Idea Webs

Second graders are writing and illustrating their own books! I will be collaborating with Ms. Kizer, second grade teacher, to help students through the processes of brainstorming, planning, pre-writing, editing, revising, sketching, etc., so that each student may enter a book in the MPB's Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrator Contest for 2009. Entries are due by March 31st.

We are using Loreen Leedy's book titled Look at My Book: How Kids Can Write and Illustrate Terrific Books.

Last Tuesday, we spent our time in literature connection looking at the overall process, practicing brainstorming and recording our ideas on a group "idea web, " and brainstorming and recording ideas for individual student projects.

An idea web starts with a main idea in the center. Then, students branch out from this main idea and write down everything they can think of around that main idea. They may not end up using everything, but it helps students get started with what can be the most difficult part of writing.

Ms. Kizer and I plan to focus on the process of writing and the importance of editing, and revising. I never write something perfectly the first time around! I frequently misspell words and may occasionally use incorrect grammar. There is always room for improvement and for saying something better. We hope that the students will learn some of these important lessons through this project.