One night we were playing in the goat barn.
I climbed up to the hay loft and yelled, ATTENTION GOATS!
- Ana
An introduction to the learning experience;
From the beginning of the school year the children and I have worked together to build a literacy rich environment, recognizing that the development of literacy skills is not contained within one workshop. We celebrate the development of literacy skills across content areas, supporting the making of connections and transferring of skills. One important part of our literacy curriculum is engaging in the writing process.
In the recent weeks, children have grown as writers. They have practiced thinking about a true story, engaging in the oral telling of their story, planning their story across pages, and using pictures and words to tell and represent their story. They have shared their oral and written stories with their peer community in a variety of ways, seeking feedback and support.
From the beginning of the school year the children and I have worked together to build a literacy rich environment, recognizing that the development of literacy skills is not contained within one workshop. We celebrate the development of literacy skills across content areas, supporting the making of connections and transferring of skills. One important part of our literacy curriculum is engaging in the writing process.
In the recent weeks, children have grown as writers. They have practiced thinking about a true story, engaging in the oral telling of their story, planning their story across pages, and using pictures and words to tell and represent their story. They have shared their oral and written stories with their peer community in a variety of ways, seeking feedback and support.
November
1. Developing a Culture of Storytelling
We have worked together to create a culture of storytelling in our classroom. Children are natural storytellers. Every experience, play script, and structure has a story. We have the opportunity to encourage children to tell their stories, to listen, and to share. Storytelling is an intimate experience between the storyteller and their audience. Through our stories we connect, excite, and inspire.
Our storytelling oval- a time to gather and practice our oral storytelling skills. We turn off the lights and light a candle, placing it in front of our storyteller.
1. Developing a Culture of Storytelling
We have worked together to create a culture of storytelling in our classroom. Children are natural storytellers. Every experience, play script, and structure has a story. We have the opportunity to encourage children to tell their stories, to listen, and to share. Storytelling is an intimate experience between the storyteller and their audience. Through our stories we connect, excite, and inspire.
Our storytelling oval- a time to gather and practice our oral storytelling skills. We turn off the lights and light a candle, placing it in front of our storyteller.
2. A Collaborative Piece
As we progress in our unit on writing true stories, I take the time to support the whole class in engaging in the writing process. The children think about something that happened or something that we did, practice telling our story, plan across pages, and use pictures and words to represent our story. This collaborative piece supports the children's transition from our storytelling oval to more conventional writing. With a little scaffolding, the children write a true story about the time we played on the BIG playground. After telling and planning, they use whiteboards and dry erase markers to represent each page of our story. I document the experience and later print and laminate the images- creating a large class book available to reread and reflect back on. Working on a collaborative piece provides whole class instruction and ensures that our true story comes from the children- they decide on their community story, they plan it, and they represent it.
3. Independent Work Time
During the week prior to and the week following Thanksgiving Break, the children use all that they know to add detail to their stories, continuing to share their work with partners and their peer community. They have time in our day to tell their story to a partner, looking for feedback; did they tell who, where, and what?
Many of their shares are with their whole community, as I record their stories on our iPad. These shares and recordings help to remind and reinforce what we've learned about telling stories; choose one small moment, connect the parts together, and use expression. One storyteller screeches as she tells about the time she thought she saw a mouse in the basement and another excitedly shares about the time he found Butter Elf on a basket!
On Friday, November 30, the writers chose one true story to prepare for publication.
Below is a small collection of children's work;
The Time I Thought I Saw a Mouse
True Story from Thanksgiving
Our Butter Elf
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