FirstieWriting: First Grade and 2nd Grade Writing Curriculum Bundle

FirstieWriting Curriculum Units BUNDLED is an engaging, standards-based first grade (and Second Grade), genre-based writing curriculum.

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6 units @ $15 each = $90

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Do you have a few extra moments? Watch a detailed video about this curriculum HERE!

What is FirstieWriting?

FirstieWriting Curriculum is an engaging, first grade (and Second Grade), genre-based writing curriculum. FirstieWriting encourages young learners to look inward at their endless possibilities as a writer. FirstieWriting is based upon six units: Writing With Narrative, Writing With Opinion, Writing With Direction, Writing With Persuasion, Writing With Imagination, and Writing With Information. Each unit is broken down to 30 lessons. The units cover 30 days of academic instruction. The lesson plans have listed unit objectives, “I can” statements, Common Core writing standards and needed mentor texts.

**Special note that this packet is branded with the 'Firstie' name. However, this program is completely appropriate for second grade students as well! No student material is branded with the 'firstie' logo so it can be easily used in 1st, 2nd, or multi-age classrooms!**

FirstieWriting encourages a daily routine of a minilesson, independent writing, and a share time. Each of the lessons in FirstieWriting are well thought out for the young writer and spiral back to previous lessons to ensure students are retaining their skills. FirstieWriting also includes unit anchor charts, a variety of writing paper, conferring schedules and note sheets, sample writings, student writing goals display, writing rubrics, and step-by-step guides that are made specifically for each unit. Below is a look at the lessons included in the unit.

What is included in FirstieWritring Curriculum?

-Teacher "simple read" lesson plans. You will not need to rewrite these lesson plans, unless you choose do. If so I have included editable lesson plans.

-Each unit I have planned out the; big idea, focus standard, essential questions, and so much more!

-Writing paper

-Unit posters

-Student material

-Unit rubrics

What Units are Covered?

Unit 1 Narrative Writing INCLUDED NOW

Unit 2 Opinion Writing INCLUDED NOW

Unit 3 Procedural Writing INCLUDED NOW

Unit 4 Persuasion Writing INCLUDED NOW

Unit 5 Fiction Writing INCLUDED NOW

Unit 6 Informational Writing INCLUDED NOW

What lessons are included?

Unit 1: Narrative Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: Stories Are Everywhere

Lesson 3: Help! I Don’t Have a Story

Lesson 4: Let’s Make a Plan

Lesson 5: Sketch It

Lesson 6: Keep on Writing

Lesson 7: Adding Details to Pictures

Lesson 8: Stay Focused to the End

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Read Like a Storyteller

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Setting- Where and When

Lesson 14: Make Characters Move

Lesson 15: Characters Talk- Dialogue

Lesson 16: Mid Unit Check

Lesson 17: Characters Feel and Think

Lesson 18: Building Suspense

Lesson 19: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 20: Transitional Words

Lesson 21: Ellipses

Lesson 22: Sound Effects - Pop Out Words

Lesson 23: Storytelling With a Partner

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Lesson 30: Celebration

Unit Two: Opinion Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: We All Have Opinions

Lesson 3: Fact vs. Opinion

Lesson 4: Giving Reasons

Lesson 5: Convince Your Reader

Lesson 6: Hook Them In

Lesson 7: Closure

Lesson 8: Put It All Together

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Read Like a Storyteller

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Elaborate

Lesson 14: Use Dialogue

Lesson 15: It’s Okay to Disagree

Lesson 16: Mid Unit Check

Lesson 17: Setting Writing Goals

Lesson 18: Would You Rather...

Lesson 19: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 20: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 21: Convince Me

Lesson 22: Putting it All Together

Lesson 23: Storytelling with a Partner

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Lesson 30: Celebration

Unit Three: Procedural Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: Exploring Procedural Writing

Lesson 3: Things We Know How To…

Lesson 4: Order Matters

Lesson 5: Let’s Make a Plan

Lesson 6: Sketch It!

Lesson 7: Write It Out – Step-by-Step

Lesson 8: Time Order

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Don’t Get Confused

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Introduction

Lesson 14: Step-by-Step

Lesson 15: Adding Labels

Lesson 16: Mid Unit Check

Lesson 17: Setting Writing Goals

Lesson 18: Partner Talk!

Lesson 19: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 20: Giving Readers Suggestions

Lesson 21: Use Exact Vocabulary

Lesson 22: Wrap It Up

Lesson 23: Test It Out

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Lesson 30: Celebration

Unit Four: Persuasive Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: What is Persuasion?

Lesson 3: Fact vs. Opinion

Lesson 4: Giving Reasons

Lesson 5: Convince Your Reader

Lesson 6: Hook Them In

Lesson 7: Closure

Lesson 8: Put It All Together

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Read Like a Storyteller

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Elaborate!

