Already Ready: Teaching Practices That Support Our Very Youngest Writers

Last Friday Amy Finnen, Linda Dutton and I went to Portland for a great workshop about writing and beginning writers.

The following is a brief profile of the main presenter, Katie Wood Ray:

“Between her passion for elementary writing instruction and a love of children’s literature, Katie Wood Ray found herself asking, “What if children were introduced to key qualities of good writing in the context of illustrations?” This question led to the research behind In Pictures and In Words. The answer was simple yet powerful: “The thinking students do while reading picture books can help them see the connection between what words and illustrations do to make meaning.” As an author of bestselling Heinemann books such as Already Ready, Study Driven, About the Authors, and What You Know By Heart and as a member of Heinemann Professional Development Services, Katie has always given teachers resources and PD that transform writing instruction and help children discover a lifelong love of writing.” www.heinemann.com/authors/1636.

Workshop Focus:

• Kids are Already Ready to write even when they don’t know all their letters and sounds.
• Understanding beginning development – Pre-K to 1^st Grade

The BIG ideas I took away that day…

1. Look at writing instruction through the lens of composition development and not conventions
1. Composition is defined: “Act of putting ideas together to make meaning”
2. Honor approximations on the page and have students “read” their illustrations to you
3. Build stamina through illustrations
4. Honor student ownership & refrain from transcribing words on the pages of the book
2. Beginning writers should be “making books.” (4-5 pieces of 8 ½ by 11 paper that is staple together like a book)
3. Study authors and their texts (mentor texts) to “nudge” writers to make decisions about craft
1. Read mentor texts and notice what the author is doing intentionally. What crafting decisions have been made in the text and illustrations or layout?

I will dig deeper into these topics in later posts so stay tuned...