Sunday, September 18, 2011

Hopes for First Grade

At the start of this school year (just last week) we asked our students what they hoped to learn in first grade. We gave them a sheet of lined paper and sent them happily off to write.

The stories they created will serve as our baseline writing pieces - to be analyzed in conjunction with a writing rubric - so we can determine the next steps in writing development for each child. The baseline writing will also aid us in providing differentiated instruction for the children in our class.

I have discussed the writing process in the past (click here to read more) so I won't do that in this post, but it is evident from the selected compositions below that our students represent a wide spectrum on the writing continuum.

I will share them in order of development.

"I want to learn how to read books."

"I want to learn about monkeys."

"I want to learn about planets. I want to learn about the planets temperature."

"Flowers pop out! I want to do for first grade is to learn how a flower pop out I want it to be yellow and brown sunflower and I want it to be big and I want it beautiful and bigger the best flower in the world and I can ..."

"Science - I want to make an experiment. And I want to make flowers and I  want to make a clay dog and I want to make a potion."
We have a fun road ahead of us as we delve into capital letters, spacing between words, punctuation, grammar, syntax, spelling, content and handwriting (among other things) and I can't wait!

I wonder how I would have answered this question in first grade.

Monkeys perhaps?

6 comments:

Barbara said...

So interesting to see the differences in expression among your children. My son would have been the one drawing a picture with no words in first grade. And yet once he could read and write, he never stopped doing either of them! Knowing you, you will try to satisfy all their hopes and dreams in the coming year.

Gary said...

Barbara - It is interesting to see how some children spend a great deal of time in one stage and then fly through the next. First grade is a brilliant time to witness this development and I am fortunate to share it with these children.

If I can get a monkey into first grade you know it's on!

ilduce said...

SWEET! Gary I'm so jealous you're getting such young minds to open! Although I don't think I'd have the patience. Perhaps I have found my proper niche in adult ed.

Gary said...

ilduce - Adult ed definitely has its advantages but I think my energy level and sensibilities is a good fit for the younger set.

Anonymous said...

I like the one about the temperature of planets. By the way, just how hot is Venus?

Gary said...

Gregg - I'm not sure but I am certain that my little panel of experts could answer that query. They continually blow me away with how smart and awesome they are.

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