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Writing with kindergarten children begins right away through modeling. The
children begin to see writing for many purposes as the teacher:
* makes lists of ideas
* writes a morning message to the children
* labels things in the room
* writes ideas from brainstorming sessions
* changes parts of poems or songs for rewrites
* lists characters in a story
* models writing a personal story
* writes for class books
The teacher uses the morning message to talk about letters, concepts of
print and show how she decides what to write about. Here children learn a
lot about letter formations, sounds associated with those letters, capital
or lower case use, noting spaces between words, directionality, return
sweep, sight words.
Children will be given the opportunity to "write" their own stories. First
they draw a picture and tell about it. They can be introduced to the idea
that they can write representing their writing with letters for the sounds
they hear or the letters they think the words begin with. If really unsure,
they can use little squiggles to show they have something to say but don't
know which letters to use yet. Children do not continue to use this once
they learn some letters. They will then go on to the use of random letters
to represent their writing and then progress through the developmental
stages of writing:
* picture writing
* scribble writing
* linear drawing
* random letters
* letter and early word symbol relationships
* temporary spelling
(For a description of these stages, please refer to the handout I gave at
Open House.)
Children in the Rainbow Room may make entries in their journals three times
a week. They are free to choose the topic and are free to use the words on
the word wall. Sometimes I do a mini lesson if there is a topic that I feel
the class would benefit from direct instruction. Children also have choice
of our Linguistic Center during Choice Time; writing in class books and
writing during Literacy Center time. You can help your child at home by
letting them write about what they did on the weekend; make a grocery list
with you, write a letter to Grandma/Grandpa, or let them write in a journal
while you do your work. Be patient - writing is a developmental process!
Just provide plenty of paper (lined or unlined), pencils and crayons for
illustrations. Relax and watch it evolve!
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