3 (plus) Ways to Use Binder Clips

I love shopping in the teacher stores (both online and brick-and-mortar). I always find lots of resources I'd love to have. However, my budget does not allow me to buy all (or even most) of the things I see. 

Also, because of cost and storage, I need things that multi-task. I like those specialty educational resources but many times I'm limited in how I can use them. A great item that is inexpensive and can be used in lots of ways is the binder clip. Here are three ways we have used binder clips in our room.

Game Pieces - Use binder clips to make stand-up game pieces. This one uses a picture card. But you could use anything that could clip in the binder clip. Use photographs of your kids. Use index cards on which kids have printed their names or drawn pictures. Use letters or shapes from bulletin board sets. You can use anything. Clip it in the binder clip and stand on the table or gameboard. 

Or stick a colored sticker on the binder clip or buy a set of colored binder clips and use the clips themselves for game pieces.

Additional task: Use these stand-up cards for graphing. Ask a question or display items for kids to choose. They can place their clip (with picture, name, or whatever) under their choice.

Book Binding - Use binder clips to attach pages together in a homemade book. Kids could draw pictures and/or write words on sheets of paper or cards. Clip the pages together and turn the pages. 

This book is made from food labels. Cut labels from boxes or cans and tape the labels onto index cards. Clip the cards together. (Use logos that are familiar to kids. They can "read" this book because it uses environmental print, print they recognize.)

Additional perk: These books are easily changed. When kids master the environmental print words or when your emphasis changes, file these cards and bind new ones for a new book.

Homemade Clipboard - Use a piece of cardboard and a binder clip to make a homemade clipboard. Stack paper and align with the cardboard. Clip on the binder clip. Kids now have a portable "desk" to write or draw. I like this because I can change the orientation of the clip. I can move it to the side and use the paper in a horizontal format instead of always using vertical or fighting the clip on the side (like on a clipboard). 

Additional perk: If space is tight, use these to reduce the number of tables in your room. Kids can sit on the floor and work in small groups as needed.

One of my favorite places to find items to repurpose is the office supply store (or the office supply section of your favorite discount store). Head to your favorite office supply spot and stock up on binder clips. Here are a few other quick ideas:

• Use the binder clips as counters or other manipulatives. 
• Add the clips to an activity that allows kids to practice pinching to open the clips, such as clipping onto the sides of a box. (Great for fine motor development) 
• Hang the clips on pushpins to make easily changeable wall displays. 
• Or just clip papers together, as the binder clips were designed to do. (Maybe office dramatic play!)

Inspiration from the Blogosphere: Making Marks on the Page

Preschoolers are interested in writing. They see adults writing things and are intrigued by these marks on the page. They play with writing, drawing lines and squiggles. They draw pictures to show their own ideas and what they are thinking. And, in addition, all those play experiences that develop their fine motor skills help prepare their hands and fingers for writing.

Below are some inspirations related to writing and pre-writing. Remember play = writing!


Best DIY Easel Ever (Teach Preschool)
One of the ways that preschoolers love to make marks on the page is through painting. Deborah at Teach Preschool has a great DIY easel. Since I love repurposing things, I really liked this idea. And four kids can paint at once. If you don't have space for  free-standing easel (or don't even have one), try this great idea from Deborah.

We have painted with feathers.

Sensory Writing Tray (Pre-K Pages)
I love to use writing trays. This post is a great look at the basics of a writing tray. You can use colored sand or salt, add scents (like lavender) to increase the sensory experience, provide cards with letters or shapes to copy, or just allow kids to explore with writing in the tray. In addition to using fingers, we've added watercolor brushes to write with. Kids can use the brush end or the handle end to write.


Make Your Own Book (Sunny Day Family)
Some of my kids have loved making their own books. (Some of them just love using the stapler!) We usually just have blank paper, the stapler, and writing items. But Laura has created some templates for book pages. I like the "official" look of these pages and some budding authors would love to use these as a guide for writing and drawing their own books.

Sometimes we have blank books in the writing center.

