The writing program will emphasize daily writing for real life purposes. We will be writing stories, poems, letters, and even doing a research paper! When the children first write, I encourage them to write all the letters they hear and not to worry about correct spelling. In this way their thoughts will flow freely onto the paper. Before anything is published into final form, an adult will conference with the child to praise them for their accomplishments and to help them correct their errors. Writing is like reading, in the fact that it is a developmental process, and it takes time and practice to become fluent at it.
By the end of first grade your child will be expected to write a minimum of five complete sentences on a topic. He/she should be consistently applying the elements of the Five Star Writing Framework i.e. capital letters, word spacing, handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Known words will be expected to be written correctly Writing unknown words phonemically will be acceptable (saying, hearing, and writing specific letter sounds within words is a basis for writing words); however, all heard sounds will be expected to be written.
Handwriting:
Traut is piloting a new program this year called Handwriting Without Tears . I will be stressing the correct formation of letters, the first grade way to hold a pencil, the spacing of letters and words, and legibility. Handwriting is something that can and should be practiced at home often.
Writing in Mrs. Woods' First Grade
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