Welcome back! It’s time to think about the numerous entry points that may entice your students to write.

When teaching very young writers, it becomes obvious over the first few weeks that personal experiences are the BEST entry points.  Experiences are what mark the passing of each life, and our job is to help students give voice to those experiences.  Children WANT to share what is important to them.

1.  What is a meaningful experience your students have had that created an entry point into writing?

Last year, I began reading about Fire Prevention Week a week before the fire truck actually came to school.  We watched fire safety videos, real fire trucks being cleaned and cared for, and talked about experiences (if any) that students may have had with a fireman or fire truck.  Some students shared about how they had seen the fire truck when they were in preschool, while another child shared how the fire truck put out a fire at their house.  By the time the fire truck came to school everyone had something they could draw and write about.

2.  What created a their deeper engagement?

Planning for the event by giving students other experiences made the event more meaningful, and it made them feel like they were experts when we visited with the fireman.  The child who had first hand knowledge of how firemen and trucks can help people no doubt had a very deep interest in the process.  When we returned to our classroom on the day of the visit I asked them to draw a picture about our day, then I began to confer with individuals for a few minutes about what they would want to tell.  Every child had a different “take” on the experience.  This series of experiences made a great entry point for our individual stories.  Over the course of the year, anticipated trips to the Pumpkin Patch and the post office have sparked creativity too.  All students found their voice, and had uniquely different experiences. Happenings make great entry points!

3.  How do you let your students use the power of choice as an entry point into writing in your classroom?

Choice is the primary entry point of all writing in my classroom.  My job is to facilitate the decision regarding       which choice a student will write about.

Sample Conference:

Student- I think I want to write about my dog.

Teacher-Oh, I love when you write about your dog.  Do you have a favorite story about your dog?

Student-I can write about what color he is.

Teacher-I think you may have written about that in another story.  What does your dog like to play with?

Student-Oh, he loves his jolly ball! One time he fell down when he was running with the ball in his mouth.

Teacher-Great! You can draw a great picture of your dog and his jolly ball! Then you can tell what happened.

As in the above example, students may not want to stray from a familiar topic, so it is our job to help them expand the topic to include more specific incidents that paint a better picture of what happened.  The imagery in his statement about when the dog fell down while running with the ball is so rich! You immediately see this happening in your mind’s eye.

Give students the ability to choose.  It is the most powerful entry point because it means something to them.

4.  How does an entry point of purpose look in your writer’s workshop?

As in the first example (the fire truck coming to visit), teachers can set the stage for learning well before the actual  experience happens.  This is especially true when researching animals, dinosaurs, machines or other science related topics. It is important to always keep in mind…kinders may never have had experiences with books, museums, zoos or even educational programming.  It is our job to connect the dots between what they know and what they want to find out.

What are your favorite entry points of purpose?