 Dry Erase Board Mazes (No Time for Flash Cards)
I stumbled upon this older post and immediately was intrigued. First of all, more repurposing with the CD cases. (I have some lying around.) I love the working on a maze and easily erasing a misstep along the way. And I thought it would be fun to take turns drawing a maze - on a dry erase board - and asking a friend to solve it. In either case, kids would be practicing making marks in a more controlled way. (And, if you don't have CD cases, use frames with clear glass or even a sheet protector clipped to a clipboard.)


Fluffy Pumpkin Spice Slime (Teaching Mama)
Building those small muscles of the hand and fingers is a great pre-writing activity. Anything that allows manipulation and squeezing and using the fingers can build fine motor skills. Angela posted this recipe for fun smelling slime and I really want to make some.

We have made and used galaxy slime!

Pom Pom Grab and Drop (Busy Toddler)
Moving thing with tongs is another great fine motor activity. Susie posted this activity...and I immediately began thinking about what other things we could move with tongs. Maybe my foam cubes or wide collection of plastic lids? Maybe magnet letters? Of course, pom-poms are great, too.

Dollar Store Writing Center (Pre-K Pages)
And check out this post I wrote for Vanessa and Pre-K Pages. You can create a writing center for your kids with items from a dollar store. Mix and match the items you'd like to have for your center. And encourage kids to make marks on a page...playing with writing. (More about our writing center.)

Play = Writing

Making meaningful marks on paper

Communicating your own ideas

Making plans, organizing thoughts, telling what you know

Check out these posts:

It's Our Plan

Writing Center

Writing to Communicate

Dry Erase Boards

White Boards Again

I'm Making My Own Map

Purposeful Writing

Writing with Bamboo Pens

Painting with Oil

Drawing Together

Clipboards in the Blocks Center

I Like Wot evr this is

"It's Our Plan"

I watched two boys - good friends - working together in the writing center. They were intently working on a piece of paper together. One would draw and pass it over to the other. He would draw and pass it back.

This happened a couple of times - back and forth. Sometimes they both drew at the same time. They were talking quietly together as they worked and watched. They grabbed another piece of paper and continued on.

I saw them gesture to parts of the drawing as they reviewed and discussed it. I didn't intrude on the discussion or hear what was said.

I moved to other parts of the room. When I noticed them again, they had moved to the dramatic play center. We had our gardening materials out.

They donned gloves (avoiding the pink ones pointedly). They "dug" on the floor, arranged flowers and plants in designs. They even snagged the block bin as part of their garden.

I moved to other parts of the room. Later I saw them back at the writing table. It's not unusual to see young children move back and forth around the room. Usually these guys stick with something for a while and then don't return but each day is its own adventure.

I wandered back over to check it out. One boy noticed me: "It's our plan," he explained. I nodded. Plans are often drawn in my classroom. The boys finished and moved to put their paper in the "take home" area. Then they were back at the garden.

All of a sudden it hit me. I walked over to where they were working. One went to look at the paper and then came back. "You were drawing the plans for your garden?" I asked.

"Yeah," they said and continued working. Like it was no big deal. And perhaps it wasn't.

Except that it was. These boys were using marks on a page as symbols of what they wanted to do. They were using writing with meaning and purpose. They were also formulating a plan and carrying it out. They were working together to accomplish a task (and to make a plan). They were practicing important skills...life skills.

And they did it all on their own. No one suggested they do this. The writing center and the dramatic play center are not even that close together in the room.

Play builds life skills. And kids don't need me to tell them that.

Writing to Communicate

This week we were using crayons and paper to draw. I was surprised that the preschoolers in my room were so engaged with the "simple" materials. As I sat there, we had some great conversations about...well, all kinds of things (and not much of importance).

For some reason, the conversation shifted to Christmas. The children were talking about getting things at Christmas, in a general way. "I got a lot of things from Santa," one said. "But I didn't get one thing."

Another said, "Yeah. He brings a lot of things, but he doesn't bring what you want."

I kept listening. I said virtually nothing beyond "Really?"

