The Write Start

Writer's Workshop Deconstructed: Part 3

More Writer's Workshop secrets revealed:

Right now we are using the old Rolodex to organize (and alphabetize) the names, phone numbers, and addresses of Jack's family and friends. I am hoping this will eventually inspire some letter-writing (the kind you put in the mailbox, in addition to the A-B-C kind). 

I put an old cell phone (a pre-text-messaging, pre-picture-taking, pre-MP3-playing phone that actually resembles an ancient artifact more than a cell phone) next to it for some practice dialing, pretend phone conversations, and phone-message-taking (oh yeah, it's also pre-voice mail).

A Rolodex is a great tool, especially because it spins around, and therefore kids think it's really cool. Hey, I can't blame them. I think it's pretty cool myself. I envision this would be a great gadget for organizing sight words for older kids or for creating a word bank for emerging readers. Can you think of any other possibilities?

Oh, I forgot to mention the best part. It actually has a lock and key, which elevates it to the status of super-cool in Jack's book. Of course all of his contacts are confidential, and are for his eyes only.

So no peeking, okay?

Speaking of friends and family, I made some word rings to help him write some of his most favorite words.

Names.

 

The first words that kids are motivated to write are usually the names of everyone they know. They master their own name first and then Mommy and Daddy, sisters and brothers names, cousins and friends. So here they all are, ready to be flipped to and written over and over again.

(The basic how-to on these: I cut cardstock into strips, wrote the names of VIPs, punched holes, and secured with binder clips from the office-supply store.)

In the last basket, I'm going to rotate some alphabet-related manipulatives. Right now I have clothespins that I simply wrote letters on (we like to use them like this). I also might put magnetic letters, wood letters or letter blocks, scrabble tiles, alphabet stickers, or A-B-C cookie cutters in this spot to mix it up a bit. Any other ideas?

So now I've shared all the secrets of our Young Writer's Workshop. We've come to the end. Or have we? Actually, it's just the beginning. When you dedicate a little corner to pencil-and-paper pursuits, you are sure to encourage and inspire your young writer. Maybe it will be the start of something big, the first stop on the road to writing success.

Enjoy the ride! 

Writer's Workshop Deconstructed: Part 2

More scoop on the coop:

 

We keep a box of sand letters that we made together in our Writer's Workshop. Forget pricey sandpaper letters -- our method is way cheaper, fast, easy as can be, and fun too!

 

The basic how-to: I write each letter out in glue and Jack sprinkles sand over the top. Then he shakes off the excess (his favorite part) and we let it dry. Yes, it really is that simple. And what a great, tactile, hands-on learning tool!

 

I use these when I am teaching Jack a new letter. I trace over the sand letter with my finger while he watches, and then he traces the letter the same way with his finger. We stick to just one letter until I'm very sure that he has mastered it, and then we move on to the next. We are going through all of the lowercase letters first, and then the capitals. (Except for the first letter of his first name. We did that letter in capital first, to avoid confusion when writing his name.)

I freehand the whole thing, but I am sort of deliberate about where I place the letters on the card. I put the letters on the side of the card that corresponds to the dominant hand (ie. right side for righties, left side for lefties). This encourages kids to hold the card with their non-dominant hand while tracing, a helpful habit.

Let me know if you try making these letters, or have any questions. I think this is one of the best activities for introducing letter-writing to children, and it doesn't even require any writing! Nonetheless, it is sends strong, multi-sensory messages to the brain about how to make each letter.To be an efficient writer, it's just as important to feel the letters as it is to see and hear them.

 

The next stop on the tour is our basket of alphabet stamps. We use these constantly.

 

Not a day goes by without us giving something our stamp of approval.

 

A cubby full of tools-at-the-ready helps a young writer to feel prepared for anything. Glue, string, a stapler, and a hole punch come in handy when we make our little books. (Hmmm... would a future post on little-book-making be of interest to anyone?)

Scissors are indispensable around here (my favorite scissors for little hands, shown here, is the Total Control scissors by Fiskars).

And a manual pencil sharpener is all we need to keep our pencils (and our wits) sharp.

Stay tuned... in the next post we will definitely be getting to the bottom of it (for those of you who haven't flown the coop already). Is everyone still with me?

Writer's Workshop Deconstructed: Part 1

Here's the scoop on the coop:

I like little pencils for little hands. I give standard size pencils a snip with a pliers before I sharpen them so that they are about four or five inches long, and in proportion with a child's hand. (Jack also likes that they're the perfect size for tucking behind his ear like a carpenter.) Golf pencils also work well too.

