It's time to turn our attention to word choice, and as I wrote In No More, "I'm Done!, after examining qualities that seem as wide and expansive as a Midwestern sky (focus, organization, voice), exploring the just-right word seems downright indulgent. Not to mention rewarding. Attention to the specificity and vitality of words can transform a predictable, blah piece into one that pulses with energy.
I begin our unit on word choice with a celebration of words. We read playful texts such as And Here's To You! by David Eliot, Rain Romp by Jane Kurtz, and (especially for second graders) House Takes a Vacation by Jacqueline Davies which is full of punny fun. We make favorite word walls, and verb walls, and even try our hand at making up new words. Have a frabjabulous time!
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Collecting Words
On Hand: Max's Words by Kate Banks (2006), index cards with a single hole punched in the corner (five to ten for each student), and one loose-leaf ring for each student. Optional: Old magazines, glue sticks, and scissors.
Mini-Lesson: After reading Max's Words, a story about a boy who decided to collect words, provide each student with ten index cards bound on a ring and invite them to begin their own word collections. Suggest that they write words they particularly love or are enchanted by on the cards. You might want to encourage them to cut words from magazines as Max did and glue them onto their cards. Encourage the students to use their cards as a resource when writing.
Extension: What are your favorite words? Have students interview family members to find answers to this question. Invite students to share the responses during the mini-lesson on the next day.
Adapted fromNo More "I'm Done!" Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades by Jennifer Richard Jacobson |
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"Jacobson's light touch and respect for her audience make the ordinary happenings of a little boy in a small town universal. Young readers just beginning to feel confident with chapter books will identify with Andy and will smile when they find out how his dream comes true.. . Hooray for Andy Shane!"
Robin Smith at The Hornbook Magazine |
for primary teachers
