The Write Start

card-carrying book lovers

 

This may sound a little, um, geeky, but I really miss card catalogs. Don't get me wrong, I love the convenience of popping over to my library's website to check if a book is on the shelves, or request a title from another library. I think that' s cool.

But I also remember the fun I had as a kid fingering through card catalogs. Especially the surprise of happening upon an interesting title or book description while you were searching for something entirely different. If you're at all bookish, like me, you know what I mean.

So when I discovered this clever card catalog generator, I got a little giddy. I decided to use these little bits of library nostalgia to send my boy on a treasure hunt of sorts, making a game of cracking the library's "secret code," while teaching him to navigate those irresistible stacks of page-turning goodness.

 

So I used modern technology (the card catalog generator + my library's website, open in two side-by-side windows on my computer) to whip up some authentic-looking cards, using the actual library call numbers. We have been bringing them to the library with us and are having a blast using them to track down our chosen titles.

The added benefit of this little bit of advanced planning is it is helping to keep us slightly more organized. Jack and I have a tendency to be very distractable in the library. This results in armfuls (yes, armfuls) of books, each one on a different fascinating (to us) subject, all of them seemingly unrelated. Girders and cranes. Knot-tying. Race cars. Cargo ships. Ocean mammals. When we return home laden with so many books, we wind up not finishing them all, so we renew our favorites (we renewed the knot-tying book was three times in a row!). Not to mention that it's hard to keep track of so many books, leading to the inevitable overdue fines. ($3.60 on the last visit. Aargh.) Can anyone relate?

So, long story short, our cute cards force us to focus, and make our library habits a little less haphazard. Bonus.

By the way, what books have you been hauling home from the library lately? Any recommendations? More info to come on what else we've been checking out, renewing, and overdue-ing these days.

Happy reading!

writer's workshop round-up

I've been getting some wonderful emails from people who have created writing spaces for their children after reading about ours.

And all I can say is: Wow! When you guys get an idea, you sure do amazing things with it. Don't you agree? 

Can you believe the sensational little writing center that Katherine Marie created for her kids? I'm swooning over the adorable peek-a-boo chalkboard, the vintage (yes, vintage!) chalkboards, the bow-embellished glass jars, and the clothes-pinned labels. Every detail just blows me away. You can see more of her breathtaking photographs (of this project and so many others) on her blog.

Don't you just love the writing corner that Erika designed for her kids? It features an alphabet garland, over-sized wood letters (note to self: must. have. these), ABC beads, and stamps galore. Visit Erika's blog for more pictures and design ideas.

 

 

 

And the always-inspiring Mariah from Playful Learning designed an atelier for her girls that looks so sun-drenched and well-stocked that I wouldn't be surprised if it was the most popular room in the house. I know I could spend all day, every day in a room like this! My favorite part of this room? Why the name, of course! Who could help but be creative in a room called an atelier? (Read more about this room and the idea behind it on Mariah's blog).

 

I am just so excited about all of the young writer's workshops happening out there! If you have put a little something like this together, even on a smaller scale, please share. Put a link in the comments, or email me with a picture that I can post, so we can all take a peek.

 

And thanks Katherine Marie, Erika, and Mariah for sharing your pictures and ideas. It's just too cool for me to hear that our space inspired you. The truth is, your interpretations of the young writer's workshop have inspired me so much.

 

What do you guys think?

tickle their fancy

 

So what's a mama to do when she has a few colored feathers left over from a project? Make Quill Pencils, of course!

 

I had this simple little project on my brain for weeks now and I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it. It took all of about ten minutes (actually two sittings of five minutes each; I had to wait for glue to dry). In fact, it seem that all of my crafty projects lately are of the ten-minute variety. I'm big on instant gratification crafting lately. And dreaming up bright ideas that are the perfect combination of form, function, and fun. This one definitely fits that description. Plus, it makes me smile!

Here's the basic how-to:

 

First, I glued feathers to the tops of small colored pencils. Then I went and did something else while the glue dried.

 

When I came back, I put some more glue around the top of the pencil and wrapped some embroidery floss around the spot where I had attached the feather. Done. Easy-Peasy.

And why, you ask, do we need colorful Quill Pencils? Let's just say, change is good. Novelty is very exciting for kids. It spices things up. I put these in the Writer's Workshop and sparked Jack's interest by saying, "Hey, check out the new pencils in your Writer's Workshop!"

And guess who was still writing an hour later?

(I was tickled pink!)

name slate

 

Jack loves writing capital letters. Why shouldn't he? They are made up of such simple shapes, many of them have similar movement patterns, and they all line up neatly next to each other instead of dipping down low or reaching up high like those pesky lowercase letters do. What's not to love?

But, when it comes to writing his name, I want him to learn to do it right, right from the start.

Once they're writing, kids write their names ALL the time, everywhere they can. With all of that repetition going on, you want to make sure they aren't getting into any bad habits. Because, as we all know, bad habits are hard to break. Not to mention that it's a real bummer to get to school and be told that you have to re-learn how to write your name. Kind of hard on an emerging writer's ego, if you know what I mean.

