Sunday, September 11, 2011
Emergent Literacy
In this week's readings, I found the doing away with "Letter of the Week" very innovative. Kindergarten has always struck me as a very intimidating grade to teach. Kindergarten teachers have such a great responsibility to really lay down the foundation for literacy in young children. After reading Letting Go of "Letter of the Week," I discovered that providing daily opportunities for children to write (as recommended in Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children), can be as simple as allowing journal time and integrating list-making into centers. This way, even free/play time is educational. I was also blown away by the notion of letting Kindergartners "write" in whichever form they know how to write (ie. drawings, scribbles, letters). Allowing this type of expression seems like a very positive way to encourage writing at all levels in the classroom. Certainly this would eliminate some teasing in the classroom and inspire ownership of the child's work.
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Very interesting thoughts, Caroline. This idea of writing in whichever way they know is a very different concept than copying letters on a worksheet, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a great way for teachers to encourage all children to be writers. We have also discussed in other classes how children should be encouraged to write however they know how, no matter which stage of emergent literacy they are in. It's amazing how scribbles and curvy lines are considered to be a form of writing for children emerging into literacy!
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely my favorite part too about the kids being allowed to write in any way that they choose. I remember being little and scribbling all over the paper and telling my parents that I was writing in cursive just like the big kids! I think it's a very good way to get them excited about writing and to boost their self confidence in knowing that they can do it just as well as everyone else in the class!
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