Jazzing UP my Writing Center with a Giveaway!


Friends~I am on a mission! I need to jazz up my writing center and make it more enticing for my students.  I am so very proud of my new class.  They are already rotating into Daily 5 Centers!  That means my Word Study and Writing Center are taking a beating as we learn how to take care of the supplies.  Now I have the usual items like colored pencils, markers, gel pens, red and green pens, prompt sheets, handwriting activities, editing cubes and so on.  I really wanted something new and exciting for my students to dig their pencils into.

I was so pumped when I saw a Story Cube activity while we were in the mountains picking apples this weekend.  I am still trying to adjust to picking apples in 90 degree heat!  I am a northerner for crying out loud.  Still, we had tons of fun! This is our 2nd year picking and visiting the Hendersonville Apple Fest in North Carolina.   Check out the troops below!

Here are the story cube activities that I grabbed for my kiddos to try out!  They are pretty cute and I love that the images are really open ended.   I think they will really challenge my writers to stretch their thoughts. Give the image a click below to grab a set for yourself.   Or enter my GIVE AWAY below!


I was so excited about these cubes that I decided I needed to make some of my own to use with my students.  I wanted the pictures to be more straight forward.  I am calling it my Roll a Story Center.  Basically my students will be assigned a 5 cubes to roll.  1 for the setting, 2 action cubes, and 2 ending cubes.  They will roll and record their cubes on a sheet.  They will need to number their cubes to show their story's sequence.  They will then have the opportunity to write on a premade form.  They then grab an editing cube to check their work.  I love they way that they turned out!


I can't wait to get them made and put them out for my students to use.  I think they are really going to love writing with this activity!  You can grab a FREE copy of my Roll a Cube Directions, a setting cube, and a writing sheet!  Just click the image below and DOWNLOAD the PREVIEW!


I am so excited about this that I decided to do a fun Writing Center Give Away!  The Schroeder Page is giving away a a set of Rory's Story Cubes and a copy of my Roll a Story!  That is not all!  The winner will also get a copy of my new Play Dough Draw and Write Book!  Below are the goodies- a $24 PRIZE!
Click the image below to check out my files and be sure to look at my other Draw and Write Books.  They are favorites in room 331!


Here are the rules for this GIVE AWAY!  You must complete each step and you may only enter ONCE.  I will be checking each entry and if the steps have not been completed the entry will be deleted.  This is a great prize so I want it to be fair for ALL!

Step #1 You must be a follower of The Schroeder Page.
Step #2 Like my Facebook Page
Step #3 Follow my Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Step #4 Follow my Teacher' Notebook Shop
Step #5 Follow me on Pinterest 
Step #6 Once you complete steps 1-4 Please leave a comment telling me what your student's favorite writing center activity or supply is.
This give away will end on September 9, 2012.  I will choose the winner via random number generator.  
Good Luck and Thanks so much for helping me Jazz up my Writing Center will all of you comments!
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35 comments

  1. What a great giveaway, Monica! Thanks for the opportunity to win. Since I am a writing teacher, my classroom is chock full of writing activities and writing supplies. It's hard for me to choose their favorite, but, I guess I would say that my writing menu is their favorite because it gives them the opportunity to work on their favorite type of writing. Children love to be in charge of their own decisions, so I guess that is why. Thanks again!

    Ѽ Lori
    Teaching With Love and Laughter
    luvyorkies@gmail.com

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  2. Roll a story, of course! Love your websites!

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  3. This is the first year I will have a writing center, and we haven't started back to school yet. But I am anticipating that the story stones, of that dot to dot center that you have (totally buying that) will be a favorite.

    Adventures in Room 5

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  4. Did it all and I love having class journals that they can add to!

    Sandra
    Sweet Times in First
    sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com

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  5. I did everything.
    The journals are their favorites because they can use markers to enhance their thinging.

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  6. I did everything! I think my students like journal writing the best! They like the autonomy of it.

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  7. I follow you in everything! My students love story starters!

    rmariemuniz@hotmail.com

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  8. I think my students like to do any type of writing whether it is pictures or adding labels or words they enjoy being able to make their own and express themselves.

    Amy
    Sweetpea5910@hotmail.com

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  9. I follow it all!! My students like to do silly story starters. It really changes the writing atmosphere for the better & I think that they put more effort into it.
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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  10. I follow everything! My favorite writing center activity is my writing prompt jar.


