1. For me, it is essential that children see themselves as authors and are excited about the writing process. It is important that students are writing daily about topics that are interesting and thought provoking to them. The children should be able to see their writing around the classroom and are able to share their work with others. Because I am in kindergarten, I want my students to know that writing does not necessarily mean only text, but can incorporate pictures and single letters as well. Overall, I want to establish a writing community within the classroom where the children feel comfortable their work and find enjoyment in writing.
2. Over the past few weeks, my CT has begun to introduce the children to Writer’s Workshop. The first week, no writing occurred. My CT introduced the concept of Writer’s Workshop and what would happen during this time. Then she began doing mini lessons with the children and had them explore writing. Some of the mini lessons have included what a writer looks like and how to stretch out words. I think it was a good idea for my CT to begin doing writing mini lessons before actually starting Writer’s Workshop. Because they are kindergartners, this is one of their first experiences with writing and the mini lessons helped scaffold the students to be prepared to start a three page book on the first day of Writer’s Workshop. We have now begun to do an actual Writer’s Workshop everyday where the children work with three page booklets. One thing that was discussed in Chapter 8 of Writing Essentials was to allow the children to write about topics that interest them. Right now the children are allowed to write about anything they would like. We want to make sure that the children are excited about writing and when they get to talk about their own experiences we have seen that they draw more detailed pictures and are beginning to write some words. At the beginning of every Writer’s Workshop, my CT does a mini lesson where she demonstrates what the children could do during the writing period. Then she sends them off for approximately twenty minutes where they can work their writing. During this time, my CT and I walk around the classroom and conference with the children. We make sure to conference with the students who struggle first to help them get started. Overall, I think the children are very engaged during Writer’s Workshop. We also incorporate writing during the morning message. Together my CT and children sound out the words to write the day’s message. This type of writing seems to be more surface level, but it helps demonstrate how to stretch out words and identify letter sounds.
3. One student in my class, B, struggles in all subjects, but has an especially hard time with writing. B is one of our lowest students and can’t identify most of the letters in the alphabet, which I feel influences his participation during writing. During Writer’s Workshop, he will draw pictures in his booklet, but they have very little detail and are mostly in one color. Normally during Writer’s Workshop, if we encourage B to trying writing some letters in his booklet he will announce that he doesn’t know how to write. Because B doesn’t know his letters he feels that he is unable to make a book at all. What we have been doing is conferencing with him on writing a book without words (we have done this during one-on-one conferencing and during a whole group mini lesson). We have talked about drawing detailed pictures so that others can understand the story. Other times we have him tell us what his pictures are about and we write the words under the picture. I feel that B has just not had enough expose to writing and isn’t comfortable with it. Only after two weeks of Writer’s Workshop we have seen some improvement.
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