Never Too Early to Write: Adventures in the K-1 Writing Workshop [Paperback]

Bea Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

Start kindergarteners writing even before they can print or spell -- and improve their reading readiness. Use the ten effective classroom writing-workshop strategies in a literature-based setting or with any readiness series and reach every child, no matter the literacy level. You'll treasure this lovely and useful reasource.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A common-sense approach... a must have book." -- Florida Primary Educator

About the Author

Bea Johnson is an elementary teacher with more than 25 years' experience in Kindergarten through Third grade, and Second grade Chapter I remedial reading.Bea teaches two-day writing and social studies workshops for educators at the University of Sioux Falls. She has worked as a writing consultant for numerous schools throughout the Midwestern United States.

Product Details

• Paperback: 149 pages
• Publisher: Maupin House Publishing (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929895312
• ISBN-13: 978-0929895314
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, February 12, 2004

By 

Education Oasis "Education Oasis" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Too Early to Write: Adventures in the K-1 Writing Workshop (Paperback)

Do children have to know how to spell and read before they are taught to write? No, contends Bea Johnson emphatically in Never Too Early to Write-a gem of a book which describes both a writing program and a way of thinking.

Each chapter is chock-full of advice, tips, anecdotes, and, thoughtfully, samples of actual student work. In Chapters 1 and 2, Johnson makes the argument that kindergartners and first graders should be taught to write. To support her contention, she explains in detail the many benefits in doing so. One of the most important is that when students write, they are using letters and punctuation. Indeed, they are immersed in them. This, in turn, imbues the strange squiggles and marks with meaning. They are not so mysterious nor foreign anymore. They have a purpose. They can communicate thoughts, feelings, ideas. Other benefits include: enlarged vocabulary, enhanced phonetics and spelling, increased familiarity of sentence patterns and word discrimination, additional opportunities to think critically and creatively, and even increased self-esteem.

At this point you may be thinking, that all sounds well and good, but how am I going to fit this into my already crowded day? The answer: Integrate the writing experiences into your other subjects. "Writing," asserts Johnson, "shouldn't be a once-a-week activity done on Friday afternoon, 20 minutes before the busses arrive." Johnson also contends that you "will discover incredible truths" about your teaching if you have your students write in the content areas. How? By having students write about the lesson, you will have immediate feedback-in black and white-about what they learned
and didn't learn.

Chapter 3 delves into seven stages or benchmarks of writing: from scribbling to random lettering to conventional spelling. It is important, declares Johnson, that children should not be taught at a level beyond their capabilities.

In the next chapter, Johnson discusses "The Rules." Although they are an "ideal" and you won't be able to follow them all the time, they should, she states, at least be in the back of your mind. In a nutshell, an effective writing classroom is informal, open to experimentation, content oriented, supportive, affirming, and encourages "table talk." The teacher "provides students with the tools, time, and structure to write."

"The Big Four" are discussed in Chapter 5. They are: Dictation, Drawing, Scribbling, and Temporary Spelling. There are a plethora of benefits to dictation, notes Johnson. First and foremost, the student "realizes immediately that his spoken words have meaning and can be written down" (emphasis mine). As the teacher or volunteer writes, the student is able to observe: left-to-right progression, punctuation, phonics, sentence structure, and more.

"Drawing," writes Johnson, "becomes the child's rehearsal stage of writing." These illustrations are snapshots, so to speak, of the child's thinking. Scribbles are the beginning stages of writing. Here the child experiments with word and sentence formation, symbols, holding the writing instrument and more. As educators, we should not overlook these attempts. Rather, we should "take advantage of the learning potential" of them by asking the student what he or she has written. Temporary spelling, notes Johnson, "is children's first attempts to write words using their best judgment about spelling." She then goes on to discuss the three stages of temporary spelling as well as the benefits described in research findings.

In Chapters 6 through 15 Johnson discusses in detail ten writing strategies. Among them are: Individual Language Experience Stories (ILES); Journal Writing; Draw and Write; Pattern Stories; Class Newspaper.

Johnson rounds out the book with a chapter on communicating with parents (which includes sample parent letters) and a chapter on conclusions, questions and answers.

If you are interested in trying a writing workshop in your kindergarten or first grade classroom, this concise, approachable, highly useful volume that will help you accomplish your goal.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Too Early To Write, November 19, 2003

By 

Marlise Tiffany (Garden City, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Too Early to Write: Adventures in the K-1 Writing Workshop (Paperback)

I am very excited about this book and this program. I began using this program in just two months ago. The setting is a first semester, half-day kindergarten program. Over 30% of my students are English Language Learners, nearly 10% receive speech services, 5% are hearing impaired, and nearly 10% receive other special education services. Most are considered low-income. If this program produces results for us, it can work for anyone.
The strategies in Never Too Early To Write are designed to lead each individual student to her full potential. Students express their own thoughts, feelings, and concerns. A teacher cannot help but connect with the children. Every student wants to be loved and respected as a unique person. Journal writing allows for a private moment with each student. Each child is working on skills that are meaningful to her. Once a concept is mastered, there is another to focus on.
The reasons for beginning the program are clear, but the side effects were the most impressive. Writing is FUN! It is fun for me. It is fun for the paraprofessionals in the classroom. It is fun for the volunteers. It is fun for parents to see their children progress. Most importantly, it is fun for the students; they love it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for those who are reluctant, May 24, 2000

By 

Marcia (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Too Early to Write: Adventures in the K-1 Writing Workshop (Paperback)

I am a writing teacher for Primary teachers and students. This book is a wonderful resource for teachers whom I train that are reluctant to start writing in Kindergarten. Real writing, not handwriting, but stories. I was at a workshop with Mrs. Johnson last summer and know that she has the experience and knowledge base to learn from!