The writing workshop is one of my favorite times of the day. It's sometimes a real challenge to teach writing to children who are only six years old, but when they finally let go and just put it all out there, it's so courageously fun. Their transformation from the beginning of the year to the end is amazing. What was once pretty unreadable in August becomes a small work of art and suddenly … [Read more...]
When 1st Graders Write Reviews
Last month, my first graders were learning how to write reviews... reviews of toys, movies, and books. But it wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. I found they were accidentally slipping back into what they knew well as writers. Some children were unintentionally writing personal narratives or informational pieces, particularly how-to pieces. I realized these were traps that were easy … [Read more...]