KidWriting for Dummies

I've been looking into a new writing program called KidWriting. I ask a fellow teacher to give it to me in a nutshell... here is her description:

First, you model writing by using chart paper, gathering yourkiddos around you and soliciting their help when you write. Draw a picture first--the book uses (for the first lesson) a picture of a stick figure lying on the beach under a beach umbrella and you write the sentence, "I really wish I was at the beach". When you write "I" ask if anyone knows how to write the word, "I" (occasionally I do have someone), if not, I always say, "Well, want to know MY secret? (they will), 'If you know the letter 'I', you know the word 'I'" (this is a poem I made up for 'a' and 'I' and my kids all learn those two words right away. Then for 'really' I keep saying the word, stretching it out and ask what letter sounds they hear---I call on students and write down whatever they say....same with all the rest of the sentence. It is amazing that this first one, it doesn't even look close to the real thing unless I have real readers, but a few weeks later, there will be a huge improvement. I exaggerate all the sounds as I write adult writing underneath, talking only about what they got right, don't mention anything incorrect.

Oh--I nearly forgot, you also do a spiel on Kidwriting--what constitutes kidwriting, in all it's different forms, zig-zaglines, loopy writing, things that look something like letters, real letters/numbers-----this honors everyone's writing but acknowledges that kidwriting is different from adult writing. Then send them to write by having them draw a picture first, then use whatever type of kidwriting they want to use or are willing to challenge themselves to.
Bring them back together and have 2-4 children share their journals, again, commenting on any positives you can, ignoring any negatives.

There are also supports like the hats that kids can wear while writing---Bat of That, Whiz of Is, Love of 'of', Kiss of This,etc. (these are on the website, downloadable for free...www.kidwriting.com). My students learn all the hat words SO quickly!

Ideally you will have this 40-45 minute writing time everyday, it will really help you to see how children write to read and read to write....they really do need both to move forward and they are terribly integrated.

I hope all this helps, there is a ton of info on the website, but the book is only about $30 and well worth it...so many great ideas.