoy teaching this lesson from Nanette Musters. I introduce “Pourquoi Tales” by explaining that the word “pourquoi” means “why” in French. A Pourquoi Tale explains why something in the natural world is the way it is today. Then I read two Pourquoi Tales, one from a book and one example from a student. [...]

To teach first graders about the simile, I brought in photographs and little figurines of cats. After I explained similes, the class practiced creating similes about cats out loud. I used the students’ verbal practice as a way to check their understanding. Sometimes students will suggest “I like the cat’s pillowy paws.” To that, I [...]

My students have a lot of fun writing concrete poetry instead of writing in lines. There’s something freeing in the prospect that the words can take on any shape on the page.
When teaching concrete poems, the best way I’ve found to kick off the lesson is to bring in a few well-chose examples. It’s [...]

Baseball season is here, and to celebrate the start of America’s favorite pastime, our class wrote poems.
I encouraged my students to think about their favorite sport or activity as the topic for their poem; they did not necessarily have to write about baseball. Before writing, I asked students to brainstorm a list of words and [...]

This week my first graders practiced writing questions to animals. During circle time, we talked about how all questions end with the question mark. I also told the students that the words “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How,” are some words that help writers begin questions.
As a group, we practiced writing questions to an eagle–I [...]

I begin this lesson by asking my students to define what a “riddle” is.
They say:
“A riddle is like a problem you have to solve.”
“Riddles have clues.”
“You’re supposed to guess what something is.”

As a warm up, I read riddles that former students have written, and the class guesses what the answers might be. We discuss how [...]

What is more inspiring than food? Nothing!
I enjoy bringing grapes, carrots, and strawberries into the classroom. I use food as a way to encourage students to make observations. The students make observations of the food’s outside: its colors, textures, and shapes. Students must brainstorm a list of ten words or phrases before they [...]

As a WITS writer, I try to help students realize that the knowledge and experiences they already have are the perfect fodder for their writing. Last week I noticed that the third graders were completing a unit on earth science. To help students review what they learned about landforms, I came up with a [...]

Nature is a wonderful source of inspiration. I brought in seashells for the class to observe. The children put the shells against their ears and listened to the sounds of the waves. They admired the delicate beauty of the shells. They smelled them and shook them a bit, listening for clues about the soul [...]