How to Create a “Write the Room” Activity to Sell on Teachers Pay Teachers

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Maybe you've seen or even used Write the Room printables in your classroom before, but did you know they're super easy to create? You can do it yourself, and I am delighted to walk you through the process.

Not interested in making it, and just want to buy an Easter Write the Room? Grab it on TpT right now.

Write the room is an interactive learning activity where students get up and walk around their classroom to search for words or items posted around the classroom and write them down on a recording sheet.

It's a movement heavy way to blend literacy skills, writing, reading and physical movement. Here's why teachers all over love this activity:

• Boosts Literacy Skills: A fun way to add reading and writing into classroom centers.
• Keeps Things Lively: Write the room is a great way to spark interest and keep the energy levels up during that afternoon slump.
• Easy to Adapt to All Learning Levels: Whether it's a speeder learner or someone who takes the time to make sure their letters are super swirly, this activity has an adjustment for everyone.

See the Step By Step Tutorial on YouTube

Choosing a Theme for Write the Room

I chose Easter for this tutorial, but the options are literally endless with write the room. The main thing you need to look at with clip art is how many options you have.

I'll happily spend hours looking for clip art diamond in the rough from Creative Fabrica, but if I am just wanting something perfect for TpT, I stick with finding clip art on TpT. It's quicker and much better results.

Here are a few great options if you're looking for a way to build this yourself.

1. Seasonal or Themes: This is what I created in the tutorial, we took a theme and did 12 pieces of clip art to be defined by students. You can also do a theme like “snowman” and do all the different parts of a snowman.

2. Words, Letters, or Sounds: Who says everything has to be about the vocabulary? You can have a snowman with a letter K on it's belly, and have the students write K, or use the letter to write another word, like kite.
   
   Why stop at the alphabet? Add music notes and have them write words with the letters of the note, or have them define half notes.

3. Addition, Subtraction, or Math Problems: Flip write the room on it's head, and make a count the room by putting multiple of the same clip art on a card, and have them count, add, or subtract parts of the number they find. This gives you the opportunity to use this traditional writing center as a math center.

How Many Different Images Do I Need for a Write the Room?

With write the room, you want to have around 12 different images if you expect the students to define the item on their recording sheets.

If you are providing them with CVC words, or a math problem to solve, you can add 1-4 similar pieces, and let the words or math be the main part of the cards.

You could even do no clip art at all, and use only words, numbers, or music notes.

Designing Write the Room Cards

My best advice is watch the tutorial so I can walk you through the whole process. And if you're short on time, you can join my membership and get the write the room template included, so you can just drag and drop your clip art into the premade sheets, and whip through several sets very quickly.

Once you've selected your images and theme, format your cards by adding a 2×2 table. This is easy on Canva, just type / on your keyboard, then type in table, and you'll open up a menu where you can click how big you want the table.

In PowerPoint, go to the Insert menu, and click Table to open up a nearly identical menu where you can click the size of the table, you want 2×2.

After you have the table, pull the corners of the box to maintain your aspect ratio (meaning you don't have one box bigger than the other). But if you do find that you've messed up your table, go to the “layout” tab under table tools, and click distribute row or distribute columns to fix any issues on PowerPoint. On Canva, there are three dots next to any cell of a table, you can click that to “size columns (or rows) equally”.

Once you've created your table, you'll add the thing you want students to write in the boxes. Don't forget to number them somehow, so they know which task card is which.

If this is a vocabulary theme, don't forget to write the name of the object they're defining underneath.

Variations for Task Cards

You can easily create these cards and that can be all you do, and it will still make a great write the room. I like to offer several different options to my buyers because I think it gives them a better experience. If you're interested in doing the same, this is what I do.

After you've created the amount of cards you'd like — I create 12– it's time to give them variations.

Duplicate the pages you've created, then delete the name of the object. This will force students to define the object themselves.

Again, duplicate the original pages, then replace each piece of clip art with the black line version (another reason I love TpT for creating, they almost ALWAYS have a black and white version) to save your buyer ink. Then duplicate again, and remove the names underneath.

Now, you'll have a full color version with the name of objects on the card, a full color version without the name, a black and white version with and without the name.

Creating Varied Recording Sheets

The first few times I created a write the room, I just put a numbered list on another sheet, and called it good.

Once I tried to use it, I found it so infuriating, I couldn't wait to redesign.

Eventually I landed on this:

This is what I teach in my tutorials as well.

Again, start with a table. This time it will depend on how many cards you give students. I try to always create a set of 12, but sometimes you might need more or less.

I create them in two columns, so my table is 2×6, and stretch it to the outer edge of my workspace. I always leave at least half an inch of white space around all of my worksheets, in case there are printer issues.

Most home (or office) printers don't print to the edge, so if I created to the edge, then I would more than likely have unhappy customers when the paper cuts off.

Add the numbers you added to the task cards to these, so students know where to record each answer.

I also add an option with a small black and white image that was on the task card. This is another layer of variation to help your customers out.

Recently, I have also added primary lines into the box to help students who are still learning to write be able to write their answers.

List Your Product on Teachers Pay Teachers, Etsy, or Your Own Site

Now that your product is complete, you're onto the best part. Listing it, so people can buy it. You did it!

I actually have a whole free course about listing products. Here are the basics of what you do after you complete your product:

1. Flatten your PDF: This is a common requirement for using clip art you found on Teachers Pay Teachers, so grab flatpack, a PowerPoint tool, and flatten your products. If you don't have FlatPack, or you don't have PowerPoint, you can save each page as an image, and then add those images to a new document, then save them as a PDF to flatten.

2. Create Shop Images: TpT, Etsy, and most other e commerce sites like square images, 2000x2000px is my favorite size for my product images. TpT allows you to use 4 images total, a cover image and three thumbnails. You can also add a preview, but that's a different topic.

3. Make a Descriptive Description: I know it sounds silly, but really, if you describe your product thoroughly it's great for SEO, and teachers love knowing exactly what is included. It's a win / win!

4. Hit Publish: It can be scary, but you can still do things that scare you. Do the thing, hit publish, and give people the option to pay you for your amazing product you just created.

And really, it's it. You can do it, and then when you're done, you'll be so proud of yourself!

Please Share This Write the Room Tutorial

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