Children who develop an early passion for reading possess an underrated key to fulfillment. They stop being bored. They find that no matter what is going on around them, they can always escape into a book. That is why getting students hooked on books is a top priority in my elementary school classes.

My students not only read and discuss books together, but they also choose their own books from my collection, read them individually, and complete monthly book reports for prizes. 

We use the books we read as jumping off points for creative writing exercises.  For example, a recent writing prompt for my second graders was, “What would have happened if Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web had been a tarantula instead of a regular spider?” 

In the early grades (2nd and 3rd), teaching writing is less about enforcing rigid grammar rules and more about instilling an appreciation for language and word play.  Typical lessons include incorporating the five senses into descriptive writing; having fun with metaphors; learning how to grab the audience’s attention with a clever “hook”; learning to use proper punctuation and avoid run-on sentences; learning not to omit key details from one’s writing; identifying the parts of speech; and building vocabulary with competitions and games.

‍ ‍In the later elementary school grades (4th and 5th), we begin laying the foundation for structured writing. Students learn how to assemble their ideas into essays with topic sentences, thesis statements and supporting body paragraphs. For instance, my fifth grade class recently read a news article about one researcher’s controversial attempts to reverse-evolve chicken DNA to create “dino-chickens.” Students debated the topic, then practiced writing multi-paragraph opinion essays which they later shared aloud.

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