Summer Writing!

How do you help your child develop over the summer and prepare him/her for reading in first grade? Create space for your child to write. 

The rules for writing are simple in Kindergarten and entering first grade. First, draw a detailed picture. Second, write the sounds you hear in words that tell your story. Finally, reread your work to make sure you didn't forget anything important. 

 The child should write a story that involves their own experiences. It could be something from the past, a hope for the future, a general interest, or a dream the child had. This provides the child with ample details to draw from, like Ryli's swimming lesson.

Here, Noah models how to listen for every sound in a word. He stretches words to listen for beginning, middle and ending sounds. Words do not need to be spelled perfectly. The spelling "Uv" for the word "of" is the perfect spelling for Kindergarten and First grade. 

Jacob works to carefully make letters fit the lines. Holding an idea, listening for sounds, identifying letters, and remembering how to form them is hard work! Writing helps to strengthen the child's working memory. 

Finn uses multiple tools and strategies throughout Writing Workshop. He copies familiar words from the word wall and uses a checklist to proofread his work. Going through this proofreading process engages your child in reading without him/her even knowing it. And what power the child experiences when his/her first formal experience with reading is reading his/her own writing!

So, what can you do? 

• Create a space for your child to write. Blank books, stapled pages, and bound journals are great summer tools to have on hand for vacations, camps and general evening routines. 
• Ask, "What sounds do you hear?" Your child doesn't need to write every sound, spell the word correctly, form each letter perfectly, or space every word appropriately. What's most important is that your child feel confident in his/her ability to stretch a word, identify some of the sounds, and write those corresponding letters.
• Don't tell your child how to spell a word. It's the process, not the perfect product, that's important. Spelling patterns will come later.
• Notice what your child does well. Point out details in drawings, carefully formed letters, and interesting ides. Be positive and encouraging. 
• Write along with your child. Grocery lists, thank you notes, and letters to grandparents all model practical uses of writing for your child.
• Hold all things lightly. Drawing and writing should be a fun activity, not burdensome. Follow your child's lead and level of interest. If your child engages joyfully, great! If you're child is disinterested, don't press. There is time.

(In addition to writing, one of the greatest things you can do for your child is talk to him/her in your native language every day. Not only are these moment formative for your child's brain development, they are also formative for the parent-child relationship, the child's positive sense of self, and the child's emotional well-being. So, thank you for the tremendous work you do daily reading to your child!)

Happy Writing!

Peace,
Jenny