Kindergarten Narrative - My Book (Elker)

   


My Book


By  Gracie Edwards



















Today I went to school.
We learned about penguins.

Then we went to the lunch room and we ate nachos and I ate peas and milk and strawberries. 

(Miss Elkers kids are working on adding details to their writing and their illunstrations.  Gracie added lots of detail about what she ate and check out the detailed illustration of kids at the lunch table.)

I went to my sled and it was fun! 

So, I kept on sledding.

Kindergarten Narrative Cover Page - To The Basketball Game (Elker)

To the Basketball Game


By Levi


(Check out the word BASKETBALL and just imagine yourself as a kindergartener "listening for sounds" acrosss the word, left to right!  This is a BIG task and Levi did amazing work!)





(He's just getting going with the story, but I wanted to share the amazing work on the cover page. . . )

Miss Elker's Kindergarten - First Visit

Miss Elker's kindergarten students are taking on an entirely new task today.  They are making covers for their narrative writing.  This is an exciting undertaking for sure!

Miss Elker presents a mini-lesson using a variety of familiar picture books as mentor texts.  She shows them to the students and they talk about the title selection and the other features of the book covers.  There is so much to be learned, I find myself thinking, about just the cover of a book. 

The biggest job is select a title for the writing.  Miss Elker explains that the title of a story is not a big long sentence about the story, it is short, just a few carefully chosen words.  Wow!  This is tricky, I think to myself.  Kindergarteners have had lots of mini-lessons on stretching out their stories by adding details.  Trying to get kindergarteners to expand their writing bit-by-bit is a  huge job.  Now, here comes the title- breaking all the rules and asking just the opposite of them.  

Next comes the really fun part of the cover . . . getting to write that special word BY followed by the student's own first and last name.  This is huge!  This is signing their work like a true author.  Good thing they've been working so hard at learning to spell their last names in the month of January.

At the end of the writing workshop, when all of the new covers have been stapled to the top of the stories they belong to, Miss Elker's students meet on the risers to share their work with one another.  There is much to be celebrated, and everyone hopes today is their day to have the spotlight!  

Shine on young authors, your work is amazing!

Mrs. Barthel's 3rd Grade - 3rd Visit

Mrs. Barthel's class is "into it" when I enter the room today.  They are well into their research projects on animals.  The growing sense of pride and ownership in "their animal" is evident throughout the room.  Everyone is anxious to tell what about the topic of their research.

Students are using  highlighters to mark important facts as they find them. Mrs. Barthel has helped them to construct several pages of blank webs in their writers notebooks.  The webs help provide a well organized structure for recording the important information as they find. 

Mrs. Barthel's students are engaged with topics of their choosing,  doing what Schmoker calls "close reading with highlighter in hand", they are utilizing graphic organizers, and recieving clear feedback from their teacher.  Watching this classroom in action today leaves little room to question why non-fiction writing is such a high yeild strategy for increasing student achievement!  

Don't you have other things to be doing?

We are having data and collaboration meetings at HOTL this week, so my ability to get into classrooms is much more limited.  I hope to be back soon, though!

Someone asked me last week. . . "How do you have the time to do this, anyway?  Don't you have other things to be doing?"

My answer, "Of course, there's no time for this.  But I really believe it's important so I want to make time!"

This project has become a way for me to give back and pay tribute to the hard work the teachers and students in our building are doing every day.

It gives me a chance to "get in the trenches" with all of the hundreds of other writers in the building.  It forces me to take the same kinds of risks that students and teachers are asked to take every day. It reminds me of how much courage both writing and teaching can take.

I won't be able to devote my evenings to blogging forever.  But for now . . it is a labor of love worth my time and effort.

Spaceman!

Do you recognize this little guy, on the left?  

It's SPACEMAN! 

SPACEMAN is a writing helper in the kindergarten classrooms at HOTL.  SPACEMAN is painted on an old fashioned carved clothespin.  He and his friends live in the supply cups and baskets on the tables of the kindergartne classrooms.  The job of SPACEMAN and his friends is to help kids remember to put spaces between their words. 

