Get the Kids Writing!

There are two online tools that work well together for intermediate grades. Both these tools will incorporate writing and reading, with the reading focusing on non fiction and opinion writing.

 Kidblog.org is easy, simple interface, that allows students to get a chance to write for an audience, all the time, anytime. It's teacher monitored, safe, and needs NO email!

I used this blog site to start my 4th graders out on blogging.  I've seen it used from 1st to 8th grades in the schools with great success.  Knowing that others will be reading it, ups the production and quality level.  I would have students write blog posts on their own time, on their own topics, and the result is greatly improved writing skills.

My Sample Kidblog

Login for Sample Kidblog

A few key things:
*you can edit their password in case students forget. (That would NEVER happen!)
*placing a link to the direct log in for your class is the easiest way for students to log in.
*everything, posts and comments, come to the teacher before they can be published.

Once I established using kidblog, using it to respond to journal entries, talk about video and book responses, etc.... I found Tween Tribune.

Tween Tribune is an online newspaper that takes high interest articles and rewrites them in smaller, simpler terms for "tweens".  Students can have teacher created accounts which allow them to submit comments, responses, and even their own rewritten articles to the site.  Many teachers, though, use tween tribune as a place for students to go, choose an article that interests them, read it, and respond on their own kidblog or other writing format.

Definitely a resource to check out!