Writer's Workshop

Emily's class does something called Writer's Workshop in class, where there is a designated time of day where they write things down. They have an idea notebook they can choose from for a topic, and special paper they write on (with places for illustrations on the top of each page). During these writing time-frames, the kids are encouraged to really focus on using details in their stories, telling things in order (first, this happened, then this happened, and finally this happened...), paying attention to puncuation and correct spelling of certain words (words they're expected to know by now). Every few weeks, the packets of Writer's Workshop papers get sent home. Em's Kinder class did this last year as well (I think maybe all of the classrooms at this school do it??) and it's just been a BLAST seeing the growth and progression of her writing abilities. Now, instead of three sentences, she'll write three pages! Some of her stuff still jumps around a bit, and periods are often missing, or in the wrong place, and her stories are quite frequently embellished (like the time she wrote about being mad that our two dogs got up on the stove and ate HER chips. Except we only have one dog, who is never inside the house, and we've never had chips that were specifically Emily's. Nor do we hardly ever have chips in the first place!! LOL!!!).

I had quite a good time going through the most recent pack of papers when they came home yesterday and thought I would share them. I'm going to type them as she spelled them and I'll put the correct spelling in parenthesis if I think you might not be able to figure it out on your own (some people don't do well with first grade phonetic spelling...)

I mad (made) a culr (color) wel (wheel). First I yosd (used) dark prpl litre (lighter) and litre. Then I yosd dark orange litre and liter. I mixt red and blow (blue) to macke (make) prpl. Next I mixt yellow and red to make orange. Next I mixt wite and red in to pingk. 6 more to go. Last I was dun. I felt happy and exited because I had a pritty culr wel.

How stinkin' cute is that?? I giggled at the "6 more to go. Last I was dun." ??? LOL!!!!!!

There's another one where she writes "I woke up. It was fogey (foggy). I was cold to deth (death)." cold to death? LOL! I LOVE IT.

She also does a journal each morning where the teacher gives a topic of some kind and the kids have to write a few sentences on that topic. Em's entries just keep getting longer and longer and more and more detailed. It's just so fun!