Jaime's Reflection- Graves (preface-pg.10)

In the preface of his book, Donald Graves says what he believed twenty years ago still hold true. He believed that children want to write. He still believes that today but he added that children only want to write if we let them. Classrooms today have changed dramatically. Teachers are faced with having to teach double the curriculum all within the same number of hours.

Donald Graves makes many good points in his book. I think it’s great to have children choose their own topics. It makes sense because a writer can only write about what they know. Having kids choose their own topics or writing about personal things is also an easy way for kids to start writing. He has six fundamentals in the teaching of writing. His fifth fundamental would have been very surprising to me if I didn't witness Greg do this in class. Children need to hear and witness their teachers thinking out loud as they’re writing. I don’t ever recall my teacher thinking out loud. I just assumed they knew exactly what they were going to write.