Write the room is a great way to get your students up and moving while they learn! It is engaging, works with any subject, and is easy to run once your students know the procedure. Start using write the room now, and it will quickly become a classroom favorite!
Why Should I Use Write the Room in My Classroom?
There are many benefits to implementing write the room activities in your classroom. First, it a movement activity making it a built-in brain break. Students walk around while they learn, which helps keeps the wiggles at bay. It is also a great way to distance and space out your students. There is no specific order to finding the cards that students must follow, allowing them to spread out and go wherever in the classroom. Best of all, it is a fun way to review concepts taught in class.
When Can I Use Write the Room?
Write the room is very adaptable. It allows for the practice of a variety of skills and standards. You can use this activity with any subject, and it works well for different groups sizes. Whole group, small group, or just one student, this activity will work in all situations. Add this writing activity to a classroom writing center, as a follow-up to a lesson, or it also works well as a center.
How Do I Get Started?
Setting up requires a little prep and a few materials. Some of the items you need may already be in your classroom. Here are the 4 things I think will set you up for a successful write the room activity.
- Clipboards
- Skill Cards
- Recording Sheet
- Writing Tool
Again, all of these are not required I have just found they support young students well. I find that clipboards help as students move around the room and provide a solid surface to write on anywhere in the classroom. A recording sheet is also not mandatory. Students could write answers, words, etc. on a blank piece of paper or a dry-erase board too.
Steps to Prep Write the Room:
- Make or print the cards featuring the skill you want your students to practice. I usually laminate the cards for durability so that I can use them again the following year.
- Choose how your students will record their answers/work. If they use a recording sheet, make sure you copy enough for each student participating.
- Hide the cards around the classroom.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
There are a couple of things to consider before you begin write the room with your students. First, think about your classroom layout. Students will be moving around, so make sure they know where they are allowed to go or if any areas need to be off-limits. You should also let students know if they are working independently or if they can collaborate. One last suggestion is to plan for early finishers. Everyone will work at a different speed. Having something for those who finish quickly to do will help decrease behaviors and disruptions. Overall, with clear expectations and modeling you are sure to set your students up for success.
Write the Room Activities for the Whole Year
This is a very open-ended activity. You can use the same process but change the task to keep students interested and engaged. Here are some possible write the room activities you could use in an early childhood classroom.
Phonemic Awareness
To support phonemic awareness and listening, have students hunt around the classroom for picture cards. They can decide if two pictures rhyme, count the syllables for a picture, or segment and write how many sounds for a word.
Phonics
Hang word or picture cards around the room to support the practice of phonics skills. Students can copy the words, draw a picture to show the word they read, or look at a picture and write the corresponding word.
Math
For math concepts, students can count, read a ten frame, or even solve equations. Any task they would practice on a worksheet will work.
Science or Social Studies
Write the room is a great activity to integrate content and focus on vocabulary words. Students can find and copy the words, use the words found in a sentence, or even draw a picture to show the meaning of the word found.
Use some already made write the room activities or grab index cards and make your own. Either way, your students will love this activity and ask to do it again and again!