When placed on a paper at the end of a word, SPACEMAN can help a child figure out just how much space to leave before beginning the next word. 

Thanks for helping to make our writing easier to read, SPACEMAN!

Mr. Christopherson's 3rd Grade - 2nd Visit

Mr. Christopherson’s students are in the early stages of their research papers on animals.  They have chosen the animal they will research, and today he has been helping them understand and think about a variety of types of sources they might use for their projects.

Now, the time has come to create the WEB they will use to organize their thinking while they do their research.  He gives everyone a large, bright orange piece of paper, stressing the important role this web will play throughout the entire research project, and cautioning that they will want to take care to store it in a safe place until the conclusion of the projects.

Mrs. C goes to the board and begins to demonstrate step by step how to portion the paper into the sections of a web, and then how to label each section with a note related to content they will place there.  He gives them explicit categories for sorting their information;  “What does the animal look like?”  “ Where does it live?”  “What does it eat?”  “What about the babies or young?”  “Who are the enemies of this animal?” etc.

As Mr. C demonstrates the students follow closely, preparing their papers.  When they are done, he challenges them to think about where they could store this web so that they will be able to easily access it each day.  This is the first research paper of this type for these students, and the web will give them clear support and direction on how to sort through and record important facts from the sources they choose for their research.   

Just as it is essential for us to carefully teach children how to organize their desks, their tables, and their lockers through modeling and example, we must teach them to organize their thinking.  Thanks, Mr. C, for taking the time to do just that through use of a graphic organizer.  Graphic organizers are one of the “big shovel” strategies, proven to be highly effective for improved achievement.  

Kindergarten Narrative - The Blind (Richter)

I went hunting with my dad.














I went in my blind.  A blind is a kind of tent.

I stayed for awhile. We didn't see any deer.
















I went home.

Kindergarten Narrative - My Sister's Birthday (Richter)

It was my sister's birthday.

We had cake and we opened presents.
















My sister got a mermaid and Dora.

Kindergarten Narrative - Birthday Trip (Richter)

We are going to a hotel for my birthday!
















It was a long ride.  While I was waiting, I watched a movie.  I watched Toy Story 3!

We finally got to the hotel.  The hotel had a Christmas tree.















We put our pajamas on.   We went to bed.
















The next day we went shopping.  I found  (not finished)

Kindergarten Narrative - Jewelry Box (Richter)

 
 





The cousins passed the presents out. 
I was excited!















I opened up my presents.  My favorite present was jewelry box.  It was pink and it had flowers.  It had earrings and it had bracelets and it had necklaces.















Then we opened up more presents.  I got a Zhu Zhu Pet. I felt happy.

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

Mrs. Bormann’s kids are about a week in to their unit on persuasive writing.  Today they continue working on individual letters, attempting  to persuade and explain.    The mini-lesson has focused on the importance of providing reasons for your argument followed by explaining the reasons.   She has highlighted the reasons in her example piece, and has asked them to do this same with their work today.   If they have successfully followed each reason with an explanation,  the highlighting will create a visible pattern of highlighted text followed by unhighlighted, etc.

I move around the room, taking in a range of personal topics from profoundly serious to silly;  “I wish I could have a pet rabbit.”   “I wish I could have a later bedtime.”  “I wish we could keep living here, rather than moving back to Mexico.”    The children are invested and engaged.  The topics are important to them.  The work is authentic.

One student was gone yesterday, so Mrs. Bormann needs to begin writing time by catching him up with a summary of the mini-lesson from yesterday.   I watch with a fresh appreciation for the investment that teachers must make in every absence that occurs.   

Soon Mrs. Bormann is off to the kidney table where she has asked Drake and Gunnar to join her.  This is the first time, since I started my tour of workshops, that I have seen this strategy, a small group lesson, during writing time. 

