jaimie k's reflection to graves ch. 1...

I really like the first paragraph in the book. I know we’ve heard it several times in this class alone, but it’s so true. “Children want to write.” They try to write all the time. From the first time they could hold a pen, or crayon, or chalk. I remember I was drawing on the sidewalk with my friend’s son Davin. He was maybe 2 years old at the time; could barely make complete sentences yet. In the midst of drawing, he would try and write his name. Although it was just a couple of straight lines, he was trying to write. It was adorable. He said, “Look! That’s me, Davin!”

There were several great ideas in this first chapter of how to assist or encourage students in their writing. One that I really liked was on page three. Mrs. Giacobbe gave all of her first graders “blank page, hardcover books with [their] names embossed on the covers.” She gave it to them giving them the complete freedom to write whatever they felt like. The end result was books of creative writing, illustrations, and more than most teachers would expect from their first graders.

The other thing I thought was great is the section on Teaching as Craft. I try to do that when students tell me they don’t know what to write about, or they’re stuck. I ask them questions to get their ideas flowing again. I think it’s a good method, being the naïve reader-listener. I didn’t realize that I was helping them take ownership in their writing. I like the idea that students have ownership in what they do, because it makes them proud when they see the end result.