Debbie - Isabell, welcome
Isabell - Has everyone here read Kid Writing?
Connie - NO
beanie*jeanne - I recently purchased it but have not read it yet
Ruby - Yes, I just read it and loved it
Isabell - May I begin with a plug for my website?
Isabell - Ruby, thanks!
Isabell - The website is http://www.kidwriting.homestead.com/
beanie*jeanne - If I dont have time to read the whole book is there an area that you recommend me to start with.
Isabell - It's been my pet project this summer.
Sarah - Isabell, how soon in kindergarten do you ask a child to write without a drawing?
Ruby - How often do you recommend the children write each week?
Isabell - I'd say that you should save the section on Writing Workshop across the curriculum for last.
Isabell - Otherwise, follow the sequence of the book.
Isabell - Kindergarten kids need to draw before writing to organize their thoughts.
Isabell - Sometimes, they become so adept at writing that they decide on their own to skip the drawing stage. The decision is theirs.
Isabell - Ruby, the children write every day, beginning on the first day of school.
Julia - Isabell, if a child doesn't apply what he knows about letters and sounds, and becomes stubborn and frustrated about writing, (kindergarten) how would you encourage him to write. Would you begin by simply transcribing his dictation until late in the k year in hopes he will develop the confidence or motivation or whatever is holding him back?
Isabell - I don't take dictation from children unless I'm doing some sort of modeled writing (whole group)
Isabell - We encourage the children to write by giving them confidence.
Isabell - We let them know that they already are writers.
Isabell - We show them the many forms of writing that they can already do.
Isabell - We also guide them through the entire writing process.
Ruby - My main concern is being able to get to each child after they write to transcribe their writing? How do you manage doing it all?
Isabell - We don't just tell them to go and write on their own. We help them with the stretching out process. Kid Writing explains how to do that in great detail.
Isabell - Ruby, remember, the children are not writing on their own. The management issues are fully addressed in the book. I can go into them here if you'd like, but it will take a while to explain.
Sumr - What about the children who just aren't ready to sit long enough to draw a picture?
~rsok~ - Isabell,,,,have you heard of a program called,,,,,"Johnny Can Spell/Write"?????? I am looking for a program to help my kids...Is Kid Writing too young for this age????
Sarah - Isabell, do you provide any printed information to send out to parents (even administrators) to explain Kid Writing?
Isabell - rsok, I'm not familiar with the program you mentioned, but I'll see what I can find out about it. Kid Writing is meant for Kindergarten and first grade, but has applications for upper grades as well.
Lissa - Is it important to make sure you do the transcription every day?
Isabell - Yes, there is a letter to parents describing the stages of writing. There is a set of directions for volunteers. And there are recommended articles for parents and administrators.
~rsok~ - I will share Kid Writing with our k-1 teachers!
Isabell - I try to do both Kid Writing and adult writing with every child every day, and am able to do so if I have my assistant and one or two volunteers. Keep in mind though, I have 30 students.
Sarah - Isabell, is Kid Writing implemented in any school districts district wide as the official writing prgram?
Isabell - I've just addressed this particular issue in the Q & A section of the Kid Writing website.
Isabell - The Philadelphia School District is using it on a cluster by cluster basis.
Isabell - Many of the clusters have adopted it.
lin - i'm in my room alone in a half day session..how should i begin
Isabell - Eileen Feldgus and I are also working with several school districts across the country which are using it.
Jean - Why do you not worry about letter fromation. Our 1st grade teachers expect us to teach this.
Darcy/K - HI Isabell, I am a Philadelphia S.D. teacher. Do you know if they are using it in the King Cluster?
Isabell - Teachers using Kid Writing are writing to tell us how excited they are about the results.
Ruby - How important is it to use paper without lines. It seems to me that the lines give the kids a framework to use.
Isabell - Hi Darcy. Eileen would be the person to answer that question.
Isabell - Why don't you email me at KTeachMSC@aol.com and I'll forward your question to her.
Isabell - Lines? Well, lets talk about DAP!
Isabell - At a kindergarten level, I feel that lines are not dap.
Jean - what about letter formation?
Isabell - As the children begin to write in greater volume, I do put lines on their papers, just to provide guidance in keeping their letters small and writing in a line. Please note the difference between writing in a line and writing on a line. Pat - How do you keep their handwriting skills going and yet concentrate on writing with no lines in first grade - or should lines be used from day 1 in 1st grade.
Jean - How important is letter formation
Isabell - Also, we want the kids to concentrate on the content of their writing
Isabell - Letter formation is definitely not my top priority!
Jean - our district is starting writing without tears
Isabell - Think about this. We spend all that time teaching kids to write from top to bottom.. Then we teach them cursive and they learn to write from bottom to top!
Isabell - I teach letter formation incidentally - while doing modeled writing.
Julia - Isabell, is it difficult for a first grade teacher to use Kid Writing if kids come from a Kindergarten that uses just free writing, invented spelling?
Kathy - What kind of markers and paper do you use for journals?
Isabell - Kid Writing advocates invented spelling. But, we also expose the kids to conventional spelling - constantly. It's amazing how quickly they pick it up.
Pat - Are lines appropriate for 1st grade writing?
Isabell - I ask the parents to send in the washable broad tipped Crayola markers.
Lee - I model writing by using Daily News, is that still applicable?
tracy - Isabell, why do you advocate letting the kids write in markers? Isn't it harder for them?
cheryl - ? How do you promote correct spelling with journal writing/rough drafts?
Isabell - We use xerox paper. We simply staple 30 sheets together with tagboard covers.
Debbie - I found Liquid Mark to be great markers. They last a week with the lid off.
Teddi - I have a concern about "underwriting" using adult spelling.
Isabell - We use markers because they are fun, vibrant and they can't be erased! We don't want the kids spending their time erasing.
Darcy/K - you can also use file folders instead of tagboard.
beanie*jeanne - Concerning lined paper, what do you think about about using it but not having them really adhere to them.
Isabell - Lee, yes, I do daily news, but I call it a secret message.
Darcy/K - you can also use file folders instead of tagboard.
Ruby - What is your ratio for student to adult while the children are writing? Do all the kids write at the same time?
tracy - Do you let the kids write on the backs of the journal pages? Why or why not?
Darcy/K - ok, I use storybook paper for journals. It allows for freedom to write wherever they want. According to kid writing, is this wrong?
Isabell - Regarding the ratio of students to adults. Ideally, it would be one to six or seven. Yes, all of the kids write at the same time.
Isabell - The book explains the management issues. It would take too long for me to explain them here.
Jean - How important is spacing between words?
Isabell - Darcy, I'm not sure what you mean by storybook paper. With Kid Writing, the children are encouraged to follow book sequencing of their pages.
Isabell - a page for their drawings and they write on the opposite page.
Sue - What if you do not have any help? Will the program still work? If so, do you have any tips.
Regina/K/NY - Any suggestions for volunteers who automatically answer with adult spelling when a K asks "How do you spell ...?". I find that weaker writers clue in on this and look to these adults for help instead of working it through.
Darcy/K - storybook paper is a blank space covering half the page, and lines on the other half.
Isabell - Regina, it's important that we train our volunteers. We have to let them know not only how to coach the children but why.
Ruby - I was thinking of having the kids write about a special event during the summer vacation. They bring in a photo of something special that they did during the summer. Do you think this would be a good follow to the introduction to kidwriting in your book (I really wish I was at the beach)?
Isabell - We need to share our philosophy behind the Kid Writing approach.
Isabell - We don't advocate giving the children prompts for their journal writing. We let them draw and write about their own agenda. Freedom of choice is one of the reasons Kid Writing works as well as it does.
Debbie - articles in the June and July Teachers.net Gazettes by goint to http://teachers.net/gazette/backissues/ And read the transcript of a chat with Isabell and co-author Eileen Feldgus in the early childhood section of http://teachers.net/archive
Isabell - You've got it! The Wright Group.
Jean - HOW IMPORTANT IS SPACING BETWEEN WORDS
Isabell - Debbie. You are very welcome.
Sue - Is there any chance that you might do a column on teachers.net. I just bought your book and I love it, but I would love to hear more.
Isabell - Jean, we teach the children to use"spaghetti spaces between the letters within a word and "meatball spaces" between words.
tracy - Isabell, what do you do to motivate the child that does not want to write? I really had one like that this year and it was extremely frustrating. I have the book and have read it but I haven't really found the answer to this question.
Isabell - We used to think that it was too difficult for kids to have to worry about spacing, but now we know they can do it!
Isabell - Tracy, there is such excitement in the air about the children's writing. I find that they really do want to write because they have an audience for their writing and their writing is honored and appreciated in so many ways.
Isabell - It really is about creating a joyful, risk free environment.
Lou - Is Isabell writing a column for Teachers.Net? Where is it? I'd like to read it.
Julia - I read some articles with questions and answers at http://teachers.net/gazette/backissues
Debbie - there are articles in June and July's Teachers.Net Gazette.
Lissa - do you use a word wall in conjunction with kid writing, or just the word family houses?
Jennifer - Isabell, will you be writing more columns with our questions and your answers in the gazette?
Isabell - Yes, Lissa, we do advocate using word walls, but only for high frequency words.
tracy - Isabell, do you recommend the kids using one sheet of paper to write and the other for drawing or both writing and drawing on the same sheet? Thanks!!!!!
chris - debbie, did you get my message about kinds of journaling paper?/
Isabell - Jennifer, I'm not sure that I'll have time to do another column. But, I'll try to keep the website updated.
Isabell - I like to give the kids lots of room for their writing and their drawings, so we do separate (facing) pages for each.
tracy - Isabelle are you familiar with the Rebecca Sitton spelling program and if so do you feel it works with kid writing?
Debbie - Isabell thank you for presenting this evening.
Lou - Thanks Isabell and Debbie too!
Jennifer - Isabell, do you go to schools to do workshops?
Isabell - Thanks for inviting me!
Isabell - Jennifer, yes I do workshops, but can't schedule many of them because I'm still teaching full time.
Jennifer - OR do you have a video about Kid Writing?
Isabell - But, I recommend that you contact Eileen Feldgus, who is really the genius behind Kid Writing.
tracy - A video is an excellent idea
Isabell - There is information about her staff development at the Kid Writing website.
Isabell - We have submitted a proposal for a video and the Wright Group is considering it.
Isabell - We have loved working with the Wright Group and are hoping to do several more projects with them.
Isabell - I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful school year.
Debbie - Thank you.
Isabell - Thanks for your interest in Kid Writing. It really is so exciting!

 
 

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