“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.“ -E.B. White-
I do that every day at school.
…from morning
Watching the sun make colors come alive.
Children discovering ladybugs everywhere. Each one is different.
…till evening
Snuggling together and watching the big sky.
Finding colors, seeing shapes and animals in the clouds.
Telling stories of imagination.
The presence of wonder is there. We just have to look in order to see.
Jennie
I love writing. This summer I read the best book on how to write, the advice of E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web and other classics. Oh, I have read a host of posts and articles on writing, many from fellow bloggers. They are all filled with terrific advice, but none compare to the simple, direct advice of E.B. White.
It all started with reading the new book, Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet. I wanted to learn more about White. After all, Charlotte’s Web is my first chapter reading book of the year in my classroom.
The book is far more than E.B. White’s story. I am going to call him Andy in this blog post, as that was the nickname given to him by his Cornell University classmates. His English professor at Cornell was William Strunk, who taught English from the book he wrote, The Elements of Style. Andy greatly respected his professor, and as what often happens with good books, this book came into play much later in Andy’s life.
Children’s books were not even on the radar for Andy. While he spent summers in Maine with a great love for the outdoors, his writing was not for children. Well, not yet. Andy’s first job after graduation was with the Seattle Times. His writing was excellent, yet wordy. Finally his boss said:
“Just say the words.” That stuck with Andy the rest of his life.
I have thought of those four words ever since I read the book. Yes, just say it!
Most of Andy’s career was spent writing for The New Yorker magazine. He became good friends with fellow writer James Thurber. Their desks were side by side. Finally a Cornell classmate asked him to help publish a revised edition of Professor Strunk’s book, Elements of Style. And, this is a large part of what he had to say:
“Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences… This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
Yes! Make every word tell. You are right Professor Strunk and Andy. More words do not make better writing. This is why the wit and wisdom in Andy’s writing was so successful at The New Yorker magazine. He followed this advice, and his success as well as his writing continued to grow.
Then, someone suggested he write a children’s book…
The year was 1945. A published children’s book was always read by the librarian at the New York Public Library. This was a big deal. I suspect that her (or his) opinion was gigantic. When Andy wrote his first children’s book, Stuart Little, Anne Carrol Moore of the New York Public Library wrote this:
“I was never so disappointed in a book in my life. Stuart Little, with it’s monstrous birth should not be published.” She said the story was unfit for children and out of hand, that the two worlds of fantasy and reality are all mixed up. “I fear Stuart Little will be very difficult to place in libraries and schools all over the country.”
Woah! And you thought rejection was tough?
Andy struggled with the first line of Charlotte’s Web. He put the book aside for a year. He tried, “Charlotte was a grey spider who lived in the doorway of a barn.” Then he tried, “I shall speak first of Wilbur.” Then he tried a long opening sentence. After a year he tried, “At midnight, John Arable pulled his boots on, lit a lantern, and walked out to the hog house.” Last, White cut to the action, and finally shortened it to, “Where’s Papa going with that ax?”
I just finished reading Charlotte’s Web to my preschool class for the umpteenth time over decades. Yes, that opening sentence works. Boy, does it work.
In the words of “Andy”, E.B. White:
“Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth. Children are game for anything. I throw them hard words and they backhand them over the net.”
I couldn’t agree more! And here’s a photo of Andy swinging on the real rope swing, in the real barn in Charlotte’s Web.
Jennie
The frost on every windowpane this morning is a heart! I just know this means something. Oh, Happy Day. ❤️
Jennie
Learning begins with language, building words upon words. The more words children hear, the more they learn, and the better they do in school. All of this leads up to reading readiness. So, if I can give children hundreds and thousands of words in a variety of ways, they will have a head start.
How do I do this?
Letter writing
When we have a guest visit the class, or we want to ask someone questions, we write a giant letter. In that way, I am helping children to visualize what is on their minds. But there’s more; children need to touch and feel to ‘cement’ an idea or a concept. I have them decorate and draw on the big letters. The words are reinforced and children feel as though they have written the words themselves. Often, they add their own writing. This week we wrote a letter to Her Majesty the Queen of England:
Note the many places children practiced making letters.
Picture Stories
Children have much on their minds. They’re constantly learning, soaking up information at a rapid clip. In late September I ask each child what they like to do in school. This is not a casual question; it’s the first time their teacher has asked, one-on-one. First, they have to think. I can almost visualize a fast-forward movie playing in their brains. With no other prompting or questions, I get “the story”. Each child watches as I write his / her exact works. I have not only put their thought into a written image, I have validated that what they say is important. Because it is. Next, each child draws a picture of their story. I mount the story along with their photo and hang it in the hallway. Of course we have a field trip to the hallway to read aloud everyone’s picture story:
Note the detail in the drawings and expressive, thoughtful vocabulary.
