Talking, Drawing, Writing Book Study {Chpt 1}

Better late than never.  Right???

I am reading the book "Talking, Drawing, Writing" by Martha Horn & Mary Ellen Giacobbe.  I am a second grade teacher and this book is clearly written for a kindergarten/first grade classroom.  However, I am wanting to improve my writing instruction and this seems like a good place to start. 

Jennifer with Teaching With Grace is hosting a book study with this book and I am fortunate enough to get to participate.  The challenge for me is how to adapt this for my classroom.



Chapter 1:  Storytelling

This one seems so easy.  All children love to tell stories.  They come in telling you of things that has happened in their life, things they have seen.  Children even love to make up stories, and tell tales.  Children have an imagination, it is time we let them use it more.  The authors gives the following suggestions:

Tell Oral Stories First:  Students must be able to tell a story before they even begin to write. Students can tell a partner their story and the partner can listen to see if the story makes sense.  At the beginning of the year guidelines would need to be established so that students would be an active listener. 

Share Your Stories:  Teachers are also storytellers!   Share your stories with the students.  Use this time to model how to tell a story.  Next year I may even have a fellow teacher come in and model with our class on telling stories with a partner.   

Time for Storytelling:  Give students time for storytelling.  Give students opportunities for practice.

Follow along with the book study that Jennifer is hosting.  I will be posting my thoughts on each chapter.  I will be catching up with the book study over the next few days!