As I begin a new school year, re-reading Vivian Gussin Paley's "The Boy Who Would Be a Helicopter" provides great inspiration for how I can position myself as a teacher of writing to young children.
Category: early childhood
“The Shark Was Gonna Save Me,” and Other Stories in a Pre-K Classroom
What are some themes that may emerge through the writing of young children? In my classroom this year, writing about rain and sharks uncovered human truths.
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People, Places, and Things: Connecting Labels to Drawings in the Pre-K Classroom
Recently, I thought about what I could teach my particular group of pre-k students who are all getting to the point where they know most of their letters and sounds, and are up for a challenge. Knowing that they will be doing a lot of labeling next year in kindergarten, I thought, "Why not give it a try now?"
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What Adults Make Possible When Children Begin Writing
Writing begins with meaning. As a parent and a coach at our school, I see writing in the earliest acts of communication. In gestures, in marks, in the stories children tell about their drawings. In this post, I share how we support that work with infants and toddlers and what it asks of us as adults. You’ll also find a few simple ways to carry this thinking into your classroom or home. -Ana Patton
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Self-Portraits in the Early Childhood Classroom: Reflective Practice
Self-portrait drawing is a meaningful pre-writing activity that children can do multiple times throughout the year in the early childhood classroom.
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Scrap Paper and Loose Parts: Developing Characters in the Pre-K Classroom
What can you make with a few pieces of scrap paper, a handful of pebbles, and some silver bottle caps? Read to found out!
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“There was a long tree…” Observational Drawing and Talking in the Pre-K Classroom
Observational drawing provides many wonderful opportunities for young children to connect to the creative process that will eventually lead to writing.
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“Mat Man”: Reflective Practice
What is the value in "teaching" children how to draw a person, even before they may start to draw figures on their own?
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Wally’s Words of Wisdom: Reflective Practice
The beginning of a new school year is a great time to reflect on Vivian Gussin Paley's "Wally's Stories."
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Strategic Vocabulary Connections: Straight from the Classroom
Here are three strategies for integrating intentional vocabulary connections into your reading and writing instruction. While these examples come from a seventh-grade classroom, they can be effortlessly adapted for K-12 learning environments.
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An Invitation to Write: Reflective Practice
When children are invited to write and draw freely, it gives us a window into their inner selves. I like to use journals during quiet time to strengthen and deepen my students' relationships to writing outside of writing workshop.
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Setting the Tone for Kindergarten Writers at the Beginning of the School Year: Reflective Practice
How will you set a positive and inclusive tone for writing in the first few weeks of school?
