Tons of people all around the country are embarking on this new work-from-home adventure and in the teacher world, it’s not something we even really thought was possible. Teachers get their joy and their excitement from being face-to-face with their learners. In the primary grades, teachers and students alike thrive with hands-on learning.

There are so many unknowns during this time and many disparities across the country in terms of what district leaders are requiring of their teachers and students. I have been reached out to on numerous occasions about writing and if there were some ways we can incorporate some writing while students are home with their parents.

I took to the task of creating 4 week-long mini writing units with easy-to-follow directions for teachers, students, and parents.

With each weeklong unit, I wrote out simple to follow directions and included modeled examples of what the writing task should look like for the day. The actual writing part should only take up about 15-20 minutes of student time each day! I liked this idea because at the end of each week, students would have their own little mini-book that they’ve published and can share with their parents and teachers.

Here is a look at the writing unit:

Week one: How – To Have Fun at Home

This week, students will follow some simple steps to create their own “how-to” booklet where they are teaching classmates, friends, or family members how to have fun at home and sharing some of their ideas! Here is what the lesson looks like for day 1:

Throughout the week, students expand upon that one idea through illustrations and words to create their own 3-page, how-to booklet!

Week 2: Nature Poetry

Seeing as April is Poetry Month, I wanted to make sure I included a way for students to write some poems based on their surroundings. This week students take a look at the world around them and write 4 different types of poems to create their very own poetry booklet!

Week 3 – A Research Book

So many websites and research portals are letting students and parents access their information for free and I thought since we are all at home, it would be a fun time for students to choose an animal and learn more about them!

This week students research all about an animal of their choosing and share the facts they’ve learned through an all about book!

Week 4: Journal Keeping

Lastly, I wanted to give students a way to write down their thoughts and feelings during this difficult time. As adults, we are stretched to our limits, and I can tell you by looking at my own two boys at home… the children are stressed too. They’re confused about why they aren’t at school. They might be nervous about getting sick. They can feel it.

Throughout this week, I give students different journal prompts to record their thoughts and feelings at the moment. They write about who they’re spending time with, they check in with how they’re feeling, where they are and more.

Here is an example:

My favorite part about this unit is that while I did include all of the writing pages in case parents wanted to print them out (and for future in-classroom lessons), each of these writing activities can be done on ANY writing paper you have at home! I also went ahead and turned the pages into a digital version in Google Slides as well, in case districts are requiring digital lessons!

You can see all of these lessons over in my TPT store, here:

Are there any other writing ideas you’d like me to make “at home” friendly?!

Want to take your students from scribbles and sketches to writing published stories?!

I have a free 4-part video series you can watch here. Just click below to get the info!

Pin to remember: