How can I improve my practice to improve the writing of those children who are struggling to record their ideas? Part 2

 

WHAT?

I started the lesson with the children sitting in a circle and asked them about what they do with information. The first answer was about explaining how to do something. I clarified that and asked as the receiver of information, the child told me that you learn about what they trying to tell us about. I then went on the explain to the children that is what our All about books were going to teach someone about your topic. As per the plan, I asked what classes adults go to. I prompted them to realise that the adult goes to learn about the topics such as Indian cooking.

 

I began saying that if I was going to a class about flowers, I would like to know about flowers. So when the teacher comes in and says,  “Flowers are nice. Flowers are pretty. I love flowers. Flowers are great, great, great. Some flowers are read, some flowers are yellow. All flowers are pretty.’ Then he said, ‘Class is over. You can go home.’” One of the children, said that you need more information and details. I prompted and asked the children to give me as much information as they could about flowers.

 

I keep referring to the words about information. My next step was to ask the children to sit in pairs and tell their buddy all about their own topic. “Tell your buddy as many facts as you can about your topic.” Th children were very animated and they were engaged in the task. I worked with my struggling writer who didn’t have his writing book in front of him. Using a count down, the children were listening, there was a transferring the information to their buddy.

 

I unpacked the information, that they are promising them something. I asked them how I would feel if the lesson I went to hadn’t given me enough information. One of the children explained that I had been let down and that there wasn’t enough information and that I had been given information that I already knew.

 

I acknowledged his ideas were on the spot. I used information with one child who I know was writing about planets. I referred to the plan and shared a trick that Mrs Short had given me about writing information. We wrote a shared piece together about playtime and used the anchor chart I had written up earlier on using numbers, names, examples and advice or a weird fact.

The children contributed and were pleased with their ideas. I asked them if they thought that they would be able to go away and write some information about their topic. The children were very excited to write.

 

I told the children to get ready to write and then after a couple of minutes I asked them to get on with writing without any talking. The class was quiet, a few children came up to me, I told them it was time write. After some time the children were brought back to the mat for a time to work in the Helping Circle.

I worked through the anchor chart, highlighting names, numbers, examples and weird facts. During this time I congratulated the children on their successes. Mrs Short was observing and at this time, she asked who hadn’t had success with numbers. A number of children put their hands up. She asked one child to share her topic, insects. She then asked the other children how we could help this student with numbers. Hands shot up and offers of ideas came thick and fast.

 

The lesson finished with the children adding more if they could to their writing and then I collected their books.

 

SO WHAT?

Overall I was pleased with how the lesson went and I thought that it was timely with where the students were at. They had been writing using the planners for a number of days and some had started to write more information on their topics and they were ready to have some structure. They had recalled great facts and I was really surprised by how much they actually knew about their topics.

Verity jumping in during the helping circle time was an eye opener as she used the other children as experts to help out the others. It does make sense as it is called a helping circle. I can see the benefits of this and how it develops a great culture around writing. This could be something that I need to be aware of when I do my next writing survey, do they like receiving and giving help.

 

NOW WHAT?

 

I need to include the others in the helping circle as part of the sharing and encourage the children to ask for help as well during this time.

 

My next step for this writing is to persevere with this so the children are able to get down the information they need in their All about books so we can publish using book creator. I also bneed to make time for my strugglers so they can their ideas down and at their ability level.

 

 

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” John Holmes