    Aimee
    aimee@vanmiddlesworth.org
    Pencils, Books, and Dirty Looks

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  11. I love your version of Rory's Story Cubes! My students love to do Sticker Stories in my writing center.
    Patti
    pattib203@yahoo.com

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  12. I really like the idea of story cubes. I have a few activities for my writing center.

    I take old calendars and laminate the pictures (ASPCA is a great one). The students pick one of the pictures to write about. A great way to recycle those old calendars!

    I also do wiggle stories. There are copies of wiggles (random lines) that the students can pick from. They draw something from the wiggle and write a story about it.

    I also have students do sticker stories.

    Eventually, I would like to be more organized about how I plan my writing center. I think it would be more interesting if there was a theme every few weeks to keep the students motivated!

    Thanks for sharing this idea. I have followed you on everything and look forward to other great ideas you will be sharing! Have a wonderful school year.

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  13. What a great giveaway & wonderful way to collect ideas! I have to say my kiddos favorite item from our writing center are our fancy scissors! Crazy but true! lol

    Primary Inspired

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  14. I follow you everywhere! ;) My students love the set of foam story starter dice that I got as a freebie from Highlight! I don't know if its rolling the dice or what but they chose it 1st every time! What a great giveaway, I would love to win!

    Sandybeach1267@yahoo.com
    Second Grade Spots and Dots

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  15. I follow everything! My students love writing with different colors and mechanical pencils!

    Christina
    prec0ci0us~at~bellsouth.net

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  16. Actually, I always have books at my writing center in case they finish before we rotate. They love to grab a book.
    cbartram@kitcarsonschool.com

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  17. I follow you in all 4 places , plus e-mail and your newsletter :-)
    this is my 1st year teaching 2nd grade and I would LOVE this!!!
    I tried to download your Roll a Story but it wasn't free ?? anyway,
    I love your work and thanks for the chance to win :-). Enjoy the Apple Festival and parade, I used to live in the mountains and went every year
    myself :-)

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  18. oops I was so excited I forgot to leave my email address.... tommysmom0206@yahoo.com

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  20. So far my students love squiggle writing!

    Aburgess318@gmail.com

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  21. I did steps 1-5 and follow everything. My second graders love the editing phase of writing. They love to use pens to correct their spelling. They also like when I put a prompt on a journal and everyone has a chance to add to the journal. They love reading what the other students wrote.

    Cindy
    cl14mentor@oh.rr.com

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  22. I did everything. My kids like to write in their brand new journals and sit in the author's chair.
    lraines78@gmail.com

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  23. Hi! I did it all too! :) A long time ago! My kids really enjoy Talking, Drawing, and Writing. They also love to write in our class journals.

    These cubes look awesome!
    Hilary
    hilary35t@gmail.com

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  26. I completed 1-5. My students love to use markers and stamps in the writing center!

    kellybrown28021@gmail.com

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  27. Hi Monica,
    I am following you everywhere and enjoying it. My kids love journal prompts-some silly, some serious. It's fun to hear them share and to see how differently they write. Thanks!

    clomaxbraunstein@gmail.com

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  28. My kids are loving play dough right now.
    maria.youngblut@cardinalcomet.com

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  29. I am a first year teacher in resource. My kids love coloring pictures to tell their story. These items would be perfect for my students! Thanks!

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  30. I am a self-contained EC teacher and I LOVE your blog and all your fantastic ideas. They are really motivating for students who need that extra touch! Thanks,

    rcol999307@aol.com

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  31. I follow #1 - #5 and I follow via email and your newsletter! :)
    My students love to use map colors, markers, stamps and different colored pens in the writing center! They also love stencils to add to their drawings.
    Cheryl
    crayonsandcurls(at)gmail(dot)com
    Crayons and Curls

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  32. I am an EC Librarian. Winning these goodies would assist my classes in becoming readers and writers, instead of simply retelling

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  33. I'm so happy to be a follower-you're such an inspiring teacher! I like to put on the live streaming from the San Diego Zoo and have my students write in their journals while watching the elephants. Thanks for sharing all your amazing ideas! Kristine

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Extra, extra tell Mrs. Schroeder about it!