Do Kids Really Write in Kindergarten? Sarah Chambers June 2010 Writers du Lac

Could the Egyptians really write?

Write ( according to Merriam-Webster) To form (as characters or symbols) on a surface with an instrument Etymology ◦ Middle English from Old English: to scratch ◦ Old High Germanic: to tear ◦ Greek: to file, rasp

Stages in Writing…

Children… Prefer to read their own stories. Can read their own invented spelling. Can develop a sense of ownership early. Respond positively to a sense of trust and respect for their writing. Write freely when process rather than product is emphasized.

Kindergarten Writing Whole Group GuidedIndependent

Whole Group Writing

Writer’s Workshop As we watch this video, write down a few things that encourage students to view themselves as writers… Write down any other practices that catch your attention.

Writer’s Workshop: Unit 1 Week 1 Day 1: Write 5 letters you know. Day 2: Draw a picture of an animal and label it. Day 3: Draw the school and dictate a label. Day 4: Draw something in the room and label it. Day 5: Draw and label how you get to school.

Day 1: Draw and write about a bird’s home. Day 2: Draw and write about animals that carry their homes on their backs. Day 3: Draw and write about a spider’s home. Day 4: Draw and write about a bee’s home. Day 5: Draw and write about animals that build their homes in trees. Writer’s Workshop: Unit 6 Week 6

Whole Group Stories Click on the dragon or the jet to look at whole group samples. Importance of Whole Group Stories: ◦ Thoughts become words…words become stories. ◦ Everybody’s thoughts are valued.

Guided Writing

Writing Center Unit 1 Week 1 – I am ________________. ◦ Students are provided the stem and are to complete the sentence with their name. ◦ How can we extend this lesson? Unit 6 Week 6 – The _____ lives in a ___________. ◦ Students are provided animal cards. ◦ Make this work for your classroom.

We went to the woods and what did we see? We saw a _______________ with huge ____________ and little _____________. It had two __________ and four ______________. When I saw it I _____________! Then it ____________________. I asked it “_________________________________ ___________________.” It said, “________________ ____________________________.” Finally, I had to leave and go ___________________. The End! Parents Signature: ________________________

Independent Writing

Writing Workstations Set Up: ◦ Small Table ◦ A few chairs ◦ Stacking Trays ◦ Writing Implements ◦ Mailboxes  Stamps, envelopes, etc… Model ◦ How to get an idea for writing... ◦ How to spell a word you don’t know… ◦ How to use materials… ◦ How to put away materials… ◦ Good and bad examples… ** For older students, this station can go back to the students desk or use clipboards.

Help Board I can get help from… ◦ Name list ◦ ABC chart ◦ Word wall I can write about… ◦ Images and clippings that would provide age appropriate writing prompts I can write a… ◦ List ◦ Letter ◦ Book ◦ Poem *This is a science fair board with the following information posted on it. There will be many visuals due to the age of my students.

Activity… Flip through the magazines. Cut out pictures that would make good writing prompts.

McNeil Elementary School (Homer, AK) Believes that an emphasis on correctness is brought in too early. Established a program that claims to reverse negative experiences caused by the previously mentioned error. Recognizes that children can already write when they come to school.

Teachers need to know… Students can be viewed as writers from the first day of school. Most cannot read yet, so… There will be a good deal of variance among writing stages. All stages should be recognized and encouraged as writing.

Children need to know… Their thoughts and ideas ◦ have meaning. ◦ are valuable to others. ◦ provide learning for the writers and their classmates.

Bibliography Borgman, Diane. "Whose Writing is it Anyway? Kids Love to Write...Don't Wait Until They Read." Quarterly 8.3 (1986): n. pag. Web. 14 Jun Diller, Debbie. Literacy Work Stations Making Centers Work. 1st. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, Print. Racicot, Mary. "Write from the Start: A Teacher Research Project." Quarterly 24.1 (2002): n. pag. Web. 14 Jun Smith, John. “Building Our Homes.“ Reading Street. Scott Foresman. Glenview, IL: "Writer's Journal." Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices. Web. 26 Jun