1st and 5th Graders Coauthor BooksAuthor(s): Deborah J. DavisSource: The Reading Teacher, Vol. 42, No. 8, Empowerment through Literacy (Apr., 1989), pp.652-653Published by: Wiley on behalf of the International Reading AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20200262 .
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IN THE CLASSROOM_
Including our
students acquiring English V.R. Nelson
The synthesis display is an activity that
helps students who are acquiring En
glish join in the reading class while
serving the needs of proficient speak ers at the same time.
Using Aesop's Fables as the litera
ture, the students and I collect pic tures, titles, phrases, morals, and artwork for about 5 fables (10 or 12 items per fable). We shuffle these pa
pers, mixing items from different fa
bles, and place 5-6 papers in each of 10 envelopes, ready for use by 20 stu
dents working in pairs. Meanwhile, 5 students have each
prepared a space in the classroom
large enough to display the envelope items for one fable. These synthesis areas can be simple?a sheet of
butcher paper with spots of two-sided
tape (e.g., small circles of masking tape pressed flat) or a bulletin board
(see Illustration).
Working in pairs, the students look
through their envelope of items. They move around the room, placing each of their items into the synthesis area
where they think it fits. The conversa
tions they generate help them all re
view the fables and are especially useful to the students acquiring En
glish. The illustrations and other art
work give these students visual cues to
organizing a good synthesis. The most important feature of this
activity is that it is useful to all the stu
dents, while permitting those who do not speak fluent English to participate fully.
Nelson teaches in the ESL program in the
Tempe Elementary School District, Tempe, Arizona.
1st and 5th graders coauthor books Deborah J. Davis
As part of Young Author's Month at our school, my 1st grade class and a 5th grade class teamed together to
write books. On the first day of the
project, we brought the classes to
gether and paired each 5th grader with a 1st grade student. We then reviewed the elements of story grammar and the 1st graders shared the blank "Story
Planning Charts" they use before writ
ing a story. The charts are made by folding a
piece of 15" x 18" (35 x 45 cm) lined
newsprint to make four columns (see
example on next page). We use the
story grammar elements of main char
acter, setting, other characters, story
problem, and solution as the headings for each column.
With young children, symbols may be used for each heading, if desired.
Following our story grammar re
view, the pairs planned a story using the chart. They then wrote Chapter 1 of their story together. Ideas were
shared by both partners, and the 5th
graders wrote the stories down. It was
great to see how the older children en
couraged the younger ones to contrib ute ideas!
On the next day of the project, the 1st graders composed Chapter 2 on
their own. After editing, their chapters were recopied and sent to their 5th
grade partners, who read them and then wrote Chapter 3 on their own. On the final day, the pairs rejoined to read
Chapter 3 and to coauthor the final
chapter of their book. The older stu dents again served as scribes for this
chapter, which they later recopied. As final touches, the 1st graders
made covers and title pages, and both
partners made illustrations which were
interspersed throughout the chapters.
Sample areas for displaying related items
simple fancy
butcher paper
adhesive tape rolled backwards
to which
papers stick
652 The Reading Teacher April 1989
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The 1st graders also interviewed their partners and wrote an "About the
Authors" page which was placed at the end of their books along with a photo graph of the two children together.
Once the books were completed, the classes assembled to share their stories aloud. The entire project took about two weeks.
In addition to the enthusiasm the children displayed toward this writing experience, we also noticed a special bonding occurring between the classes. The intimidating "big kids" and the "nuisance" 1st graders became comfortable friends, and the good feel
ings lasted long after the project had ended.
Davis teaches gifted children at West Woodland Elementary, Seattle,
Washington.
Reading on the move Nancy L. Wolfgang
In September, students enter my 1st
grade classroom with great enthusiasm for reading. They think of themselves as good learners, and are confident that they will rapidly become good readers. What a tragedy it would be if that enthusiasm got lost during the first
year of reading instruction! I maintain enthusiasm by planning
many reading opportunities for my 1st
graders, most of them outside reading group sessions. The purpose I set for
reading aloud is to share stories they love with friends who will enjoy them.
One of my regular classroom activities while students are working indepen dently is paired reading: two students sit together and take turns selecting and reading aloud a story they've en
joyed, or choose one story and alter nate in reading pages to one another.
Early in the year I meet with one of
my colleagues who teaches 3rd grade to match our students for an "adopted brothers and sisters" project. We get together with our adopted siblings of
Practical teaching ideas
Example of a story planning chart
(front side)
Main character
?
Setting Other Characters
Problem
?
(back side)
Solution
(3)
ten throughout the year. Many times the shared activity includes reading to our 3rd grade brothers and sisters and
being read to by them. The reading time is often enhanced with a snack or
accompanied by a physical activity or
game. First graders enjoy the sense of
being cared for by older friends. Toward the middle of the year, 1st
graders have an opportunity to become older friends themselves. Students who volunteer to be kindergarten read ers select a book appropriate for kin
dergarten students and practice reading it. When they are ready, they read to a kindergarten class or a small
group of kindergarten students.
My 1st graders are often seen walk
ing purposefully through the halls, with books tucked under their arms,
ready to read to an appreciative audi ence. At least once a week, the read
aloud audience is our principal, who welcomes an individual reader who has practiced earnestly for this special occasion. Once a month, the principal returns the favor, by coming to our classroom to read aloud a story to us all.
Student effort goes into repeated readings so that the selected audience
will be pleased and entertained. Care ful thought is given to book selection.
My role is to organize these opportuni ties and provide occasional guidance and help, and to feel pleasure and
pride in my enthusiastic readers.
Wolfgang teaches 1st grade at Decatur
Public School in Decatur, Michigan.
IN THE CLASSROOM 653
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