I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was excited to share a new book, Playful Learning, by my friend Mariah Bruehl. I had just returned home from a long trip and found it sitting on the top of my mail pile. I immediately opened it and began thumbing through. About half an hour later, I was still leaning against my kitchen counter, reading. This book is fantastic. Mariah has taken her ardent passion and rich experience and packaged them together to create one amazing resource.
The Writing in the Salt
My oldest son began kindergarten this year. He is enjoying all of the “big-kid” perks of going to school like riding the bus and having recess. But he’s also discovered that school also comes with responsibilities. Not least of which is a list of skills to be practiced as homework, including several penmanship tasks like drawing shapes and writing letters, numbers, and his first and last name. I don’t think my guy is the first child to react as though writing practice were akin to being kidnapped by terrorists, but there is at least one way I’ve found to get around this response. Make it fun and exciting! [Read more…]
The Write Way to Read
Often, when we think of writing, we think of penmanship. We give children handwriting guides and workbooks and think we’re teaching writing. But truly writing in the context of developmental literacy is so much more. In my view, writing is a display of a composite of skills: [Read more…]
Sign In! Practical Name Writing Practice for Preschoolers
Children come to preschool with wide ranging ability levels when it comes to recognizing and writing their names. Some of this is due, quite frankly, to the length of their names and which letters are included in them. Think about it. Who will likely learn to write their name first? Lilly, or Savannah? Some of the difference is due to their different ages. In a mixed-age setting, the one year difference between 3 and 4 is dramatic! Even a six month difference is often pronounced. Varying rates of development in fine motor skills or even interest in writing may also be causes for different skill levels. Here is how I have addressed this challenge with my preschoolers.
Using a basic plastic photo holder, I trim back the plastic on the top layer of each pocket, to make the opening more perceptible. I then write each child’s name at the top of an index card and insert each one into a pocket. Each day as the children arrive, they know that their job is to “sign in”. They find their names in the pockets (which I have hanging on the wall near the writing table), and write their names on the cards. At the end of the day, I remove the cards, write the date on the bottom (you could get a really cool date stamper like this to be really slick *affiliate*), and then make any necessary notes. Each card is then placed in another photo holder, specific to each child, to create a collection of writing samples through the year. At the end of the year (or at shorter intervals if desired) I stack the cards in the pockets so that the child’s first and last samples are visible one above the other. Then I can point out the progress to the child, send the samples home, or use them in parent-teacher conferences. This allows me to track progress on a key skill and also allows the children to work from their individual starting points. Here’s Ella’s one year progress: [Read more…]
Do the Write Thing
Photo courtesy of hworks.
The advent of writing is a momentous time in any child’s life. It is important to realize that the process preparing a child to write begins very early in life; long before she puts pencil to paper. I view the development of writing as having three major components: 1. Fine motor control, 2. Understanding that print carries meaning, and 3. An increased awareness of the alphabetic principle, leading to more conventional spelling.