Storytelling
I tell stories for two reasons: hearing words without an image requires brain work and concentration. It is much the same with chapter reading. Children make the images in their head and vocabulary grows in leaps and bounds. Secondly, telling classic fairy tales with voices and animation is a favorite, along with Jennie Stories (true stories of my childhood), as it connects the children to me. There is the element of love, that intangible feeling of wanting to be part of the story and also part of the teacher who was once just like them.
And what does all this language do, along with reading a gazillion picture books? It gives children the skills to learn to read! There is both visual and auditory processing at work, plus making all those connections with what they hear, what they see, and what they write. This also translates into focusing- learning and listening at school in all areas.
Finally, it is fun for children. When the big chart paper comes out to write a letter, or when they hear the words “It happened like this”, or when the lights go out for chapter reading, children are excited and engaged. Words make all the difference in the world.
Jennie
Inspiring quotes on education. Thank you, Charles French.
Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children
Writer and pediatrician Perri Klass has always been a champion of sharing books with children, but this month in the New York Times she writes about the issue by mixing research with great human warmth and urgency.
Klass draws on a recent study that found that parents who read and write at home with children boost both literacy and lifetime skills. This topic isn’t new for Klass; she’s the national medical director of Reach Out and Read, the organization that distributes books to children through pediatricians’ offices.
The reading and writing study was conducted by University of Washington researchers who found that “Children who read and write at home — whether for assignments or just for fun — are building long-term study and executive function skills,” according to a press release.
Klass turns the research findings into near poetry:
View original post 435 more words
Thank you, Sally, for sharing my story of art and music woven with technology. It was a remarkable week.
There’s nothing quite like being a child at school – in the dark – at night – with your family. This week children and families gathered at school for a pizza party outside on the playground. It was such fun to see parents getting to know each other and children playing together. After supper, the pumpkin carving began. We have stone planters along the pathway, a perfect spot for carving and transforming pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.
And then, it became dark. We lined up all the jack-o-lanterns, lit them with candles, and stepped back to admire the many different faces.
This is what I wrote to families later that night:
Tonight was special. There was a moment, as the sun was setting and jack-o-lantern carving was almost finished, that I looked around and saw parents smiling and laughing with other parents. Children were busy and happy with their families and friends. It was a moment when I knew this was indeed a magical night. The sky turned pink.
Then, all the jack-o-lanterns were lit and glowing along the planter for everybody to see. That was extraordinary.
When we gathered to sit in a big circle with our jack-o-lanterns and sing songs, it was nearly dark. That was exciting! Being at school in the dark with your family, surrounded by classmates and families with jack-o-lanterns, is an experience that will be remembered. It is magical. I felt it. Teachers felt it. I hope you did, too.
The end of the playground is a large grassy area, perfect for running and playing soccer… and perfect for sitting together in a giant ring to sing Halloween songs. Children were snuggled together with their moms and dads. I played the autoharp as we sang “The Jack-O-Lantern Song.” Then we waved glow sticks and sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” There was a feeling of mystery and magic. These were the moments that mattered. Memories were being made, right then and there. Magic.
After singing, it was time to go home, but no one wanted to leave. Neither did I. It was such a lovely feeling to just be. We sat together a bit longer, soaking up the feelings, taking in the wonder of the moment and the night, and putting this magical memory deep inside.
As we were leaving, this is what happened, with a little backstory:
Eamonn is a dad in my class, and we have quite a history together- starting when he was a student in my class. He did his high school internship with me many years ago. I remember it well, and remember how much he enjoyed the experience. Later, he worked with me at Summer Camp, and then became my assistant teacher. He left to continue his education and become a pediatric nurse. As a dad in my class, he has come full circle. When I said goodbye that night I asked, “Do you remember this, Eamonn? Do you remember the night?” He was pretty choked up and said, “Oh, yes.” It was hard for him to get those two words out. And he said, “And the song…” I was a little choked up, too.
Jennie
My preschool class is learning about England. Our loft has been transformed into Buckingham Palace. The Union Jack flies overhead along with a picture of Queen Elizabeth. We made a red phone booth out of a big box, and we made biscuits (cookies, for those of us in America.). Oh, we have ‘travelled’ to England with a satellite map, and a travel box filled with maps and money. Children discovered a picture of the Queen on the money. Next week we’ll be making fancy hats for our tea party; only English tea, of course.
Today was music from England. I brought in my record player and albums, music from The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and the Beatles. Yes, I still have my Beatles albums.
Startling; that was the moment I introduced a record player. It was the best science of the day. The spinning turntable, and the sound of the needle on the arm- this was important learning. Fifteen children were captivated by this remarkable machine.
Then, I put a record album onto this machine. The Beatles. We listened to how the record player machine makes music, and then we listened to the Beatles. The first song on the album was “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” To my surprise, children jumped up, held hands, danced and jumped. They just loved the song. It was a wonderful moment.
Jennie
“Where words fail, music speaks” – Hans Christian Anderson- Singing often brings more to children than words. I sing everything and everywhere with children at school.
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A Teacher's Reflections 