This post is sponsored by Groovelit
I remember walking into my high school English classes and thinking, “Ugh. We’re going to write and I just have ZERO interest.”
It wasn’t that I despised writing. In fact, I was planning on majoring in journalism in college (which I did) and becoming a newspaper reporter (which I did, briefly … another story for another day.)
When I wrote game recaps for the newspaper’s sports section -- or personal opinion columns -- you could feel my personality. It was written in my style. It was ME.
Here’s what my story hopefully illustrates: If a student who loves to write in his free time isn’t looking forward to writing in class, then something is amiss.
If we want students to become great writers, we don’t need to force canned, generic writing prompts down their throats -- and force them to only write high-stakes assignments for a grade.
Instead, if we spark a passion in students to write, everything changes. We see their creativity and unique perspective. We see THEM show up in their writing.
Need a little nudge -- or some support -- to make it happen?
Have you met Groovelit?
What is Groovelit?
Groovelit (groovelit.com) is a gamified writing platform designed to help 5th-10th grade students find their voice. In under 10 minutes a day, your students can write more, write better, and actually enjoy the process. The platform offers engaging, bite-sized daily activities that transform the writing process.
In short: it sets the stage for the kind of writing that students will love. Then, the more that students practice -- and enjoy practicing! -- you’ll see their writing skills skyrocket.
How does Groovelit work?
Get your free Groovelit account
Sign up: Get for your free Teacher account at Groovelit.com
Choose your prompt: Choose from 100s of prompts for argumentative + narrative writing (or create your own)!
Launch your game and get the party started!: Have your students go to groovelit.com/join and enter your game code, just like you’re used to with other sites!
FYI: Their free-forever plan is generous and includes 100s of writing prompts!
What I love about Groovelit
When you try out Groovelit with your class, some things become very clear …
- This low-stakes writing builds confidence. Students are writing -- and it isn’t a big, important essay for a large percentage of their grade. They do short, fun prompts … and they’re doing them for points in a game -- not points in the gradebook. That’s a huge difference for anxiety and motivation.
- The competitive points system is fun. It rewards students for key writing skills, like clear claims, supporting evidence/reasoning, and strong vocabulary. Plus, you can opt to provide bonus rounds where students revise their work and demonstrate mastery of a key skill like reasoning/explanation of evidence.
- The prompts are varied and engaging. You don’t have to wrack your brain coming up with a writing prompt that will pique your students’ interest. You can choose from tons of pre-made prompts that help students finish a story, use key vocabulary, analyze a text, and write creatively. (See some of my favorites below!)
5 fun prompts that turn reluctant writers into confident authors
Groovelit provides hundreds of free prompts for various types of writing, including narrative, argumentative, and vocabulary exercises like the ones highlighted below. See one you know your students would LOVE? Just click the green button, sign up and unleash that creativity. All of the Groovelit prompts are included in the free forever plan so use as many as you’d like!
A New Take on Classics: Students can rewrite classic stories, like "Little Red Riding Hood," from a different perspective encouraging creative expression and self-expression.
Persuasive Writing with a Twist: Groovelit makes persuasive writing feel like a game. Students can make an argument about "the most overrated thing that everyone seems to love". This helps them learn to make a claim and defend it using reasoning.
Vocabulary That Sticks: Vocabulary games help students relate new words to words they already know, making learning and retention easier. For example, a game about "Creepy Houses" introduces words like "dilapidated" and "foreboding."
Debate hot topics: The "Year-Round School: Good or Evil?" prompt challenges students to make a persuasive argument for or against year-round schooling. Using reasoning and logic, they must defend their claim, turning a real-world issue into a valuable writing exercise
Finish the Story: The "finish the story" prompts get students engaged with a compelling narrative hook. A prompt like "The Cyber Bully" asks students to continue a suspenseful story, helping them practice writing a narrative and using their imagination.
Groovelit helps you create a classroom full of writers without adding extra work to your plate. It just takes 10 minutes a day to start seeing the impact that gamified writing can have on your class.
Get started now at groovelit.com.