Enter the name slate -- an easy way to set kids up for name-writing success.

 

The name slate is a simple-yet-smart way to encourage children to practice writing their names. On the top of the slate is a permanent example of the child's name written with the first letter capitalized and the rest of the letters lowercase. Below is blank space to practice. It's that easy!

Materials:

8 x 10 chalkboard (found at most craft stores for a few dollars)

white acrylic paint

piece of chalk (small, to encourage a strong, steady tripod grasp)

little scrap of cloth (for erasing)

The basic how-to:

Write your child's name (with proper capitalization and spacing) in chalk at the top of the slate. Paint over you chalk letters with white acrylic paint. Let dry thoroughly. When dry, show your child how they can write their name, wipe it away, and write it again as often as they like. Ask for an autograph (kids like that!).

 

I know it may seem as if I'm kind of wacky for little chalkboards but truly I am. They are just so forgiving. A sweep of the hand or a wipe with a cloth can make any mistake disappear as if by magic. And knowing that your marks are so easily erased seems to make all the pressure and perfectionism that comes along with learning to write disappear as well.

And, hey, when kids become name-writing pros, they can just chalk it up to experience!

Try it... (and let me know if you do!)

precious jewels

We spent one day last week organizing colorful widgets for a craft workshop:

 

{about a million teeny-tiny beads}

  

{super-cute animal beads from here}

  

{and a rainbow assortmant of cut up straws}

 

Apparently, Jack was inspired by this beadazzling bounty. He set to work for hours (no understatement) making baubles and bangles for his lucky mama. Good fine-motor fun.

Look at how serious he is about pushing those little widgets on to pipe cleaners.

And check out his toe-curling concentration.

 

Sweet, sweet stuff.

Have you gotten any sweet somethings from your little ones lately? Please share!

the big chill

 It's (almost) too cold for words.

 

But not quite.

Is there any snow-writing going on in your neck of the woods?

sandwriting

 

If you read this blog you might envision that we sit down and diligently write each day, filling up journals and notebooks and blank pages with letters and words.

Nope.

Writing is hard. It's hard for children and it's hard for grown-ups. It's taking something that's inside of you, bringing it out, and trying to make it just what you imagined. Learning to write is risky (Can I do this right?), frustrating (That's not how it's supposed to look!), and exhausting (I'm too tired. Too thirsty. Too hungry. This is boring.)

Knowing this, how do you nurture a love of learning without pushing?

I guess you just remember that writing should come naturally. That is should be fun. That all writing really is is playing with letters, and words, and ideas.

And that even more important than learning the right way to do things is learning how to learn. Children who learn how to learn absorb information through any means possible. They look, they listen, they touch, they move, they manipulate, they create. And they see endless possibilities instead of just one right answer.

This is something I was reminded of while watching my son play in the sand tray I has set up for letter-writing practice. 

As suggested, he practiced "writing" the letter J in the sand.

 

He wrote J over and over again to see how many times he could shake it invisible.

 

He made Js and erased them by opening and closing his fingers to make what he called "hand angels."

  

He made Js and turned them in to J mountains.

 

And he disappeared J after J with magic sand storms.

Needless to say, he did more writing while playing then he ever would have done otherwise. And all of that sandy stimulation to the tactile receptors in his fingertips sent a couple of loud-and-clear messages to his brain:

This is how we make a J

and

Writing sure is a ton of fun.

For those of you who want to incite some magic sand storms of your own, I repurposed the wood letters and the wooden box from this puzzle for our sand tray, but a baking pan would work just as well. Oh, and I forgot to snap a picture of our little broom and dustpan. Keep one nearby. (You'll thank me later.) 

writer's workshop deconstructed: part 3

More Writer's Workshop secrets revealed:

Right now we are using the old Rolodex to organize (and alphabetize) the names, phone numbers, and addresses of Jack's family and friends. I am hoping this will eventually inspire some letter-writing (the kind you put in the mailbox, in addition to the A-B-C kind). 

I put an old cell phone (a pre-text-messaging, pre-picture-taking, pre-MP3-playing phone that actually resembles an ancient artifact more than a cell phone) next to it for some practice dialing, pretend phone conversations, and phone-message-taking (oh yeah, it's also pre-voice mail).

A Rolodex is a great tool, especially because it spins around, and therefore kids think it's really cool. Hey, I can't blame them. I think it's pretty cool myself. I envision this would be a great gadget for organizing sight words for older kids or for creating a word bank for emerging readers. Can you think of any other possibilities?

Oh, I forgot to mention the best part. It actually has a lock and key, which elevates it to the status of super-cool in Jack's book. Of course all of his contacts are confidential, and are for his eyes only.

So no peeking, okay?

Speaking of friends and family, I made some word rings to help him write some of his most favorite words.

Names.

 

The first words that kids are motivated to write are usually the names of everyone they know. They master their own name first and then Mommy and Daddy, sisters and brothers names, cousins and friends. So here they all are, ready to be flipped to and written over and over again.