Lesson 14: Use Dialogue

Lesson 15: Mid-Unit Check

Lesson 16: Setting Writing Goals

Lesson 17: Hey Little Ant!

Lesson 18: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 19: Let’s Begin Again!

Lesson 20: Convince Me

Lesson 21: Sneak Peek!

Lesson 22: Remember a Time…

Lesson 23: Recommendation

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Unit Five: Fiction Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: What is Realistic Fiction?

Lesson 3: Help! I Don’t Know What to Write

Lesson 4: Let’s Make a Plan

Lesson 5: Sketch It

Lesson 6: Keep on Writing

Lesson 7: Adding Details to Pictures

Lesson 8: Stay Focused to the End

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Read Like a Storyteller

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Where and When

Lesson 14: Make Characters Move

Lesson 15: Characters Talk- Dialogue

Lesson 16: Building Suspense

Lesson 17: Mid-Unit Check

Lesson 18: Setting Writing Goals

Lesson 19: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 20: Transition Words

Lesson 21: Repeated Phrases

Lesson 22: Sound Effects/Pop Out Words

Lesson 23: Storytelling with a Partner

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Lesson 30: Celebration

Unit Six: Nonfiction Writing

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment

Lesson 2: What is Informative Writing?

Lesson 3: Gather Up Facts

Lesson 4: Plan it Out

Lesson 5: Introduction

Lesson 6: Text Feature: Diagram

Lesson 7: Text Feature: Headings

Lesson 8: Closure

Lesson 9: Spelling is a Snap I

Lesson 10: Mechanics Matter

Lesson 11: Be the Expert!

Lesson 12: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 13: Writing Strong Facts

Lesson 14: Audience

Lesson 15: Zooming In

Lesson 16: Mid-Unit Check

Lesson 17: Setting Writing Goals

Lesson 18: Spelling is a Snap II

Lesson 19: Partner Talk!

Lesson 20: Teaching Comparisons

Lesson 21: Use Exact Vocabulary

Lesson 22: Text Feature: Glossary

Lesson 23: Text Feature: Table of Contents

Lesson 24: Let’s Begin Again

Lesson 25: Use All You Know I

Lesson 26: Use All You Know II

Lesson 27: Let’s Revise

Lesson 28: Let’s Edit

Lesson 29: Meet the Author

Lesson 30: Celebration

BIG Idea and Research - First Grade Writing 

Writing is one of the hardest subjects to teach in a primary classroom.  Teachers strive to model lessons, differentiate lessons, and conference with each student on a daily basis in a classroom where every student is at a different level and ability.  Although each student will be at a different level, they come to you as young writers ready to grow leap and bounds. FirstieWriting Units continue to build on the energy and knowledge students learned in Kindergarten.  

In first grade, we strive to turn students into writers by modeling a love of writing and having an emphasis on a daily writing time in which students engage in the writing process.  In Children Want to Write edited by Tom Newkirk and Penny Kittle (2013) Donald Graves is quoted as saying, “when students write every day, they begin to compose even when they are not composing.  They enter into a constant state of composition” (p. 58). Research conducted by Hattie and Gladwell both concluded that there is a direct correlation between the amount of time we spend in pursuit of a habit, goal or skill and our individual growth in relation to that habit, goal or skill.  In other words, for students to improve as writers, and build stamina, it is important for them to have long stretches of writing time that occur on a daily basis.  

Within each writing unit, conferencing with students happens every day.  Small group work and conferencing with students is one of the most important parts in the writer’s workshop.  Conferring is working one-on-one, or in a small group setting, with a student to listen and understand a child’s work and intentions.  The teacher also provides effective feedback to make sure the learner is working with direction. Learning progressions and student checklists are important tools that promote self-assessment and goal setting so instruction can be differentiated to each individual learner.  For any learner to grow stronger, the learner must be provided with informative, responsive feedback. Hattie’s (2008) research revealed feedback is especially valuable if the teacher helps the learner know where he is going, what progress he has made so far, and what specific activities he can do next to progress towards the goal.  Calkins (1994) believes “perfect practice makes perfect,” which means that students need long stretches of time, along with specific feedback aligned to next steps for them as writers, in order to progress. 

Mentor texts are used throughout each writing unit.  Students benefit from examples and one of the most effective ways to teach writing is to use mentor texts.  By looking at examples of good writing, especially in published work, students learn to aspire to create effective pieces of their own.  

What about the standards?

Each unit has a focus standard that is based upon the Common Core Standards. Units further into the year will have more than one focus standard. If you teach to a varying set of standards, you can email me for assistance. Thanks!

Do you teach Kindergarten? I have a writing curriculum for YOU! View my KinderWriting HERE!

If you have any questions at all about this packet please email me at littlemindsatworkllc@gmail.com

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