The first child said, "I'll let you know what I didn't get." He began writing on a piece of paper. He wrote some letters on the page. He showed me the words.

He drew a few marks around the page. He experimented with drawing with multiple crayons.

He drew with two hands...at the same time! I kept trying to get a shot of what he wrote. Finally I could capture it.

Can you read it?

I love when children begin to use writing to communicate. They write words or notes. They make cards to give to all kinds of people. They "get it." They know they can communicate their ideas and thoughts to someone else by making marks on a page.

In this case, my friend chose to use writing to tell me what he wanted instead of saying it. That's what we want children to do...to choose to use written form to communicate so their ideas will be preserved and can be shared with many people. I could have told you what my friend said. But this way, he can tell you through the photo of his writing.

That's excitement and joy in what he's doing. (And no test can measure it.)

BTW - His words? Cotton candy machine.

Favorite Things: White Boards Again

A while back (actually a long while back), I wrote that our small white boards are one of my favorite things to use in the classroom. In recent weeks, I've been reminded how great these tools are.

These boards have been the source of some of our recent literacy play. They allow children to explore and experiment without the "stress" of being permanent. Mistake? Erase and go at it again. The boards can be a great way to relieve stress - just scribble away for a few minutes.

I have enjoyed watching children use the white boards for their versatility. Here's one of my friends working recently. He stayed working at the table for 30-45 minutes. (He did little else that morning.)

He drew a picture of someone. He told me a brief story about this person. He colored in all the open areas. (Developing narrative skills.) Then he erased.

He began to print words. He printed some of his favorite words. (I know they are his favorites because he writes them frequently.) I was nearby, talking to another child and working with them.

"Mr. Scott," my friend said, "I don't know how to spell entertainment." We talked about that for a minute. I asked if he wanted me to write in on another white board and he could copy it. He agreed. I slid the word over to him.

"Hey," he said, "it has 3 Ts!" I replied, "And it has 3 Ns." He looked again. "And 3 Es," he continued. "And 1 R, 1 A...." He continued through the rest of the letters that we not mentioned. (More literacy play!)

He added the word to his board. He drew around the words for a while. He erased one word, then another, then another. (Developing more control over his fine motor skills.)

I had to move to other places in the room. I noticed my friend still sitting at the table working. His hand was moving back and forth, like he was scribbling. I walked over. He was coloring in his latest work.

I watched. He looked up. I said, "I have seen that before. Are you drawing something that you've seen before?" He said yes. I left him alone to work.

Later I was back at the table where he was still working. I noticed that he was writing numbers. He had started at 1 and was writing them in order. He noticed me and began saying the numbers as he wrote them. (Developing numeral and sequence skills)

He continued to write. Sometimes he said the number. Sometimes I said it. Then a I made a mistake. I said the wrong number. "No," he said. I corrected myself. We continued in this way for a while. Sometimes I would say the wrong number (out of sequence). He would giggle and I would correct myself. Sometimes I would say a nonsensical number (forty-eleven, seventy-J). He would giggle and tell me no. I would correct it.

At one point, the board was full. He flipped to the other side (also writable surface) and continued.

We reached 100. He continued. He wrote to 109. Stopped. Sat for a moment, thinking. He wrote 10 and thought. I said, "One hundred ten." He wrote a 1 in front of the 10. (Huge surprise for me. That's good thinking!) He continued to 113. The board was full. Both sides.

We showed Mrs. Cindy was he had accomplished. He erased the board. (Sorry, no pictures. I was too involved in what we were doing.)

"Now what will you do?" I asked casually.

He wrote 114 and continued on for a while. Then we had to clean up.

I love following a child's lead in what to do. That's not always feasible or possible. In many cases we must redirect or refocus.

But small white boards are magical. They allow children to do whatever they choose. They can draw. They can write words and stores. They can practice number skills. They can explore their own ideas.

Best. Tool. Ever.

Literacy Play...Again

I know I've been blogging a lot about literacy play recently. But I've been seeing a lot of it happening in my church kindergarten class. Maybe it's the nature of my class - different from their school classrooms. We are not focused on reading and writing and phonics and all that important literacy stuff. Maybe they just have more opportunities to play with words and follow what interests them instead of doing whatever lessons are the emphasis for the day.

This week we had out of white boards. I sat at the table while a boy was writing and drawing. He carefully printed his first and last names at the top of the board. I narrated, as usual. "You are writing your name. You wrote your first name and your last name. You printed the letters neatly...."

He drew and we talked about what he was doing. Then he began to write some letters at the bottom of the board. I watched carefully, trying to discern what he was writing. I've gotten pretty good at deciphering kindergarten spelling of unfamiliar words. But this had me stumped. (I'm pretty good but often have lapses!) I started at the seven letters. I had no clue what this word, phrase, or sentence could be.

"I wrote my name backwards," he said. I looked again. His name, the letters written in reverse order.

"You did," I said. "Your name is backwards."

Then he started writing again. This time he wrote his name in mirror image - letters in reverse order and all the letters flipped in reverse, too.

He began to erase letters from other words he had written. "What does it say now?" he asked. I would read the words--as best I could--with only the remaining letters. He would giggle and then erase something else.

After the board was clear, he wrote his name again. Then he erased the first letter and wrote a different initial letter. I read his "new" name. He giggled, erased, wrote another letter. This went on for a few minutes. He continued to play with letters and words before he moved to play with blocks.

I think my friend thinks about letters as he does the blocks. Let's put them together, see what we get, rearrange them, remove a few, replace others. He's learning how to build words in different ways and what happens when letters are shuffled.

And it was fun!

I wonder how more kindergartners, first graders, all kids could explore and play with language like this. Reading class...writing time...language instruction could be so different. Let's figure out how to do it.

"I'm Making My Own Map"

I love to incorporate different types of literacy play in the classroom. We often have opportunities to read and write in different ways. This week we had out the map pieces and highlighting markers.

I've written about this in the past. But this group of kids all sat at the table and worked on map piece after map piece. Highlighting markers are great because you can draw over lines and still see them.

Some drew on the lines on the map. Some just drew on the paper.

One boy drew lines across the paper. "I'm making my own map," he said.

Writing is more than creating letters and words. Kids are learning to make meaningful marks on paper. Creating their own map or following the lines or drawing specific pictures are all ways to make meaning

I know that paper maps are not in vogue anymore. But we still love to use them, even if it's for exploring writing. (And doing a little repurposing!)

Purposeful Writing

My word for this year is PURPOSE. I've been thinking about what I do and why I do it. I've tried to write my blog posts and tweets and other efforts with intention, making them all support my overarching philosophy and purpose.

In doing that, I have been thinking about a lot of things. When I see an activity, I think about the why of that activity (why would I use it; what purpose does it serve). Since PLAY and exploration are key components of my philosophy, I've been looking at things and evaluating how they support the kids' ability to explore and play and use their own ideas.

This week we were thinking about our preschool leader in our church. She is celebrating a significant anniversary and we wanted to make something to thank her. I know there are all kinds of activities and crafts out there. We decided to make cards. We put out folded paper, markers, and gel pens.

I did print a couple of sentences that kids could use for writing. But this was their choice. They could write those words or not. They could write any message they chose (or not write anything).

I sat at the table with the kids as they worked. I talked about our leader and the things she does for us. We talked about when the kids saw her. I commented on what I saw kids doing. I read the "sample sentences" in case they wanted to write those words.

One girl asked me how to write "from." I wrote the word on the back of one of my sentences so she could write it on her card.

They experimented with shapes and colors. They found a few pens that no longer worked. When a pen began to write lighter and lighter, one girl said, "This is what you do." She shook it hard a few times. And it wrote darker again.

Classrooms all over our country are stressing academics and literacy. But I discovered my kindergartners working on purposeful writing. They wrote to express themselves and their gratefulness. (They may have used some of my words, but they chose those words as their own.) They saw how writing can communicate ideas and feelings. Pictures and words can tell someone we are thankful for what they do. Pictures and words can help show our happy feelings and cause happy feelings in someone else.

