I was in a second grade class yesterday and as part of their preparation for Martin Luther King Day, they were studying African American authors. They read several books by Angela Johnson including One of Three ,The Leaving Morning and Do Like Kyla. The class discussed the author’s writing techniques–the use of ellipses, and repeated lines like “leaving morning” and why the writer used them. The challenge was to apply these techniques to their own writing.
Reagan began her “small moments” story about hearing a funny book read to her. A teacher brought in her bag of books and she wondered what was inside…
Learning from accomplished authors is a great way to challenge your child or student to try new writing techniques to bring interest to the story.
I recently found this website, www.readwritethink.org, for teachers, filled with lesson plans for K-12 learning writing techniques from great children’s literature. Check it out. Let me know what sites you find helpful in teaching children the writing process through literature.
