If you’ve been a reader at Mama’s Learning Corner for awhile, you know that my children love mini-books. I’m not sure what it is about the smaller format that makes writing so appealing, but it certainly works!
And if I’m being honest, I enjoy the smaller format, too, when practicing writing with my younger ones!
My goal is to practice writing 3-4 times each week. However, we have been painfully far from this goal since our new semester started in January. In fact, we’ve practiced formal writing very little.
I will blame it on the new little bundle of joy that has taken over. 
:swoon:
You know how you have that one subject that you just can’t seem to fit in? For me this semester, it’s been writing.
In an effort to change that, I brainstormed ways I could easily incorporate more writing into our week
‘Easily’ is the key word here. I’m pretty maxed out on mental bandwidth, so I don’t have much room in my day or in my brain to take on teaching something huge and in-depth. Just being honest. 
I dreamed up this format of writing booklets, and I think it’s going to be a great fit for us.
Keep reading to see how we are going to use these in our homeschool this week!
→ Make sure you take a look at all of the coloring pages that are in mini-book style!
Plants Writing Booklet with Picture Dictionary
I often teach my two younger girls together (ages 6 and almost 8), even though they are at different learning stages. I try to be as efficient as I can with my limited time, and teaching them various subjects together really helps with that effort.
My almost 8-year-old reads exceptionally well, but still needs a tremendous amount of writing support.
My 6-year-old is a slower reader and is nowhere near reading independently yet. She still requires all of my help with writing a sentence, and I often have her dictate her writing piece while I’m the scribe. Later she copies a portion of what she’s dictated for copywork.
For this writing activity, my girls and I will read a few books on plants, since our weather is so beautiful and springy here in North Carolina! We will also walk around our yard with our magnifying glasses and examine the plants that are currently thriving in the spring air.
We will also draw a couple of pictures in our nature journals after our nature walk around the yard.
Now it’s time for the writing activity.
My girls will cut the pages apart and put them in the order they choose. In this particular mini-book, the order of the pages doesn’t matter. I usually have to help them staple the edge.
Each page in this book features vocabulary associated with a plant: root, petal, pollination, seed, and so on.
On each page, the girls will write a factual statement about the vocabulary word. My 6 year-old will write only 1 sentence with my help, and I will encourage my 8 year-old to write 2-3 sentences.
To help them be more independent in forming their sentences and spelling plant-related words, I had the bright idea to make them a picture dictionary.
I chose several words about plants, found a coordinating picture, and made a chart for them to use during their writing time.
It is also my hope that the Plants Picture Dictionary will spark even more creative ideas for them to write in their booklets.
** This download contains two different style of writing lines: primary lines for younger learners and standard writing lines for older elementary writers. This makes it easy to use with a variety of ages and learning stages.
Before you start thinking I’m Super Homeschool Mom (I’m laughing hysterically at that thought), we will definitely not do this whole activity in one day! I will spread it out over 4-5 school days.
One day we will read a couple of books, 1 or 2 days will involve walking around the yard and observing the plants, 1 day we will draw and write in nature journals, and we will spend 2-4 days writing in the Plants Writing Booklets.
Download Plants Writing Booklet with Picture Dictionary
If this type of writing activity with picture support appeals to your children or students, stay tuned because I have only a million ideas for more writing booklet topics.
If you’re already an email subscriber, you can access this on the subscriber page. The page URL and the password are located in every email I send.
If you don’t already receive my weekly emails, just sign up here or use the form below. After you confirm your email address, you’ll receive another email with the page link and the password. You’ll see the Plants Writing Booklet at the top of the printable list!
Note that this packet is for personal use with your own children or grandchildren, or for use in your classroom.
If you’d like to share this printable packet with others, please direct your friends to this post to download their own packet. That allows me to offer the occasional freebie!
Thank you! xo
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