I have been using WBT for 2 years. I love it. I just put the Practice Cards in place this year after Christmas. I have a wiry bunch this year and these work GREAT!! I highly recommend them.
I need help with writing. I do use WBT to teach editing marks. We use Arkansas Literacy Model at my school. I have looked at the writing part of WBT, but it seems beyond First Grade. Maybe I do not understand it. Any suggestions. I want something to motivate students to want to write and then work on mechanics. Thanks!! I am a great believer in WBT!!

I teach First Grade in Missouri.

RMwalker, I teach first grade and find using the genius ladder an extremely effective tool in my class. You can also check out the writing game in the free e books. To reinforce end marks and other punctuation we use gestures from "brain toys". I use green and red markers as I travel around the room to show students areas that need attention and areas they are successfully completing.

I teach grade one in Canada. I use the genius ladder with my grade ones. They love it. We have been working on the genius ladder, as a class. Now, they can write independently. We took it slow. Just start with creating blah sentences. I love the power pix because they do a great job of teaching what a noun and verb is. I started with the power pix.

Electronic Superspeed Grammar is also wonderful for writing!!!! Free Ebook!

We did a genius ladder for Mother's Day and the children were so excited!
This year for writer's workshop, I have added WBT strategies. I still
start with a mini lesson, children talk in partners about their ideas etc, they write, stop along the way and ask their partner for ideas, read story (crazy prof), they might add one two spicy words, read (air punctuation, teacher conference and finally they publish. I had a student that (talked with five partners) and took some of their ideas and combined it into his stories.

For read aloud, I still use the graphic organizer to retell, but now they use brain toys to do an oral retell.

I will check that one out.