by
Susan Allen
This fascinating book highlights( in very simple terms) the many types of written communication. It begins autobiography and ends with “Z for zig zags and zeros until the next idea comes along” (Z is always a bugger when writing an alphabet book.) Each letter, in upper and lower case, appears in a box at the top of the page, along with the suggestion of a word that begins with it. Each page has a full page of illustrations showing a form of writing in a notebook type of insert. This is a perfect way to introduce the children to written forms of communication. Children love to create so this book will give you plenty of ideas to get them creating and writing. Use it throughout the year.
Activities:
1. Create a simple autobiographical book for even the youngest children. Give the children a folded sheet of paper to resemble a book. Have them glue a rectangle on the cover. They can either glue their picture on the rectangle or draw their image. They must print their name. They can print the interesting information about them - names of parents, siblings, date of birth, favorite color, favorite game, etc. The book can be very simple for the youngest children or complex - adding a number of pages for older children.
2. Always create cards for special events. Everyone make Mother's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving cards, and other holiday cards but what about a card for a pet or an invitation to a concert or a card to come over and play. Find unusual ways to have children write.
3. Create a book surrounding a special event. Document a field trip by taking lots of pictures and allow the children to sift through the photos. Each child can print a sentence or a paragraph about the photo. Then combine it into a class book. It is not always possible to inform parents about the benefits of field trips, but if you actually send the book home, they can see the learning that occurred on the trip. I have parents sign the book and return it and then pass it on to another child until every home has had a chance to see the book.
4. I always wonder what my children are doing in school. But I don't really have a good inner time clock to tell me when they are in social studies, science, language or any other class. It may be fun to have children make time cards showing activities they do. Take pictures or draw illustrations of their activities along with the times they participate in the activities. If I have something in my hands, I am likely to know better what they are doing and when. It makes me feel like I am more in touch with my children.
5. If there are a few minutes left in the day, children can write about their day. I love to read about their daily activities. They can also write about something interesting that happened that day.
6. Our second grade teacher was f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s. She had the children work on a time line project. They had to use 5 different pictures and put them in a time line using an accordion fold. On each picture they had to write a caption with what they might have been saying. I loved the idea so much, that I still have the booklets.
7. I am getting ready to have some friends over for lunch. I a taking the easy way out of sending invitations.I have asked my children to draw the hand connected to their arm. I intend to have each hand glued to a sheet of paper so one is on top of the other. The invitee will lift each hand reading the message, Let's (on one hand) get (on another hand) together! (on the third hand). Under the third hand is the invitation stating the time and place of the luncheon. (I love children's art work, so I use my children's drawings and their imaginations to create fun things!
8. It is very easy to make a collection of Mother Goose rhymes. These can be compiled in a book with teh children's illustrations. Or, you can simply keep them unbound and use them when you are teaching a particular rhyme. Do the same thing for poetry.
Be sure to utilize the ability to "peek inside" when looking at Amazon. ;)