I wish all writing and literacy experiences could be purposeful and meaningful. My goal is to create an atmosphere that encourages literacy play and exploration. Now my church class is different (in purpose and context) from the children's school class. But playing with words - exploring writing and reading and communicating - is possible in all kinds of contexts.

My kids have shown me that making it purposeful makes it real. It makes it authentic. And that's when the learning (mental, social, emotional) really happens.

Literacy Can Be Play, Too

I think that play is the best way for kids to explore, discover, and learn. Sometimes we forget that literacy can be play, too. Or that the best way to explore and build literacy skills is to add opportunities for reading, writing, and alphabet exploration to our play experiences.

Here are some examples in my church kindergarten class this week--

As we explore moving pompoms with chopsticks, we can look at a chart of words written in different languages. Or we can explore a book written in Chinese. Looking at words in other languages helps kids understand that writing and print is meaningful and that people communicate in different ways.

We were spelling words at the large magnet board. We had magnet sticks, too, to explore and discover. Some kids experimented with creating letters with the sticks. This encourages kids to think about letter shapes and communicating through writing.

I often add books and other reading material to different centers or activities. This week we were playing in the home center. The girls turned pages in the Bibles and wanted to find stories that we had read in the past. They were connecting the stories they had heard to written text, connecting themselves to words.

Other ways we add in a little literacy:

• Add pencils, paper, and clipboards to any activity.
• Post a sign with key words or a statement about what we are learning.
• Provide access to writing materials at all times. Kids can pull in writing when they choose.
• Lay books and other reference materials nearby. Or set up a reading nook where kids can always explore the written word.
• Offer a writing center each week. Our kids always have opportunities to draw and write.

Check out this post I did for Pre-K Pages that incorporates literacy play and eye doctor dramatic play.

Other recent posts about literacy play:

Writing with Bamboo Pens

Painting with Oil

Literacy by Choice

And a classic from several years ago: Not Literacy?

Writing with Bamboo Pens

Our kids are just learning to write. Sometimes we challenge them with different ways to write.

Recently we used bamboo pens, black paint, and paper to write like people did in Bible times.

It takes much longer to write this way. You must dip the pen repeatedly in the paint. You have to think about how to form the letters carefully.

Sometimes you write and decide to create interesting marks.

Try out these bamboo pens. (We got ours at the craft store, in the calligraphy section.) Using these pens makes writing a slightly different experience.

5 Ways to Use Salt

This post begins a periodic series on Brick by Brick - 5 Ways to Use. These posts will examine 5 different ways to use an item. Sometimes I will have links from Brick by Brick; other times I'll point you to other great early childhood resources.


This time we will examine 5 ways to use salt in the classroom (and get inspiration from around the blogosphere!).

• In the Playroom creates Colored Salt Christmas Trees. I like this way to create trees. It isn't permanent and the colored salt can be reused over and over (or used for something else).
• Artsy Mama uses salt to create salt paintings. Create designs with glue, sprinkle salt over the design, and drip watercolors or colored water on the salt to color it. We are going to do this soon!
• Preschool Spot offers a "sweet" spin on the salt tray with their Candy Cane Salt Writing activity. Red scented salt combined with white salt or snow confetti makes a great medium for writing numbers, letters, or designs.
• Tinkerlab has a recipe for salt dough and how to create ornaments with the dough. You can find lots of variations on salt dough ornaments out there in the blogosphere. But I like the simple shapes of these. And part 2 includes decorating the ornaments.
• Happy Hooligans froze hand shapes and then used salt to melt the ice. This is a fun and simple science experiment for preschoolers.

What fun ways have you used salt in your classroom activities? Include ideas or links below.

Inspiration from the Blogosphere - What I've Learned Edition

Reading Twitter and Facebook and blogs, I see lots of things flying around the blogosphere. Some of it makes me a little frustrated, some reminds me of things I knew, some is just wrong. And some brings me new ideas or new ways of seeing things. Or just makes me smile. Here are a few things that I've seen in the past couple of weeks.


