Mrs. Flatau's 1st Grade - 2nd Visit

Mrs. Flatau’s kids are preparing to write their very own HOW TO books.

                                                                           As I enter the room, she is instructing them to “turn and talk” to their neighbor about "three things that you are an expert at doing".  There is clearly LOTS of expertise in the room, because suddenly the room is a buzz with conversation.

As she brings the kids back together, she makes the day’s focus even clearer by sharing her own ideas and asking the kids to help evaluate the quality of them.  “How about FLYING AN AIRPLANE?” 

The kids recognize she knows little about this, and therefore would not be well equipped to write about this topic.   When she asks, “How about MAKING SUPPER?”  her kids agree that she does know a lot about this topic, but she helps them to realize that it might need to be narrowed, since there are SO MANY ways to make supper.  Possibly she could narrow her topic to “How to Make Grilled Chicken” or “How to Make Spaghetti”.   

One student suggests she might be an expert on putting her son to bed, and she agrees, saying that she could actually write a very LONG book on this topic!  The whole class laughs, I think they must share an inside joke on this little glimpse into Mrs. Flatau’s life at home.

Today the job of the students is ONLY to brainstorm topics that they consider themselves to be experts on, and to record them as a list, on some special brainstorming paper. 

When the students get to their tables, they are immediately engaged with the task.  What fun to think about and document all of their various areas of expertise.  They are experts on everything from making peanut butter sandwiches, to jumping off the dock, to riding a skateboard. 

Mrs. Flatau moves comfortably around the room, learning more about their areas of expertise, and helping them to narrow their topics when needed.   If students gets stuck, she uses what she knows about their lives, gently prompting their thinking and moving them forward.

I watch them excitedly scratching out their lists.  What an important process this is, not only in preparation for finding the right topic to write about in future days, but also for helping each child recognize and celebrate how many things they can help others learn to do! 

Stay posted . . . these young writers have LOTS to teach us in their HOW TO books!