I made this laminated, stand-up alphabet card from a page in a Handwriting Without Tears workbook. Jack likes to sing the alphabet song and follow along with his finger, or refer to this when he is stuck on how to write a letter.

Paper, paper, paper. I cut it up all shapes and sizes. Long skinny pieces for lists. Bigger pieces for signs and letters. Small pieces for little notes, traffic tickets, price tags, and receipts. Fold-over cards for thank you notes, invitations, and menus.

And don't forget envelopes. Children love the mystery and surprise of slipping their big ideas into those tiny pockets and sealing them up. Envelopes also equip them for writing letters -- a wonderful way for kids to use writing to connect with others.

  

Here's the answer to the big question: Where do I get those wood pieces? They are wood pieces for capital letters from Handwriting Without Tears. I first talked about them here. They are a great hands-on activity for pre-writers and emerging writers. We use them to practice letter formation, build words, and play "Letter Store."   

      

For those of you who asked, I get the little chalkboards at the craft store for really cheap (they are usually with the pre-cut wood shapes) and we can't get enough of them. We use them for everything from little notes, to letter-writing practice, to keeping score, to taking orders, to jotting down reminders. We are definitely chalkboard crazy in this house. I always keep a jar of tiny chalk pieces and a little cloth nearby too.

 

Wow, that's a lot of stuff already, and we're not even halfway through the coop! Tomorrow I'll run through the rest (including sand letters, alphabet stamps, book-making tools, word rings, and the oh-so-curious Rolodex). Stay tuned...

By the way, please chime in with any questions, comments, or critiques you may have. The best part of any Writer's Workshop is that it's really a Writer's Work-in-Progress-shop. Include whatever inspires your young writer to write.

(And please share. I'm sure we'd all love to hear what everyone comes up with!)

Young Writer's Workshop

 

This is my pet project lately, and, I have to say, I've had so much fun putting this space together for my young writer.

When it comes to learning activities I'm a big believer in development by design. In other words, if there is something you want your child to learn, try to designate a thoughtful little spot for it in your home.

  

I think an orderly and enticing space for writing can inspire children to assemble their tools and gather their thoughts. With this in mind I cleaned up an old chicken coop we had in the basement (it had been holding tools, not chickens -- I promise that no animals were left coop-less in the name of writing) to create our new Writer's Workshop.

I filled each cubby with the writing-related tools and activities that are a good match with what Jack is doing right now. I know some of the activities will change as his skills develop, and others will grow right along with him.

Here's a peek into some of the cubbies:

 

 

 

I can give a detailed tour of all of the different activities, along with some simple how-tos, if you are interested. Let me know.

A little set up goes a long way. Jack has taken a shine to this area already, and the "Writer's Workshop" name really appeals to him. Now the next time he's ready to hatch a big idea, we'll know exactly where to find him.

Creative Space

We're in the process of putting together a new space for writing, creating, playing, and making messes in our house. Formerly, we did most of these things in the room we called the office, which has now been converted into the nursery. My husband did his part, building an unbelievably inspiring room for us in the basement for our creative pursuits. Now it's our turn: Jack and I need to furnish it for function, organize our tools, and start making masterpieces.

So far I planted the easel in the corner, refinished the table from my old OT office, and added some just-right sized chairs. All of these items are Ikea finds. The table is my favorite because it is height adjustable and very versitile. I cut down Ikea trestle table legs so they could be easily adjusted from preschool-aged to elementary-aged table height. That way I can modify the table height to the size of the children who I work with, as well as to my own growing children, for a perfect fit. Height-adjustable tables are also great for encouraging kids to work in different positions depending on the project. Some projects are great to do while seated and others are better accomplished while standing, adjusting the table to counter height. You can also raise and lower the table at an angle, like a drafting table. This position encourages wrist extension during drawing and writing activities, facilitating a more mature grasp. Whew! All that function from an inexpensive Ikea "hack."

I just started organizing our tools and materials on an old, repurposed shelf. I have big plans for more shelves eventually... but first I want to live in the space a little and figure out exactly what we need where. I'm BIG on the idea that form follows function.

In the closet behind the easel I put our mini trampoline and a couple of tunnels, so we can transform the space for some creative gross motor activities as well.

I have so many other ideas, it's hard to decide what to do first. What's working for you in your creative space?