Write With Me: Partnering With Parents in Writing Instruction

by Lynda Sentz

Overview

In this book, teacher and author Lynda Wade Sentz presents innovative strategies for involving parents in their children’s writing instruction. Elementary school teachers can use these strategies to expand writing instruction into the home and enlist parents as "writing role models" who help to reinforce classroom learning.

Designed for use in conjunction with your current writing program, these activities are engaging and enjoyable. They include the Partner Journal and the Partner Scrapbook, along with several others that enable parents and children to communicate via the written word.

Contents include:

• Parents: Their First Writing Teachers
• Establishing Parent-Child Writing Partnerships
• Getting Parents on Your Side
• Ideas to Strengthen Parent Partners

According to Sentz, "Parents are the most underutilized resource in education, yet they are the most powerful tool in the teacher’s arsenal." When writing is encouraged in the home, children develop an appreciation for good writing and are increasingly motivated to write themselves. Let this book help you put your greatest asset – parents – to good use, and begin to see significant improvement in the writing of each of your students!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596671638
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/24/2010
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Lynda Wade Sentz graduated from State University College at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and English Education. She received her Master of Science in English Education from State University College at Buffalo and holds New York State Teacher Certification in both Childhood Education and Secondary English Education. She is currently a classroom teacher at Cloverbank Elementary School, Frontier Central School District in Hamburg, New York, which lies just outside the city of Buffalo. Lynda has taught in both public school and parochial school settings in general education, resource classroom and inclusion classroom settings. Lynda has authored numerous children's stories, poems, and a large volume of newspaper articles and editorial pieces. Her work has appeared in Buffalo News, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Children's Playmate Magazine, Hopscotch Magazine, Boys Quest Magazine, Bee Group Newspapers, Hamburg Sun, Western New York Family Magazine, and Medical Community Digest, to name a few. In addition, her fiction work has been acquired by Florida State Education Department for use in the F-CAT assessment administered in Florida schools. Lynda is married and is the mother of four sons, who all learned at a tender age to craft their words with care.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements v

Free Downloads vi

Meet the Author x

Introduction xi

Purpose (a.k.a. How to Use This Book) xiii

Reality Check xiii

Roots and Wings xiv

Attitude xv

Interest xvi

Ease xvi

Enjoyment xvii

1 Parents, Their First Writing Teachers 1

My Role Models 2

The Heart of the Matter 3

In the Garden 3

Education Is a Lifelong Process 4

Parents as Writing Role Models 5

Attitude and Identity 5

The Survey Says 9

Who Writes? 10

Survey Question 1: When You Are at Home, What Kind of Writing Do You Do? How Often? 12

Survey Question 8: Do You Write for Enjoyment? 15

Parents Who Teach 17

Lessons Learned 19

Further Exploration 21

2 Establishing Parent-Child Writing Partnerships 23

Building Bridges 25

Connecting School and Home 27

Connecting Generations of Writers 28

No Pain, No Gain 32

Further Exploration 32

3 Getting Parents on Your Side 33

Try It, You'll Like It 35

Factors to Keep in Mind 42

What Do We Do About the Students Whose Parents Will Not Participate? 44

Option 1 44

Option 2 44

Option 3 44

Option 4 45

What Is Not an Option 45

Further Exploration 45

4 Parent-Child Partner Journals 47

On the Launch Pad 49

Perception Becomes Reality 58

What They Say 59

See It Their Way 59

Meet the Parents 60

We Have Liftoff 61

Maintaining the Momentum 63

Wrapping It Up 63

Reflection Questions (After Implementation of Journals) 66

5 Partner Scrapbook 67

September (Small Moment) 70

October (Narrative) 73

November (Fiction) 76

December (Poetry) 79

January (Personal Essay) 82

February (Mystery) 85

March (Memoir) 88

April (Spring) 91

May (Historical Fiction or Biography) 94

June (reflection) 97

6 More Ideas to Strengthen Parent Partners 101

Encouraging Parents 103

Family Journal 104

Vacation Journals 104

Love Those Letters 105

Parent Writing Guild 107

Other Ideas to Share with Parents 108

Summer Reading and Writing 109

7 Bells & Whistles: Additional Classroom Resources 111

What Else Can You Do? 113

A Moment in Time 114

NaNo WriMo-National Novel Writing Month 114

Lists, Lists and More Lists 116

Handy Transition Words: First, Next, Then, So, Finally 117

Pump It Up! 120

Got Crayons and Paint Chips? Add Some Color to Your Words! 120

Scene Setters 120

Important Things 121

Poet Tree Poetry 122

Poetry Theater 122

This, I Believe 124

Pop! Goes the Mystery 125

Memoir: My Life As 125

Other Resources Worth Reviewing 126

Putting It All Together 127

A Last Thought 139

References 141