Week 4 Assignment

In the article, the Youngest Learner on page 146, the author's comment on semiphonetic writing really struck a chord with me. I could really relate to the example he gave, writing mt for the word empty, because I have three teenage sons, all of whom are acomplished text messagers (messengers?). 

On page 147, the suggestion "Always ask children to write their name in the upper left corner of their paper. This orients children's eyes to the left and gives them nowhere else to go with their letters but to the right" was exellent, and I plan to employ it.

On page 148, I liked the word of caution: "If a child writes something that you can't read, ask him or her to read it to you rather than asking what it says. Asking what it says only reinforces the fact that their writing is illegible, which could have negative consequences." This is a subtle distinction, and I know that I have made this mistake in the past.

On page 153, the author spoke of blank books for children to write  and illustrate. I do this in the spring as part of a unit. The unit is on beans. The class dissects pinto beans, identifies the parts, and describe their observations. We then germinate and plant more beans in clear plastic cups (to afford a view of the root systems). Finally, we make our "Bean Books" with brown construction paper cut into the shape of pinto beans.