Flower number 17: book making with students

Finding an authentic purpose for your students to practice the skills they've learned in your class is big. In a language arts block, one of most challenging tasks is to get the whole class set on writing with joy and excitement.

But when you've got it, there's nothing like it.

Forget writing skills for a moment-- seeing the entire group focused and writing their passionate little hearts out is what success feels like when you're a teacher.

One way to present an authentic purpose to your students is to have them write a book. There are so many steps in this project, and I've done it a few different ways, but my inspiration has been reignited through the artistry that I have found in so many online communities. I'd like to share them with you here, in hopes that you might want to explore this art from with your class, your children-- or yourself.

My favorite page for making books with children is just that:
Makingbooks.com from Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Flower number 8 :: the grand conversation: part three

The reading project is still underway. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it's called The Grand Conversation and you can find out about it in Flower number 4, and in Flower number 5. Everyday we all have something to look forward to: our letters! Some kids are really getting a kick out of drawing the characters. Even if some of us have a lot more work ahead of us concerning grammar and punctuation, I couldn't be prouder of my little readers. Take a look:

Flower number 5 :: the grand conversation: part two

So, I actually heard one of my girls start up a conversation today --about a book!

The Grand Conversation Project is the new reading program that I started with my class and it is off to a very successful start! To find out more about it, see Flower number 4. I am very relieved, that of the two sections I teach, only one scholar from each has been disqualified for not participating. As of today, each student has four letters collected and stored in their folders.

When prompted to share, "Who has a letter that when you read it, you thought to yourself, 'That's a great letter!'" my students' hands shot up into the air, and as we shared out, we ran out of time. They love it.

Here are letters from the students with the quickest hands (They all wanted their letters to be shared). Oh, and you'll note that we are all on different levels of reading and writing.Of course, names have been removed.

H a p p y   R e a d i n g !

Flower number 4 :: the grand conversation: part one

Getting my fourth graders motivated to find a good book, commit to reading it, and finish it is hard enough without having them demonstrate their ability to do so on some sort of reading log, calender, or chart. They start out strong and get super bored along the way. But really, can you blame them? We're talking about kids who would rather run around outside or catch up on their Call of Duty. I had to come up with something more engaging, more social, more fun.

I am proud to introduce a new reading project called, The Grand Conversation.

:: P U R P O S E ::

The goal of the Grand Conversation Project is to encourage engagement, support in reading comprehension and fluency, increased reading minutes, as well as increased writing practice. Most of all, I expect there will be a lot of new social interactions being made --friendships, discussions, and maybe even an argument every now and then.
 
Here's how it works: Each day, students are to complete their required reading minutes. When completed, they are to write a letter to one student in class (as assigned, but more about that in a minute) to express his or her thoughts, responses, emotions, and items learned. The next morning, he or she places the letter in the mailbox of the student-recipient. Because the class keeps to a very systematic chart, everyone in the class will receive a letter that morning. They even have the option of writing back, continuing the grand conversation of reading, for as long as they want!