Over the last few weeks, I have been struggling to get some of my students to write during Writer's Workshop time. At the beginning of the year in kindergarten, we focus on telling our stories through detailed pictures. Eventually we begin to add labels. At this point in the year, though, all of my students should be writing at least 1 sentence as well. Because it used to be okay for them to just draw a picture, though, many are getting stuck there. I found myself getting extremely frustrated. I know that writing is difficult and requires kids to orchestrate a lot of different things, but I also know that every single one of my students is capable of doing what I'm asking them to do.
Yesterday during my writing lesson, I didn't guilt them or tell them that they had to write (though I was tempted to). Instead, I put a checklist on the back of some of my students' writing folders. It had a picture of a lightbulb, a clipart picture of people, and then a sentence. I introduced it as a reminder of what good writers do. They get an idea, they put it in their picture, and then they write their words. I pointed out that a few kids seemed to be getting stuck between their pictures and their words, and a lot of the kids agreed. I told them that I knew that every single one of them could write their words because we do it during interactive writing. I hear them calling out the letters they hear.
All of a sudden, a little boy raised his hand and said, "I told my mom I don't want to write at school." I asked him what she said. "She said I have to." I just smiled and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. "I want to be just like you," he told me. So, I got up and got my plan book and showed the kids how much writing I do as a teacher just to plan out one day of school. They all gasped. I asked them if they think I needed to write in kindergarten in order to be a teacher and they nodded.
All but one of my students wrote yesterday. I don't expect that to happen every day. I'm sure it will wear off, but it reminded me that I just have to keep trying different things until something clicks. It was a very encouraging day!
Great to hear successes! :). So often with my students, I find that it can take quite a few intervention "trials" to see which supports they need to be successful.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cute! What an awesome teachable moment and such a compliment that he wants to be just like you. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful to hear! Especially since I will get some of them next year ;o) haha jk. I appreciate you mentioning a real word example. I think a lot of times we get side tracked from those matter of fact realities of why we read and write and do math. Sometimes we just have to ground our teaching to real life. I have had success with that in the past too, especially with my sports lovers explaining how must athletes have to go to college first to go pro or just the simple fact that to be on a team you have to have good grades and work hard. Keep up the great work!
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