This book offers a step-by-step approach to engaging young students, interpreting their work, identifying what they know and building naturally on their strengths to help theim on their paths to becoming real writers. It contains mini-lessons that "take writing from scribbles to script" and answers the following questions:
What does it take to make a writer?
Doesn`t reading come first?
How do I encourage students to write?
It gives examples in order to help you recognize where each student is and where he should be guided to next. The best part is that it also gives small scripts to help you know what to say. You will be surprised at the fun you and your students will have. You begin collectively but each child works at his own pace. Every year since getting this book I have a handful of preschool students actually using invented spelling. I'm amazed again and again!
I am absolutely thrilled you are incorporating writing into your curriculum.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Australia, they did this as writing for preschool children.
For the morning meeting on Monday, the students read a poem, a story together. Then the teacher talked with the student about the topic.
For the morning meeting on Tuesday, the students read the same text again and talked about it and read it again.
For the morning meeting on Wednesday, key ideas or words were talked about. I can remember one day it had to do with the holiday they were taking next week. She was segmenting words and they were repeating them after her. Then they read the passage again.
I wasn't there on Thursday
On Friday, the students lead the reading of the text (and she just whispered). They pasted a copy of the text into a writing journal and then over the weekend, they drew a picture.
I have pictures of 16 weeks of text and pictures. The growth of MAX was tremendous. I could see by week 8, he had included a letter or so,,,then by week 14, he was copying words.
Also, each child had his own personal word wall. The child on one side had the group word wall words (sight words, words they had talked about in the morning meeting.) ON the other side, were words the child wanted for his personal use. Max had the names of his family, the dogs and cats, and my name. He also asked for the word America. Everyday, the students wrote and drew and when they were finished with their drawings the adults in the classroom would "quietly" write the correct words on top of the attempted words.
I loved these 4 year old learning to write. I didn't think they could but they proved me wrong. This was how the teachers in this school approached reading........local or personal stories.
Briley wrote (without help) "I (I) drove(jro)down (dn) the (thi) road (rod)with (we) my (me) family (femle)."
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