I am intrigued.  This small group conference allows the boys to examine and learn from each other’s work, to explain their own thinking, to see yet another example of the type of writing they are focused on, and to share their successes and their struggles with each other.                                                                  

Mrs. Bormann is a master of thoughtful questions and providing “wait time” with the patient look of anticipation on her face.  She doesn’t let her students off the hook by jumping in to ask a different or simpler question, instead, she gives her students time to process and ponder and think.  She expects they are capable of the thinking she has asked them to do.  

When she finishes conferring with the boys, Lily and Stella are waiting.  She sees that they are at very similar points in their writing.   

“Let’s sit down together and take a look at what you’ve done so far.”   I am struck by these simple words with such powerful meaning. . . We are in this together.  Your writing is important and I want to take the time to really look at it and think about it.  We can help each other with this.  Your writing is a work in progress. 

Mrs. Kostynick's Kindergarten - 1st Visit

 Mrs. Kostynick truly sees the best in every one of her students.   This is becomes very clear after just a few moments in her classroom.  Writing workshop is no exception.  During the mini-lesson today she tells them, “This is your time to shine!” 

Her students work busily at their tables.  When they finish one project, they move easily to the next.  They go to the table where they now have choices of paper type (paper with a few lines or paper with many lines), select the paper they believe to be best suited to their needs, and return to their writing spaces. 

When Mrs. K  goes to conference with Nathan, he talks on and on and on about a two day adventure including a park, a museum, and lots of other family fun.  She patiently attempts to help him narrow his focus.  He has a hard time settling on a consistent story line.  One time he talks about the museum, the next time he focuses on the park.  He needs her help.  He needs more than just a few quick words of encouragement. 

Mrs. K comes through for him.  She stays with him.  She gives him the time he needs, which today is many minutes.  But, because her writing workshop has been designed to encourage both independence and stamina, the happy hum of work continues while she digs deeper with Nathan.  Eventually, she and Nathan sort out together just what it is he wants his readers to know about his trip.   She can leave him now for awhile.  He is back on track. . .

Then she is off to work with another student, her words gentle and encouraging.  This is their time to shine, but it seems that as they see it reflected back in Mrs. K's eyes and words it is that much brighter.

This is a teaching practice clearly built on love! 

Mrs. Barthel's 3rd Grade - 2nd Visit

Mrs. Barthel is giving her students an overview of the research project they are about to embark on. 

Mrs. Barthel’s instruction is clean and purposeful.  She uses anchor charts to map out the process for her students.  She helps her students to identify similarities and differences between what they are about to begin (non-fiction research paper), and what they have just completed (personal narrative).

She tells the students clearly the ONE part of the process they will complete today.  Today they will (identify a specific animal to be the focus of your research), the one part they will do tomorrow (begin to organize facts using a web), and the one thing they should let their brains work on tonight (how they will organize their webs).

Mrs. Barthel understands the importance of giving students choice and time, but also indicating a clear end point goal for the day. Browse the resources to get ideas.  Do some online searching, especially to narrow your topic.  But make a choice by the end of the period, today.  Get your choice recorded on the board for all to see.  Tomorrow, we have new tasks we must attend to.

When it is time to access the resources and begin to identify their topics, the room is suddenly an efficient and excited bustle.  Students dig in.  They help each other out.  They share their ideas.  They laugh and wonder together at the things they see in the resource books and online. 

Benny knows immediately, he wants to write about a chicken.  His job, then, is to identify a specific type or breed of chicken for the project.  Tommy wants to write about a monkey.  Specifically what kind of monkey is the challenge for the day.  Carter wants to write about a tiger, he chooses the Bengal.

Mrs. Barthel has a keen eye for spotting any sign of off task behavior amidst the movement and chatter.  She quickly prompts kids back to task if she senses they are getting distracted.  And then, one by one, they start to find their way to the board to record their chosen animal.  This is a fascinating process to watch.   Because no two students can choose the same breed of animal, this is TRULY their own topic.  Kids approach this activity with pride and commitment.    The ownership is immediate.  This is their topic!  This is their research paper.  They are ready to go!