Elementary Math Addict - I was cruising through Twitter yesterday and saw a retweet with the first post from this blog. I read all the posts on that blog and came away inspired. I will definitely continue to follow the blog and think of ways we can inspire math learning with young kids. In fact, this makes me want to go to the nearest elementary school and tell them that I want to teach math only to all of their first graders (and maybe kindergartners and second graders). Seriously, go read Jamie's blog.
I learned: Talking less and listening more can be the best teaching.


Fall Leaves Art Activity (Pre-K Pages) - [Full disclosure: I work with Vanessa to edit the posts on Pre-K Pages.] When I saw this post, I was intrigued and now I'm ready to try it out. Leaves, paint, and googly eyes. Let the kids explore and play. I love the pictures in this post...and the ones in my head of the possibilities that kids could create. I love open-ended art explorations and this is one I want to try.
I learned: Mixing up unrelated materials can lead to cool results.


My Son Hates Writing (And What I'm Doing to Change That) (What Do We Do All Day?) - I love the specific idea in this post - use comics or graphic novel activities to encourage a reluctant writer. I also love the generalization that this post triggers - figure out how to engage a kid to develop skills by considering his interests. Learning should be fun and should connect to the learner. This post just reinforces that (without saying it).
I learned: A little change in focus yields great results.


Allowing Children to Bloom in Season (Not Just Cute) - Amanda's writing always inspires and teaches me. This post just hit on all cylinders. Seeing kids as individuals, developing in their own ways and at their own times is so important. This post and its analogy just help us realize that more and more. (You will see more about this post soon.)
I learned: Some people really understand that kids are individuals and should be viewed as such (and so many others don't).


Babies Learn from You Every Second (video on DeLorean Facebook Page) - Just watch this small child. Everything she does mimics what the adults were doing, what she saw. A sobering reminder that they are watching and learning from us all the time.

Babies learn from you every second - both good and bad things....
Babies learn from you every second - both good and bad things. This little one picked up on how to do CPR! #lol #adorableLIKE ----->>> DeLorean For more videos.
Posted by DeLorean on Saturday, April 18, 2015

I learned: Each thing I do matters; each word makes an impression.


And one from my own page: He Wrote What?
I learned: Never underestimate what kids will retain, absorb, or do. Allow them to show it.


(For more things I find and enjoy, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.)

To Plug In or Not Plug In?

This summer I'm reading and commenting on the book What If Everybody Understood Child Development? by Rae Pica.

Chapter 21: Should We Teach Handwriting in the Digital Age?
Chapter 22: Just Say "No" to Keyboarding in Kindergarten
Chapter 23: iPads or Play Dough?

These three chapters focused on issues related to technology and young children. As Rae Pica states in the book, the opinions on this larger topic run the gamut--from those who advocate full-on technology usage in the youngest classrooms to those who think all electronics should be banned for young kids.

Some say that we should be teaching those keyboarding skills to kids since they will use them their entire lives. Handwriting is obsolete or soon will be, they say. Kids can communicate their ideas more completely using technology since they don't have think about letter formation or stamina in writing. Technology is better because kids can focus on the ideas rather than the mechanics.

While I agree that some kids struggle with the physical demands of handwriting, I do think that kids (and adults) lose something when writing on a computer rather than by hand. When writing by hand, the writer can ponder and make a more physical connection with what is written. Ideas percolate more and can be refined before being put down on paper.

Using more technology often leads to less physical activities and less exploration with "real world" materials. While kids may love using screens for all kinds of things, they also enjoy and learn more from using their senses, moving their bodies, and handling all kinds of things. More understanding of trial and error, cause and effect, and learning from failure happens when kids are using a variety of materials and exploring and experimenting.

I think too often we see technology as THE answer. Technology (just like play dough or blocks or paint and brushes) is a tool that can aid a child's learning and pique his curiosity. I think technology should be just one part of what happens in a child's life. As with anything that comes into the classroom, it should be used intentionally and judiciously.

I would advocate a balanced and reasoned approach. Technology exists in the world of kids and should be a part of the classroom. But when it's used, it should be purposeful and intentional. It should fit with the play dough and crayons and dolls and dishes. It should follow the child's lead and interest. It should be part of the authentic learning that's happening in the classroom.

P.S. A personal peeve: "They'll need it later so we should give it to them now." Let's teach who our kids are now, not who they will be or what they might become. Let's give them what they need now. And give them what they need later when it is later.

Some links from the book---

• Why Learning to Write by Hand Matters
• Why Handwriting Still Matters in the Digital Age
• Is Teaching Keyboarding in Kindergarten Developmentally Appropriate
• How Much Technology in the Classroom Is Too Much?
• Is Technology Sapping Children's Creativity?

And a few more---

• Figuring Out Those Damned ATMs
• Technology and Young Children (NAEYC)
• Book Study - Teaching in the Digital Age
• The Importance of Teaching Handwriting

Taking Initiative

One of my favorite things happens when kids decide to fix things or make things better in the classroom.

Recently we were playing with phones and a keyboard. This area was extremely busy. We were talking and taking notes and typing up important information.

It looked like a busy office.

But one of the guys noticed a problem. There was only one keyboard. And not everyone was having opportunities to use it.

He came to me. He explained the situation. He explained what we needed. A waiting list.

I've written about our use of waiting lists before. We use them when something is popular but not readily available. Kids can put their names on the list and then go do other things. When the activity is available, the child is given an opportunity to do it. He can say yes or no. We go down the list in order.

Usually I suggest a waiting list if something seems to be popular and kids begin to stand around to wait. I like to keep all kids busy, so a waiting list is a helpful way to manage "turns" when needed.

But this time, my friend suggested the need for one. I gave him paper and tape. He posted it and added his name.

Problem-solving is more than just figuring out how to build something and so forth. It's taking a situation and determining how to make it better. That's what my friend did.

Kids taking initiative and solving problems. Wow, these kindergartners are getting older and more capable. I guess that means they will be moving on soon. And that makes me happy and sad.

Writing and Context

In my last post, I wrote about context. Learning must connect to kids and their lives.

I recently read the blog post How Not to Learn to Write (An Everyday Story). In that post she writes "And when we keep reading and writing firmly planted in meaningful context, allowing our children to create words and read words naturally, they start to discover for themselves the joy of putting their thoughts to paper."

In our test-and-standards-obsessed world, we drill kids on letters and words and writing to connect to text. But we definitely (especially in the early years) need to create an atmosphere of writing. How do we do that?

Provide authentic situations for writing; give real reasons for kids to write.

When I put out telephones to use, I always add notepads and pencils. Kids have an opportunity to "take messages" or write down notes. When we use the digital scale, I add pencils and paper for kids to write down their observations.

In my second grade class last year, we observed caterpillars transforming into butterflies. We read lots of books about butterflies (and other life cycles). We drew pictures and wrote words about our observations - several times.

But I think the most important lesson I've learned about writing (and reading) with young kids - give them some choice and control.

We wrote a lot last year, reflecting on what we read as a class. My kids would always ask: "How many sentences? How much do I have to write?" This bothered me. I talked with the instructional coach at my school. After much discussion about why or what may be going on, we decided to include free journaling in the last month of school. (I used journals in my first grade class but had not used them much in this class.) So, at an appointed time in the day, we would get out the journals and write. About whatever they wanted. As much or as little as they wanted. I would write a comment back in the journal that they read the next day. The writing of my students changed so much. Some wrote only a sentence or two. Some wrote a page full (and added to the same writing the next day). But the complexity of sentences, the ideas expressed, the enthusiasm for writing CHANGED.

We do the same thing with our writing center in my church kindergarten class. Kids choose what to write. They choose the topic and the length. I may add some suggested prompts or pictures or ideas. But they choose what to do.

Kids can't always choose what to do or control the expectations. But including choice and control as much as possible helps kids connect with their writing. With all their learning.

How have you seen kids grow in their writing or learning through choice and control?