Try It Now

This time of year, teachers are thinking two things, alternately. Yea! It's the tail end of the school year! or OMG, it's the tail end of the school year.  Either way, I've found this to be the best time of the year to try something new.  Here's why:

• You're comfortable with your students and they with you. 
• Classroom management with this group has long been in place.
• You're not stressed about your lesson falling flat.  That's probably already happened more times than you can count this year.  If things are headed in that direction, you'll know what to do.

So here's something quick to try.  Prompt students with What is your earliest memory of an experience with a book? I used this with 1st and 2nd graders years ago and it worked well because it gets kids writing about their favorite subject - themselves.  If students can't remember something from way back in their lives, remind them that it could be something from pre-school or K, or even earlier this school year. 

Pre writing, get them talking.  Say Does anyone already know what they're going to write about?  This will help those children to verbalize some details.  It will help others to come up with ideas. 

As always, the teacher should respond to this prompt in writing and share as well.  You'll let the person who just shared call on the next one.  You raise your hand like everyone else. 

I won't spoil it by giving too much away.  If you have some time to try this, I'd love to know how it went.  Oh, and I almost forgot.  Do this early on in a new school year.  It's very revealing and will help you to plan instruction when you have little else to go on.