Writing

I remember when my daughter was very little and my husband and I were very new parents. We would keep a list of questions to ask the pediatrician at our next visit. Invariably the pediatrician would respond with something along the lines of "this is within normal limits". We began to tell ourselves that this was "within normal limits" when we were worrying about some aspect of our daughter's development. It seemed like everything was "within normal limits" and that we should not worry.

 I imagine that many of you have felt this way yourselves and have probably felt this way when talking to your child's teacher. You should know that most of the students in our crew are "within normal limits" in all areas of their social and academic development. You should also know that the "normal limits" band is very wide. Below I have posted some photos of writing in our crew - taken last Friday. It is all "within normal limits". What Ms. Cate and I will do now is take a close look at each writing sample and each writer and move them on along the writing continuum. Sometimes we will all need a lesson so we will teach that to the whole group. Sometimes only a small group will need a lesson so we will teach that lesson to the small group. Sometimes we will work with students one on one. The goal is to help students move and grow and become better writers everyday. Check your email for copies of the rubrics and checklists we use in first grade.