Chapter 3 Best Practices in Writing Instruction

It is true that children need motivational techniques in order to produce thoughts onto paper. After reading Chapter 3, I found that the stages children develop over the years can be bridged together through the elementary grades. I agree the children need to know their artisitic and language abilities in order to produce a well written paper. I need more detail as to reaching lower level writers. Being a kindergarten teacher, I feel I am the foundation that the later years are scaffolded upon. I agree that pictures are a necessity for all writings. I have found that my students who draw pictures first then label objects second then begin writing do a very nice job completing assisgnments. I would like more in depth lesson plans for delivering these objectives.

In reference to wordless picture books by Cassady and Reese,it’s nice to know that all objectives can be reached through wordless books. Wordless books gives the mind room to breathe and interpret ideas without being read the words in the book.This gives the students the opportunity to focus on language and not the content. I use “The Snowman” wordless book every year in my classroom. The students love this picture book and  when I show the movie they are interpreting the video in their own minds sharing ideas with each other. Callaboration is the key to motivating  students to produce what they are thinking. We all know without a strong reading environment children will not do as well. They are more reluctant to accomplish an objective due to frustration. These students need major support from peers and 1-1 tutors so they can accomplish writing techniques and feel comfortable in their environments. I agree that a wordless book can tell a story twenty different ways in a child’s mind. The art is for the teacher to get the objective accomplished no matter how difficult the diversity or language experience may be.

Writing Without Boundaries Multigenre Project

What is multigenre writing? Well, from the research I have done, multigenre writing at its best is combining what you know through research and combining your imagination through experience. Then you combine genres, some subgenres, and generate a text through writing not just from an author’s perspective but from impressions that these different genres leave on a person emotionally and cognitively.

Most of the readings in Writing Without Boundaries are explaining how to present these genres to different grade levels effectively. This is not a project that can be introduced without proper research by the teacher. Careful planning of appropriate genres per objective is a necessity.

This project should include small group investigations, exploration of genre samples, shared reading of genre examples, comparisons and definitions. For example, I plan to introduce Walt Disney to my kindergartners. Walt Disney was a fascinating man and although he is deceased, his fairy tales live on through the magnificent Walt Disney World Resort as well as the literature that he published.

First, you pick a person, place, event, or concept when planning a multigenre project. I have already picked a person but I want to tie in other information such as books and movies. My students will investigate through shared readings the life of Walt Disney. I hope to find brochures, newspaper articles, fairytales, poems, and music related to this topic. I want to eventually combine these genres but focus on related fantasy characters that Walt Disney created. The purpose of this project is to inform and educate students that a real person created these wonderful characters that we have all come to love over the years. Can I do this?? Am I on the right track? Am I making this assignment too hard? Any input will be greatly appreciated. These are just a few thoughts for this project. The project is still under investigation and is a work in progress.