Writing
Stages of writing
Children begin Room 1 at all different stages of writing, and it is important that they are given the time and support to move through the different stages of writing.
An important factor of children's writing is giving them a reason to write. They must feel excited about writing, and see the purpose of it. Labels for their creations, signs for around the classroom or the home, letters to family members or friends are all tempting reasons to put pencil to paper.
Another crucial factor in writing ability is muscle strength and the actual physical capability to hold a pencil correctly. In the handwriting section, you will find videos and exercises to help your child develop fine motor strength in the hands and arms.
Lastly, your child must be able to hear the sounds in the words they want to write. Play games like guess the sound, go on a sound walk, play Simon Says or I Spy to help your child begin to separate out the sounds in our speech into smaller 'chunks'. This will all help when they come to breaking down their sentence into individual sounds.
When we write in Room One, we use a checklist to help us structure our ideas.
1) Draw a picture of your ideas. While drawing, think of what you want to tell someone else.
2) Think of a sentence that makes sense. Practise saying your sentence over and over.
3) Sound it out. Say each word as slowly as you can and write the sounds that you hear in order.
4) Make sure you leave a space in between each word.
5) Use a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence and for names.
6) Use a full stop at the end of each sentence.
7) Use a word to describe how something looks, feels, sounds like, tastes, moves, etc.
