One of the best decisions we made this summer was to add a stronger writing component to our classes. The Reading & Math Buddy students are keeping a writing journal, and the students in the Literacy Movement Workshop are re-telling Peter and the Wolf through various graphic organizers.
Initially started to help incoming fourth-graders be better prepared for the state test, the writing journal has turned out to be great for students of all ages. The setup was fairly simple and low-cost: spiral notebooks personalized with large wall stickers from the dollar store. The instructions in a nutshell:
What we're seeing so far:
In the Literacy Movement Workshop, the students write using different tools. The first week, they read the first few pages of Peter and the Wolf, then charted out what they knew already (K), what they wanted to learn (W), and what they learned (L) in a KWL chart. In subsequent weeks, after they read the entire story, they made a BME (Beginning, Middle, End) chart and retold the story through a comic strip. These graphic organizers have been useful for reinforcing the elements of the story and plot, as well as new vocabulary.
One surprising finding has been how receptive the students are to writing during the class time. Journal writing is usually timed in class, about 6-8 minutes. In Literacy Movement, students often take up to 20 minutes to complete their charts. We've seen that with the longer writing times, students have more time to think through and organize their ideas into coherent sentences. They enjoy the writing process.
It is yet too early to tell the effect of our writing experiments this summer. However, the parent feedback and parent-child interactions we've observed have been overwhelmingly positive. The writing component is one element we intend to continue and develop in future classes.
Initially started to help incoming fourth-graders be better prepared for the state test, the writing journal has turned out to be great for students of all ages. The setup was fairly simple and low-cost: spiral notebooks personalized with large wall stickers from the dollar store. The instructions in a nutshell:
- Write something every day at home.
- Don't worry about spelling....just write
- Date your writing and skip lines.
- Bring the journal to class each week.
- Use the writing prompts provided, or write about whatever you'd like to.
What we're seeing so far:
- Our youngest students, ages 5 and 6, love their journals and are the most consistent in writing, with the help of their mothers.
- Many students need prompting and coaching on how to add details to their narrative.
- Students who read well generally spell well, but still benefit from explicit instruction.
- Through the writings, we see clearly the gaps in students' letter-sound correspondence and grammatical usage.
- Some students ask if they can write in Spanish, their dominant language. We say yes, as the focus is on self expression, not necessarily their English skills.
In the Literacy Movement Workshop, the students write using different tools. The first week, they read the first few pages of Peter and the Wolf, then charted out what they knew already (K), what they wanted to learn (W), and what they learned (L) in a KWL chart. In subsequent weeks, after they read the entire story, they made a BME (Beginning, Middle, End) chart and retold the story through a comic strip. These graphic organizers have been useful for reinforcing the elements of the story and plot, as well as new vocabulary.
One surprising finding has been how receptive the students are to writing during the class time. Journal writing is usually timed in class, about 6-8 minutes. In Literacy Movement, students often take up to 20 minutes to complete their charts. We've seen that with the longer writing times, students have more time to think through and organize their ideas into coherent sentences. They enjoy the writing process.
It is yet too early to tell the effect of our writing experiments this summer. However, the parent feedback and parent-child interactions we've observed have been overwhelmingly positive. The writing component is one element we intend to continue and develop in future classes.