This week during writer's workshop we have been talking about different kinds of writing. We brainstormed ways our families use writing every day and observed the different kinds of writing we have in our classroom. So far this year, we have been focusing on telling stories about real events that have happened in our life. I showed the kids that we can take a subject that we are writing about and do different kinds of writing using that same subject. I modeled this by writing a story about going skiing over the weekend. I then showed them that I could write a letter to my friend asking them if they wanted to go skiing on Saturday, a how-to ski instruction booklet, a list of equipment to bring, and a reminder note to myself to not forget my poles. The kids experimented with doing all different kinds of writing.
We also began talking about what publishing means and brainstormed what we thought Jan Brett did before she published her stories. The kids learned what editing is and that most authors do this before publishing their work. At the Kindergarten level, this encompasses rereading their work, adding a few words in and making sure there are periods and capital letters in their work. Sometimes, it may include adding another idea by writing an additional sentence. It also includes putting more details in their drawings and making their coloring their, "best work." We have each chosen a piece to publish and will have a publishing party next week where we will all read our work to the group, have some popcorn, and display our work on a bulletin board in the classroom.
