On the first day of school, I would tell each and every one of my first graders that they had to write a story for me. I wish you could have seen the shocked looks on their little faces! They would cry out, “I’m only 6-years old! I can’t write a story!”
I explained to them they all had stories inside them. Some of them would tell me their stories with pictures. Others would tell their story with pictures and letters. Some might even tell me their story with words and pictures. It did not matter how they told me the story, they just had to tell me a story.
These first stories taught me what each child knew about letters, words, and even their pictures. They taught me about where each child was in their development.
I put these first stories in front of each child’s portfolio. For Mother’s Day, I would bundle up each child’s portfolio (no worksheets were in them) and give them to the children to give to their mothers for Mother’s Day.
The response was overwhelming. The kids all said their mothers cried after they opened their Mother’s Day Portfolio gifts.
No related posts.
Liked this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
09 September 2008, 10:26 am
I really like your idea of having the students write stories for you. I think this is an excellent way to allow the children to have fun, while at the same time evaluating their development. I think it is important, especially in the younger grades, to keep things interesting and fun. Because after all, teachers should try their hardest to still make school an enjoyable atmosphere. So by “testing” their knowledge by having them compose these stories about themselves is a wonderful way to still accomplish what you need to accomplish and allow students to enjoy the task.
I also think the idea of giving the children’s portfolios to their mothers is a wonderful idea! I love how you are incorporating so much creativity within your classroom!