Third Grade Authors!
ideas grow into stories
Marilena beamed she read her book, “New Hampshire Fun” to a small circle of her third-grade classmates. After she finished, she received a round of applause and answered some of her friends’ questions about her story. What made it even more special was that Principal Ashlyn Field was in her group, too!
All students had time to share their stories—each one bound as a hardcover book complete with illustrations. Titles included “My Birthday Sleepover,” “The Worst Vacation Ever,” and “Animal Adventure.”
The readings were a rewarding culmination of a Teachers College Reading and Writing Project unit called Crafting True Stories, in which students practiced how to progress with independence through the writing process.
Students share their work
"I am an author!"
celebrating new skills
Third grade teacher Connie Merritt related that the books grew out of ideas the students captured in their Writers’ Notebooks. They selected and developed seed ideas, and practiced skills including creating a mental movie of their book, as well as using transition words, creating dialogue and showing feelings.
The celebration began as soon as the students arrived that morning. “The classroom was decorated with balloons and streamers and of course the song ‘Celebration’ was playing,” said Merritt. “Each student was also given an ‘I AM AN AUTHOR’ badge to wear.”
