I guess I made it more complicated than needed....

[piraterose]

but I'm not really sure how it can be done any other way. Boo (first grade) had a spelling assignment to write a story entitled "The Big Mess" that had to include all of her spelling words: don't, can't, mess, less, lend, bend, come, help, tell, fell

 

My daughter hates to write stories to begin with, so I wanted to be involved from the get go - because to me it seems like a bunch of random words to meld into a story. It became a two night project with lots of tears (Boo) and head banging (me) on how to make these words into a cohesive story.

 

This is the note I wrote the teacher and her comments back - I'm not sure what I am missing because how can you write a short story with all those words and have it make sense with out a little forethought?

 

My email:

"Last night's spelling assignment was quite a struggle for "Boo". Were you expecting a lot of hand holding with this assignment? Because there was no way "Boo" could have done this on her own.

 

We even started talking about it the night before, how the spelling words could apply to the characters, setting and plot. She had a complete meltdown just trying to come up with names for her characters, even when I gave her suggestions, and tried to explained that there was no wrong answers. While she was in bed, I finally got her to calm down and she chose names from the ones I sugglested, decided that goggles were the object that would lent, and setting would be at water where someone would fall in. Last night we pull out the dictionary and wrote out words that she would use that she didn't know how to spell, like lean, goggles and water.

 

THEN we finally started writing the story, with me having an outline in my head and feeding her the word(s) that would work in each sentence. Basically it just ended up with me telling her what to write, based on her story prompts. Just writing the story took us 90 minutes from finding words in the dictionary to the final word written. This morning we spent 30 minutes rewriting the story in her nice handwriting and with name and title on the paper.

 

Is this normal? How can I have handle this better in the future, so that she could have been more independent with her writing. Honestly I had trouble figuring out how to make all the words fit in the story myself.

 

She's already labeling herself as someone who hates to write stories (based on the same struggle last year), so I would like to find a way that makes the process more natural for her. She hasn't struggled with the individual spelling sentences up to this point, but this story was a major meltdown block for her and the assignment would not have gotten done, without my direct involvement."

 

her response:

"Way too much work for that assignment. I went over this in class and showed the children how to make a story about a mess. It was just suppose to be a simple little story.

 

No outline necessary. Next time, just let Elisabeth write a story on her own. If is not what I expected I will go over it with her. I am sorry that she had a meltdown. I'm sure it was hard for you as well. We have been very successful writing stories in class. However, I realize this was the first time the children had to do it at home.

 

Just a practice test tonight so you can both get a good night's sleep. Thanks for your email and for helping her."

 

I realized I used a bad trigger word with "outline" - in reality we just talked about it and had an idea in my head on how all these words could word together in he story that Elisabeth wanted.

 

Am I crazy or was this more like a puzzle than a story? your talking about a 7-10 sentence story, (we managed to get two words in the same sentence a couple of times, but mostly is was on one per sentence.)

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited October 21, 2010 by piraterose

[fairytalemama]

Next time, just let Elisabeth write a story on her own. If is not what I expected I will go over it with her. .

 

You are not crazy. I think it seems like a bit excessive for a first grader, if the expectation is that they would do it on their own. Of course an assignment like this is going to require some forethought (AKA an outline) on how to incorporate the spelling words if the story is to make sense at all!

 

My daughter is in K, but a year from now I don't see her being able to complete an assignment like that without a LOT of assistance and guidance from me. And I'm sure some tears would happen here too.

 

I guess in the end (and this is why I quoted this portion of your post) the teacher did say she would review it with your daughter if she didn't produce what she expected. It's hard as parents to just let them go and do their work on their own (I am the #1 offender in this area). Hopefully, her teacher will make it clear next time how much parent involvement she expects.

[regentrude]

I think in an assignment like this, when the teacher says "story" it means: "String together some sentences that are a bit related to each other and use all the spelling words." The purpose is to use the spelling words - NOT to write a work of literature.

[NanceXToo]

If you were pulling out a dictionary and talking about characters and setting and plot and forethought with a 6 year old, I'd think you were definitely putting too much of your own thoughts and ideas into it, and making it way too overwhelming and stressful for your daughter.

 

Like another poster said, the teacher wasn't going for a literary work of art, just looking to see if the kids could put all the words in sentences that kind of flowed together (as opposed to writing individual sentences that had nothing to do with each other).

 

I think you should have (or that next time you should) just leave your daughter to it and see what she comes up with on her own, and then not be too critical of her attempts. She's only 6.

 

Your daughter might have wrote something like:

 

The Big Mess

 

Don't come in! You can't see the floor. I made a mess! I am cleaning up. Now there are less toys on the floor. I can lend you a toy. You have to bend down to get it. Come in. Do you want to help? Don't tell my mom. The lamp just fell!

 

Something like that. I don't think the teacher expected more and the things you were expecting/discussing with your daughter would be expected from a MUCH older child, IMHO.

[justasque]

but I'm not really sure how it can be done any other way. Boo (first grade) had a spelling assignment to write a story entitled "The Big Mess" that had to include all of her spelling words: don't, can't, mess, less, lend, bend, come, help, tell, fell

 

 

It's just a way to make the dreary task of writing spelling words fun. We've done it just to liven things up. Something like this (off the top of my head, writing one sentence at a time, not thinking about where I'm headed next):

 

The Big Mess

I don't want to clean up the mess.

I can't pick up all these toys!

This whole room is a mess.

I wish there was less mess.

Will you lend me a hand with the mess?

I hate to bend down to pick up toys.

Will you come and help?

Come and help me please?

You can tell me what to pick up next.

Oh no! You fell in the mess!

 

Do you know any moms who have had a kid in this teacher's class before? If so, put them on speed dial! Seriously, it really does help to have another mom you can consult when something looks like a big deal. They can give you examples of what their own kid and others have done before. I have sometimes asked teachers for examples, and been relieved when I've found that what to me sounded like a huge project was actually something quite simple and easily done by the child with minimal help.

[EKS]

If you were pulling out a dictionary and talking about characters and setting and plot and forethought with a 6 year old, I'd think you were definitely putting too much of your own thoughts and ideas into it, and making it way too overwhelming and stressful for your daughter.

 

Like another poster said, the teacher wasn't going for a literary work of art, just looking to see if the kids could put all the words in sentences that kind of flowed together (as opposed to writing individual sentences that had nothing to do with each other).

 

I think you should have (or that next time you should) just leave your daughter to it and see what she comes up with on her own, and then not be too critical of her attempts. She's only 6.

 

Your daughter might have wrote something like:

 

The Big Mess

 

Don't come in! You can't see the floor. I made a mess! I am cleaning up. Now there are less toys on the floor. I can lend you a toy. You have to bend down to get it. Come in. Do you want to help? Don't tell my mom. The lamp just fell!

 

Something like that. I don't think the teacher expected more and the things you were expecting/discussing with your daughter would be expected from a MUCH older child, IMHO.

 

:iagree: