Presenter: Susan McCullen, M.Ed. North Grafton Elementary School May 20, 2014

Workshop Objective:  Participants will acquire or reinforce their knowledge about the writing and composing in order to nurture their children as writers and composers.

 Definitions of “writing” and related terms  Stages of fine motor/visual motor control  Stages of “writing” and “composing”  Purposes of “writing”  Adult role in nurturing writers and composers

1: the act or process of one who writes: aswrites a : the act or art of forming visible letters or characters; specifically : handwriting 1handwriting b : the act or practice of literary or musical composition 2 : something written: aswritten a : letters or characters that serve as visible signs of ideas, words, or symbols b : a letter, note, or notice used to communicate or record c : a written composition

 Establishing hand dominance  Fisted grasp ◦ Wrist rotation  Immature grasp with fingers  Mature tripod grasp  Strokes: I, __, +, /, o, x;  Letters: straight line, diagonal, direction changes CONSIDER:  Vertical surface to table top; paper without lines  Thick/chubby writing implements

 Scribbling with crayon, pencil, marker, or fingers (i.e. in the sand)  Drawing pictures—recognizable or not  Tracing symbols i.e. letters  Copying symbols i.e. letters  Forming symbols from models or memory  Putting words into print, alone or in sentences

What we might SEE on paper and hear:  Scribbling with meaning intended/associated  Scribbles/lines for individual words ◦ Must be modeled/encouraged  Initial letter sound for a word  Copying letters and words from models  Writing a group of words, with spaces in between words  Inventive spelling, maturing with phonetic approach

Let’s talk about… Oral language development

 Language models  Opportunities to speak: “Tell me more!”  Targeted questions: “What did you paint?”  Acknowledgement by listeners  Participation in conversations  Experiences to develop vocabulary  Daily experiences with books & being read to  Expansion of their utterances  Expectations to “say the whole thing” and frequently speak with full sentences

Authentic Examples in Daily Family Life Composers can be nurtured!  Shopping lists  “To Do” lists  Reminder notes  Party invitations  Thank you notes  Letters of correspondence  s (typing)  Addressing Envelopes to pay bills  Drawing to tell a story  Drawing with scribbles or letters to tell a story  Composing a story about an experience  Journaling  Composing a sentence to tell an opinion  Composing a make believe story  Composing a poem

PRO’sCON’s  Learn that print carries meaning  See adults model the act of writing  Feeling that their thoughts are important  Sight word reading skills  Phonemic awareness & early reading skills  Message that children aren’t “writers” or “composers” until they can correctly form letters in word and sentence form  Focus on letter formation and correct spelling interferes with mature thoughts/ideas

 Provide a balance of opportunities to address reading readiness skills & writing/composing  Model being a writer/composer and discuss your purpose, think out loud!  Model the act of revising, such as adding details to an illustration or text  Consider the amount of time with T.V., electronic devices i.e. computer  Read daily with your child, use dialogic reading techniques, discuss authors  Listen attentively to your composer reading his/her own stories.

As a grade level, we have engaged in book study of “Already Ready, Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten” by Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover.

 Definitions of “writing” and related terms  Stages of fine motor/visual motor control  Stages of “writing” and “composing”  Purposes of “writing”  Adult role in nurturing writers and composers

Thank you for coming!