Mrs. Hart's 1st Grade - 1st Visit

Mrs. Hart’s kids are so excited today!  They have an important letter to write.  It is an invitation to Mrs. Barthel’s third grade students for a "Publishing Party” on Friday. 

It will be a big week.  Today, they write the invitation.  Tuesday through Thursday, they will “fix up” and “fancy up” the special piece of writing they’ve selected to take through the “publishing process”.  On Friday, their guests will come and the first graders will share their personal narratives with the older kids.

 The students gather in the front of the room, eager to begin.  The invitation is composed using INTERACTIVE WRITING.  This means that Mrs. Hart facilitates the group while they collaboratively construct the text.  Mrs. Hart makes sure that everyone has a white board during the interactive writing, since only one writer at a time can be chosen to write on the actual chart.  This way, everyone is engaged, every step of the way.

There is an art to interactive writing, a constant decision making process about the balance between what the students will attempt to write and what parts the teacher will provide in the name of efficiency and keeping the learning manageable.  The engagement level of her students is a clear indicator that Mrs. Hart has struck the right balance.

Interactive writing is meant to provide an opportunity for students to observe writing and reading as a reciprocal process.  It allows the teacher to slow the writing process down and let children “inside the thinking” that must go on inside a writer’s head. 

As I listen to the language Mrs. Hart uses in her lesson, I hear her weave essential messages into the conversation again and again.  “Writers have to make decisions about the message.”  “Writers need to think about what the reader knows and doesn’t know.”  “Writers use ‘tools in the room’ to help them with their writing.”  “Writer can change their minds.”   As students hear themselves referred to as writers again and again, they undoubtedly begin to internalize this message.   I AM A WRITER!  I AM DOING THE WORK OF A WRITER!   

This will be an exciting week in Mrs. Hart’s class.  I hope I am able to join these writers, along with their friends from Mrs. Barthel’s class for their publishing party on Friday.    

Mrs. Richter’s mini-lesson today is about adding details to help the reader create a picture in their mind.   She moves around the room, quietly conferencing with students.   She listens with seriousness to each of them, as they share the narratives they’ve been laboring over.  She responds with an easy and genuine smile when she spots progress and success . . .

The students visit softly with each other about their writing from time to time, but for the most part the room is very quiet.  There is lots of uninterrupted “space” for individual thinking and the hard work of getting their thoughts down.

As I move around the room, I marvel at the quality of the work kindergarten students are producing in the second week of January.  When I was in kindergarten myself, we drew the pictures and the teacher came around and wrote the words for us.  But here, the students do the work.  They are independent and deep thinking. 

About 10 minutes in to writing time, something really important happens.   .  .  Mrs. Richter interrupts the students momentarily for what Lucy Calkins refers to as a “mid-lesson teaching point”.   Mrs. Richter has spotted a strong example of the point she emphasized in her mini-lesson.  She wants to draw attention to it and use it to remind students of their focus.   She shares the description of a pink jewelry box, with flowers on top, and bracelets and necklaces on the inside. Then she publicly celebrates the success of this young writer.  

I’m excited.   Not only does a clearly targeted mini-lesson help students to focus their efforts, but it helps the adults to narrow feedback  from an infinite number of possibilities, to just one important nugget.  “Add details.  Help the reader make a picture in their mind.”

When writing time ends, she asks them to put their supplies away and stack their writing folders in a pile.  “I’m going to take your writing folders home with me again, tonight.  When I read each of them, I’ll be making a movie in my mind about your story.”  Her students are visibly pleased to hear this.  One of her students says to me excitedly, as if I need convincing, “She really takes them to her real house!”

Then, as if she is putting a bookend on the experience, she ends the workshop just as she had begun it, by gathering the group on the risers.   She tells the children she has selected Lily to share her narrative.   Why Lily?  Lily has successfully added the kinds of details to her story that allow the reader to picture it in their mind, of course.  Again, Mrs. Richter sticks cleanly to the teaching point of the day.

One focused teaching point throughout the workshop. Clear, clean, and connected.   A thing of beauty.