Introduction
“Writing isn't one skill but a bundle of skills: sequencing, spelling, elaborating, and transitioning from paragraph to another, just to name a few. A writing teacher needs a bundle of skills to nourish young writers. Some of those are social: knowing when to praise, nudge, or look the other way. Some rely on an understanding of writing itself. Still others depend on your evolving understanding of the individual students in your class.”1
- Ralph Fletcher
Writing has always been one of the most expressive forms of communication for me. It is an avenue to convey my feelings, emotions, or ideas. In times where orally expressing myself has failed me, putting words down on paper has always been my preference as it is the most comfortable for me. Writing in every form, whether it be carving your initials with your loved one into the side of a tree, typing out your mom’s famous recipe, making the very important to-do list, researching and writing out the itinerary for that vacation you’ve been planning for months, typing up that angry work email that you eventually have to edit to make it more professional, or just leaving a simple message on a sticky note for the babysitter: are all essential parts of our daily lives. In today’s society, having things in writing is also a form of security, like having written permission or proof of agreements, from legally binding documents to the extremely fine print that’s often ignored. Because writing is such an important life skill, it is crucial to teach children at an early age the basics to build a strong foundation that will be beneficial to them all of their lives.
It is my greatest hope that as an educator I can help my students develop a love for writing at an early age. I want them to feel comfortable and confident in using it as a tool to go about their everyday lives so that one day they may grow up to be the screenwriters, editors, authors, or songwriters of their generation. I have the honor of serving the community and children at Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary in Richmond, Virginia. Redd is an inner-city, Title I school with grades K-5. We have approximately 500 students, and the majority of them come from low-income households. Our students are predominantly African-American and Hispanic. Many are new to the country from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador and speak English as a second language.
My unit, “Pen to Paper with Alexander: The Writing Process for No Good, Very Bad Days”, will bring one of the picture books I loved as a child into the writing process for my students. The unit will be based upon Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It tells the story of a boy who, from the time he wakes up with gum in his hair, has a day so bad it makes him want to move away to Australia. Published in June of 1972, the book is an ALA Notable Children's Book. It has also won a George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit, a Georgia Children's Book Award, and is a Reading Rainbow book. I would love for my third graders to hear Alexander’s story and use it to gather their thoughts and write about a bad day of their own.
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