Engaging Young Writers Chapter 1 and 2

Hi, Everyone!

I am so excited to be teaming up with my awesome education buddies for a magnificent book study! We will be doing this for the next 5 weeks. Please feel free to read along or to add any comments as we blog about this awesome teacher resource.

So, thanks to +Kristen Poindexter for bringing this book to our attention! Writing is an area that I love to teach!  

I just wanted to share my favorite writing quote before I shared my responses to the chapter questions!

And now onto the questions!!!!

How does this encourage children to be writers?

I love book making! I love it when my kids make books! When children make books, they are showing me their love for writing. They are not afraid to write, illustrate and share their ideas and thoughts. My most favorite part of book making is the looks on my kid's faces when they show me their finished book! It is truly a masterpiece. 

The idea of them creating their own books and becoming an author is so important to them! It makes them feel so important. 

One thing I always do is stress how they can all be writers, that we are all authors! Even if we just make picture books to start with, we are being writers!

I love how the author, Glover, talks about book making! He talks about how books are what children have a vision for and this vision makes it easy for them to write. 

One thing I do is make sure my writing center has all materials needed for them to write whatever they choose. There is also a small stapler for them to create their own books! 

Here is a video I thought you would enjoy about a First Grade Maker Space: Book Making!

The next question is: What are some ways you honor your students' approximations in writing? 

First, I think we need to list what the approximations are!

I love all aspects of my kids' writing. Depending on the developmental level of my students and where they are in the writing process, their approximations are at different stages. I highlight all of their successes. I make a big deal of all of their writing and I have a writers' gallery where all children's writing is displayed. All kids share their writing, no matter what approximation they are on. I love to see the proud look on their face when they read it to the class and receive the round of applause the class always gives to the speakers for the day!

Now on to Chapter 2! The next question is Which kind of writing do you tend to lead your students towards?

I will have to say personal narratives and how to writing are the kinds I tend to lead them towards. I love when they write about things that are about them. They really love to write about themselves and to share this writing. i also find that personal narratives are easy for them to understand and feel successful with.

The other type is how to writing. I love to teach this type because it is a more active type of writing. I model this type by making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and writing about how I made it. I love it when they think of an activity and write how to do it. I also have them perform the activity they are writing about. So they actually teach us how to do what they are writing about. They love it and so do I!

How does the idea of various entry points fit into your classroom writing routine?

Entry points are a great way to differentiate the writing in your classroom. This is where it is important to know your kids. There are kids who are ready to write books, write narratives,  create poems or just ready to raw a detailed picture and add a few letters. By having different entry points, we are allowing them to be successful. This will create an environment where writing is looked at as something they want to do not have to do. If we want to instill a love for writing then we need to be mindful of where our children are and use various entry points! 

I leave you with a final quote about writing and with a thank you for reading my post. please feel free to share any ideas or writing tips! It is through collaboration that all teachers and students are successful!