Today Maggie Gayton asked her first graders to write a reflection about what they have learned recently as a writer. Her students, using pictures and words, reminded us of the power of writing workshop and the importance of reflecting on our writing lives.Maggie will post these reflections on her Celebrating Writers bulletin board along with… Continue reading First Grade Reflections
Category: primary grades
Highlights from the Week
I have been in a lot of different writing workshops lately. Just this week I've been in 13 writing workshops and have met with 13 different teachers in either reflective practice meetings or planning meetings. Therefore, I have SO MUCH I want to record. Which leads me to my current dilemma: what do I not… Continue reading Highlights from the Week
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We’re Making Books!
Whenever I have the privilege of being in a kindergarten classroom, I'm fairly certain I missed my calling in life. Today was no exception. I am a believer in making stuff in writing workshop. I picked this term up from Katie Ray. It just makes sense. Writers make stuff and writing workshop should be no different. Therefore,… Continue reading We’re Making Books!
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Beginning Procedures
I'm a believer in routine. When writing workshop is predictable everyone is able to work more efficiently. It takes several weeks to build the procedures necessary to create the culture of writing workshop. Over the past two weeks I've collected some footage of routines in primary classrooms. One of the important things about developing routines… Continue reading Beginning Procedures
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Nurturing Primary Writers: A Q&A with Jennifer Jacobson
No More "I'm Done!" Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades is a new book out this month from Jennifer Jacobson. Since I consult with primary grade teachers, as well as upper elementary teachers, I started reading this book as soon as I received the review copy from Stenhouse. Quite frankly, any elementary school teacher… Continue reading Nurturing Primary Writers: A Q&A with Jennifer Jacobson
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Scaredy Squirrel Books in the Primary Writing Classroom
Ruth was shocked when she learned that I had never heard of Scaredy Squirrel Books when we passed the Kids Can Press Booth at the NCTE Conference. Quite frankly, once I started paging Mélanie Watt's first Scaredy Squirrel Book, which was published four years ago, I, too, was shocked. It was humorous! I found the… Continue reading Scaredy Squirrel Books in the Primary Writing Classroom
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Independence in the Primary Classroom Through Talk, Text, and Motivation
Katie Wood Ray, Matt Glover, and Isoke Titilayo Nia hosted a session entitled "Independence in the Primary Writing Workshop," which Ruth and I attended yesterday morning. Ray, Glover, and Nia provided information about the ways to increase young children's independence within the context of a Writing Workshop. Here are my notes from the session, which… Continue reading Independence in the Primary Classroom Through Talk, Text, and Motivation
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Memory Boxes
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge was published in 1985, when I was in third grade. However, my third grade teacher never read it to me, nor did my fourth or my fifth. In fact, I hadn't even heard of this Mem Fox Book until last week when my mother-in-law, a former first and third grade teacher… Continue reading Memory Boxes