(The basic how-to on these: I cut cardstock into strips, wrote the names of VIPs, punched holes, and secured with binder clips from the office-supply store.)

In the last basket, I'm going to rotate some alphabet-related manipulatives. Right now I have clothespins that I simply wrote letters on (we like to use them like this). I also might put magnetic letters, wood letters or letter blocks, scrabble tiles, alphabet stickers, or A-B-C cookie cutters in this spot to mix it up a bit. Any other ideas?

So now I've shared all the secrets of our Young Writer's Workshop. We've come to the end. Or have we? Actually, it's just the beginning. When you dedicate a little corner to pencil-and-paper pursuits, you are sure to encourage and inspire your young writer. Maybe it will be the start of something big, the first stop on the road to writing success.

Enjoy the ride! 

writer's workshop deconstructed: part 2

More scoop on the coop:

 

We keep a box of sand letters that we made together in our Writer's Workshop. Forget pricey sandpaper letters -- our method is way cheaper, fast, easy as can be, and fun too!

 

The basic how-to: I write each letter out in glue and Jack sprinkles sand over the top. Then he shakes off the excess (his favorite part) and we let it dry. Yes, it really is that simple. And what a great, tactile, hands-on learning tool!

 

I use these when I am teaching Jack a new letter. I trace over the sand letter with my finger while he watches, and then he traces the letter the same way with his finger. We stick to just one letter until I'm very sure that he has mastered it, and then we move on to the next. We are going through all of the lowercase letters first, and then the capitals. (Except for the first letter of his first name. We did that letter in capital first, to avoid confusion when writing his name.)

I freehand the whole thing, but I am sort of deliberate about where I place the letters on the card. I put the letters on the side of the card that corresponds to the dominant hand (ie. right side for righties, left side for lefties). This encourages kids to hold the card with their non-dominant hand while tracing, a helpful habit.

Let me know if you try making these letters, or have any questions. I think this is one of the best activities for introducing letter-writing to children, and it doesn't even require any writing! Nonetheless, it is sends strong, multi-sensory messages to the brain about how to make each letter.To be an efficient writer, it's just as important to feel the letters as it is to see and hear them.

 

The next stop on the tour is our basket of alphabet stamps. We use these constantly.

 

Not a day goes by without us giving something our stamp of approval.

 

A cubby full of tools-at-the-ready helps a young writer to feel prepared for anything. Glue, string, a stapler, and a hole punch come in handy when we make our little books. (Hmmm... would a future post on little-book-making be of interest to anyone?)

Scissors are indispensable around here (my favorite scissors for little hands, shown here, is the Total Control scissors by Fiskars).

And a manual pencil sharpener is all we need to keep our pencils (and our wits) sharp.

Stay tuned... in the next post we will definitely be getting to the bottom of it (for those of you who haven't flown the coop already). Is everyone still with me?

writer's workshop deconstructed: part 1

Here's the scoop on the coop:

I like little pencils for little hands. I give standard size pencils a snip with a pliers before I sharpen them so that they are about four or five inches long, and in proportion with a child's hand. (Jack also likes that they're the perfect size for tucking behind his ear like a carpenter.) Golf pencils also work well too.

I made this laminated, stand-up alphabet card from a page in a Handwriting Without Tears workbook. Jack likes to sing the alphabet song and follow along with his finger, or refer to this when he is stuck on how to write a letter.

Paper, paper, paper. I cut it up all shapes and sizes. Long skinny pieces for lists. Bigger pieces for signs and letters. Small pieces for little notes, traffic tickets, price tags, and receipts. Fold-over cards for thank you notes, invitations, and menus.

And don't forget envelopes. Children love the mystery and surprise of slipping their big ideas into those tiny pockets and sealing them up. Envelopes also equip them for writing letters -- a wonderful way for kids to use writing to connect with others.

  

Here's the answer to the big question: Where do I get those wood pieces? They are wood pieces for capital letters from Handwriting Without Tears. I first talked about them here. They are a great hands-on activity for pre-writers and emerging writers. We use them to practice letter formation, build words, and play "Letter Store."   

      

For those of you who asked, I get the little chalkboards at the craft store for really cheap (they are usually with the pre-cut wood shapes) and we can't get enough of them. We use them for everything from little notes, to letter-writing practice, to keeping score, to taking orders, to jotting down reminders. We are definitely chalkboard crazy in this house. I always keep a jar of tiny chalk pieces and a little cloth nearby too.

 

Wow, that's a lot of stuff already, and we're not even halfway through the coop! Tomorrow I'll run through the rest (including sand letters, alphabet stamps, book-making tools, word rings, and the oh-so-curious Rolodex). Stay tuned...

By the way, please chime in with any questions, comments, or critiques you may have. The best part of any Writer's Workshop is that it's really a Writer's Work-in-Progress-shop. Include whatever inspires your young writer to write.

(And please share. I'm sure we'd all love to hear what everyone comes up with!)