I Do / You Help
I DO/You Watch
You Do / I Watch
You Do
In morning meeting, the children and Miss Anderson discussed the problem and make plans for how to solve it. As she writes the children's ideas on a chart, she mentions using periods to let people know when to stop reading. She also talks about using capital letters to start a new sentence. She says that names are very special, so Sparky's name will begin with a capital letter, too.
The children create signs at the writing center to post around the school about the missing hamster, one solution to the problem suggested at the morning meeting. Knowing that their messages will be read by others, they seek to write in a way that will be understood. They refer to the sign on Sparky's cage to make sure their spelling is correct and read their messages to Miss Anderson for affirmation
The next day, the children dictate a “Missing Hamster” story to be read by the principal over the intercom during morning messages. Miss Anderson reminds the children that the periods and capital letters will help the principal know when one sentence ends and a new one begins. As she records their thoughts, she calls on various children to use the marker to make the period or the capital letter.
For the day's entry into their journals, the children write about the missing hamster. The children are at varying stages in their writing development. Miss Anderson makes occasional comments on their use of periods and capital letters and offers suggestions as she talks to them about their entries. To help them in spelling words, she draws their attention to the word walls, their own personal word banks, and other resources.
