Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 13) everyday lives. I was amazed at how well they were able to communicate the intriguing things they observed. Since beginning the newspaper, a whole new classroom environment has evolved. My role has evolved too—I am the facilitator of wonderment and discovery, and I can hardly wait for the news reporters to arrive each morning. The excitement is even more heightened on Fridays, when the children work on their completed articles and tape them onto the newpaper template. They feel proud of what they’ve accomplished; they’ve been working toward it all week. Lay the groundwork Before initiating a reporting routine with the children, consider the year-long themes in the curriculum. Then create a newspaper template using these themes. The themes will be the headlines for the newspaper articles and each headline will be a reporting “job” (see “The Reporting Jobs in the Four Sections of Our Newspaper”). Make sure you have a job for every child, or pair children to work together on jobs. Use Microsoft Draw or another computer program to make the newspaper template. Print this blank template on 11 x 17 inch paper or enlarge it using a copier. After introducing the newspaper concept to the children (see p. 14) you will make many copies of the template, cut out the section for each article (each reporting job), and store these papers in file folders labeled with the jobs. This way, on Fridays, blank pieces are ready for children to write their articles on, which they will then tape onto a master template that they have all signed (see template explanation on p. 14). Purchase enough small unlined notebooks so each child will have one to use as a reporting notebook. Put these in folders so children can easily find them in their desks. Add the reporting jobs to the Job Chart you probably already have set up for everyday responsibilities or to your calendar routine. (The jobs are the same as the newspaper headlines). Finally, write a letter to families explaining the purpose and process of the newspaper. It helps communicate to them the importance of the daily reporting work and how it is tied to their children’s learning across the curriculum. Steps in creating a class newspaper Creating a class newspaper is rewarding for teacher and children. Here we offer the preparations and procedures that Laurie’s class followed. The Reporting Jobs in the Four Sections of Our Newspaper These reporting jobs can easily be changed to whatever works for your classroom themes, age group, and number of children. One version of our newspaper included We Are Learning—At school, At home, I wonder Responsibilities—Attendance (Most/Least), Days in school (Hundreds/Tens/Ones), Weather (Most/Least), Temperature (Highest/Lowest), A book we recommend, What was on our calendar, Artist (for a picture under the newspaper name) Changes—Inside, Outside People Who Make a Difference—An Appropriate, Safe, and Kind moment (ASK),* A helping moment, A Heartwood moment,** A talent moment, A family moment *Appropriate, Safe, and Kind moment (ASK): This is the approach we use at our school to give children a few clear and simple basic rules to follow. To help children think about their behavior, we ask, “Is that appropriate, safe, and kind?” and discuss what behavior would have been a better choice. **A Heartwood moment: The Heartwood curriculum is our character education program. Using a literature-based approach, it focuses on exploring ethical values: Courage, Loyalty, Justice, Respect, Hope, Honesty, and Love. Young Children • March 2008 Courtsey of the authors 13
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