early childhood · outdoors · preschool

“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.

early childhood · preschool

“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?

emergent writers · preschool

In Cathy’s Class: Reflective Practice

What are some possibilities for writing in pre-k? Read to find out what it looks like in the classroom of early childhood educator Cathy Grupper.

preschool · reflections

Reflections on a Year of Writing in Pre-K: Straight From the Classroom

Whether you've been teaching writing for decades or you're just completing your first year, there are always so many questions to ask oneself when reflecting upon the school year.

preschool · Straight from the Classroom

On Memory, Meaning, and Making Sense: Straight From the Classroom

One of the things I value most about young children's writing is what it reveals about them: how are they learning to make sense of their world? Here I share three recent examples of stories written by some of my four-year-old students.

Build Your Expertise Blog Series · preschool · purpose · research

Examining Purpose in Young Children’s Writing: Build Your Expertise

Examining the evidence around what young children do when they write will lead us to better understand their conscious and unconscious purpose. We can also look at how teachers and caregivers nurture a social environment, giving purpose to children as they do this work.

early childhood · preschool · Reflective Practice

Transcribing Their Words: Reflective Practice

Transcribing the spoken words of my young writers is a special opportunity to listen, appreciate, and reflect.

preschool · writing · writing workshop

Preschool Down the Hall: An End of Year Cure

Sometimes we are learning more than we are teaching, and that makes us better teachers.

preschool · stamina

Stamina in Our Youngest Writers

Believe it or not, even four-year-old writers can work on their writing for 45 minute stretches of time! Here's a peek into a preschool classroom to show you how stamina can increase throughout the school year.

early childhood · preschool · writing workshop

Emergent Writing and Star of the Day

My son, Alex, will be starting kindergarten this coming September, and I find myself thinking back to what I did to help those four and five year old emergent writers. With rising expectations for what incoming kindergarteners can do, I've been dusting off my kindergarten bag of tricks to work with Alex, to help him feel confident and ready when school starts.

early childhood · preschool

Engaging with Preschool Writers

Last week, I encouraged a group of preschoolers to write books about their experiences. It went better than I expected.

early childhood · preschool · Throwback Week · writing workshop

Writing in Preschool — Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week

Betsy Hubbard wrote a series of posts on writing in preschool last year. Her preschool series was not only informative about the ways to teach writing to three- and four-year-olds, but it conveyed a deep and genuine respect for our youngest learners. Let's take a look back at what Betsy had to say about these emerging writers.