Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 32) writing choices were limitless and often displayed an array of understandings about concepts taught and talked about in class. Themes and topics. The children wrote about themes and topics that interested them. They viewed writing as a way of communicating their interests and to show what they had learned. This is especially obvious when concepts, such as science, emerged in their writing. Nonfiction. Ronda read the nonfiction book about apples with the hope that the children would learn new facts. While Tessa did not specifically state a fact she learned about apples, she took a step toward understanding by allowing the idea of apples into her writing. Openended writing experiences such as these let children write across the curriculum and help them conceptualize complex understandings of the world. Open-ended writing experiences such as these let children write across the curriculum and help them conceptualize complex understandings of the world. After several days writing about train tracks, Tessa was ready to add a new concept (apples), but she kept her train tracks. After NaKia wrote about her family several days in a row, she felt comfortable enough to allow a new member (Shrek) to enter and later to replace him with apples. Kallen continued to write elaborate stories based on cartoon characters but let his teacher’s writing demonstration influence his ideas. Ronda let the children make choices about their writing. Astride used drawings to convey meaning and eventually ventured into print when she wrote the book title Hungry Hen on her paper. By giving children choices and exposing them to new ideas in different ways, teachers can witness children’s new awareness of their world and events in the classroom. Reenvisioning in writing lets teachers know more about the children, understand them better, and glimpse their visions of the future. Like Tessa, young writers are always finding different ways to incorporate apples onto their own familiar train tracks. Conclusion When children can choose writing topics, they feel comfortable revising their original ideas and free to repeat similar concepts in their written work. They feel confident in what they have created. Slowly, new concepts begin to creep into old schemes. The new ideas, however, do not always replace old ones. References Dyson, A. 1989. Multiple worlds of child writers: Friends learning to write. New York: Teachers College Press. Dyson, A. 1993. Social worlds of children learning to write in an urban primary school. New York: Teachers College Press. Dyson, A. 1997. Writing superheroes: Contemporary culture, popular culture, and classroom literacy. New York: Teachers College Press. Calkins, L. 1994. The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Fletcher, R., & J. Portalupi. 2001. Writing workshop: The essential guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Genishi, C., S. Stires, & D. Yung-Chan. 2001. Writing in an integrated curriculum: Prekindergarten English language learners as symbol makers. The Elementary School Journal 101 (4): 399–423. Graves, D., & J. Hansen. 1983. The author’s chair. Language Arts 60: 176–83. Graves, D. 2003. Writing: Teachers and children at work. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Heard, G. 2002. The revision toolbox: Teaching techniques that work. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Murray, D. 2001. The craft of revision. Boston: Thomson Heinle. Vygotsky, L.S. [1962] 1986. Thought and language. Rev. ed. A. Kozulin, ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 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. 32 Young Children • March 2008 http://www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp http://www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp
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