Writing at Centerfield

Nathaniel Hawthorne once said that “Easy reading is ‘darn’ hard writing.”  And believe me, no one knows this more than a student trying to get his or her thoughts on paper!  Writing is hard, it’s messy, and it can be intimidating. Once the pencil is put to paper, a writer’s inner thoughts immediately become public.  This can be scary for many kids (and adults, too!).  As I visit classrooms, it is amazing to see the many ways teachers and students are using writing throughout the day.  Our youngest students are developing oral language skills that will support their ideas for writing. They quickly move to drawing pictures, writing letters, words, and finally sentences.  All students are working on different genre pieces (short story, poetry, persuasive letters, etc.), and they are also using writing to explore their thinking about math, science, related arts, social studies, and reading.  Studies have shown that when students use writing as a tool for learning, they tend to internalize concepts, facts and ideas at a much higher rate.  From time to time, ask to see your child’s learning journals, and then talk about what he or she learning.  You should see diagrams, labels, facts, examples, ideas, questions, and reflection.   In essence, writing is an important tool not only for exploring thoughts, but for supporting learning - and our students are deeply exploring the world of writing.  That’s something to celebrate!