Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 18) Children accomplish their tasks at their own level, in their own way. Because the jobs are openended, the children’s responses range from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract. Some of the children can use higher level thinking to synthesize content. On Fridays, when they read their notes from earlier in the week, they analyze, summarize, and prioritize the information. Children can also use a writing method that’s comfortable for them when they do their daily note taking and reporting. They can draw pictures and/or write words or sentences. The children’s reporting skills develop throughout the year. © Ellen B. Senisi • For “A book we recommend,” some children draw a picture of a character, some copy the title, and others write a sentence about a part they really liked. • Alex was just learning English in the fall. One spring Friday afternoon he was eager to show his mom that he had written a whole sentence in the newspaper. The class flourishes as a community of learners. The newspaper creates a sense of belonging. All of the children constantly collaborate to create this community publication. Because they sign on the border and not on individual reports, the newspaper gives the class a sense of a group effort. The newspaper jobs also encourage the children to be more empathetic toward each other, increasing selfesteem and positive social interactions. The children’s actions, thoughts, and ideas are valued and validated when they are reported in the newspaper. • Robin applied a lesson from our character education program, Heartwood, and helped her friend feel better. Robin sensed that her friend Mia was scared to sing in front of an audience for the concert. For her “Heartwood moment” report, she drew a stage with our Heartwood word COURAGE in big letters. • Eric’s younger sister was worried about getting a shot at the doctor, so he showed her what he learned at school about how to calm down. Eric was excited that he had helped her and told her, “We’re going to have to put that in our class newspaper, that you took deep breaths and calmed yourself down.” • Christopher suggested we have a “sub job” to make sure each job gets done when someone is absent. This made it clear to me that the children were taking their responsibilities—to the newpaper and to each other—seriously. The newspaper strengthens the home-school connection. The newspaper enhances two-way communication, helping the teacher understand more about what the children are learning at home and about their family life and helping families realize how much their children are learning at school. In addition, through the newspaper reports, the children are connecting what they are learning at school to their experiences at home and with their families. 18 • Seth’s mom told me she was touched that her son included her birthday in his calendar report. • Lindsey’s mom said that their family enjoys reading the newspaper together on Friday nights. • Near the end of the school year, John told us that he and his mother were going to make a family newspaper over the summer. The class brainstormed headlines for a family newspaper, like “A toy we recommend,” “A food we like,” and “A nature moment.” What a great way to extend learning and literacy over the summer! Conclusion During our collaboration on the newspaper, we both— teacher and curriculum consultant—learned a great deal. It has been fascinating to see the children become so much more aware of their learning. They are engaged in active inquiry based on conceptual themes that serve as the foundation of our curriculum. The class newspaper can give teachers and families an extraordinary way to see how children make sense of what they’re learning—about themselves, others, and the world around them. References Bransford, J., A.L. Brown, & R.R. Cocking, eds. 1999. How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. A report of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Darling-Hammond, L., & J. Bransford, eds. 2005. Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Maniates, H., B. Doerr, & M. Golden. 2001. Teach our children well: Essential strategies for the urban classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Miller, D. 2002. Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Copyright © 2008 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp. Young Children • March 2008 http://www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.