With the addition of the Post Office center and the Valentine's Day activities we've just completed, it has been the perfect time to focus on various purposes for writing. We have read some wonderful books about writing letters and diaries to promote the idea of a purpose for writing.
A few times a week, we have"journal time". Each student has a little composition notebook that they may draw a picture and write or dictate a story. These are fabulous for assessment! We are able to clearly see how each student's writing and drawing have progressed throughout the year! Two of my favorite books about journaling are Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin. Both of these books provide hilarious glimpses into the lives of the worm and spider and are always a big hit with the friends.
Diary Of A Worm
by Doreen Cronin
by Doreen Cronin
Diary of A Spider
by Doreen Cronin
by Doreen Cronin
I have a few favorites about letter writing that I like to read:
Don't Forget To Write by Matina Selway is a sweet story with beautiful watercolor illustrations that chronicles a young girl's first trip away from home without her parents. At first she is apprehensive, but as the letters go on, her feelings about being away begin to change.
Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James is cute little story about a little girl exchanging letters with her teacher about a whale living in her backyard pond.
Dear Mr. Blueberry
by Simon James
One of my favorite books that showcases letter writing is Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada and illustrated beautifully by Leslie Tryon. All of our favorite characters from Story Book Land are sending letters back and forth to each other. This wonderful book weaves threads connecting Peter Rabbit, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, and more! As a kid, I always knew there was an awesome land where all of these wonderful characters lived and interacted!
by Alma Flor Ada
Plantzilla, written by Jerdine Nolen and fantastically illustrated by David Catrow is such a fun book to read. Mortimer brings the third grade class plant home for the summer and corresponds with his teacher as the plant takes on a life of it's own. Even Mortimer's mother gets involved in the letter writing! After the first reading, my kids will request this one over and over! I have to give in----I enjoy it, too!
We are also reading Toot and Puddle and Toot and Puddle: Wish You Were Here by Holly Hobbie. Toot's worldwide travels are chronicled via postcards to Puddle.
I'd love to know what books you use to promote purposes for writing. Leave a comment and share a book! Thanks!
I'm going to have to check these books out. Most of them are new to me! We're not very systematic about writing at our school. We have journals, but most of the kids fill them up and take them home before I even get to see them! I don't know if that's good or bad . . .
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day to you too!
I love the Toot & Puddle books. Do you know The Jolly Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg? It's a very sweet little book. The best thing about it are the letters that are inside envelopes inside the book and actually come out to read. It's a great book for first grade but if your preschoolers are familiar with a few fairy tales then they might enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI love the book "I Wanna Iguana", it fits right in this genre. It is illustrated by Catrow as is Plantzilla. It's a hilarious story of a little boy who write his mother little notes trying to convince her to let him have an iguana.
ReplyDeleteKat, Thanks for mentioning the Ahlberg's. I have read several posts recently about their books. I'll certainly need to check them out!
ReplyDeleteVanessa, We love "I Wanna Iguana"! We just read it during pet week last month, I have to renew it at the library because the kids loved it so much! I can't wait to share Plantzilla, because I'm sure they are going to love it, too!