Author Stories

The child is dictating her own story to the teacher. The teacher patiently waits for the child to create. She doesn’t correct the child’s story, words, etc.  Notice that she is focusing her attention on the child and her work while also keeping an eye on the activity of the other children. The other children, working with a measuring tape, are talking about math concepts—10+10=20. No one is teaching

Look for the teachable moments: The teacher spells a few words out loud—“more—m-o-r-e,” “i-t, it.” She explains the use of quotations marks in words that are appropriate for the child, explaining their use rather than focusing on the exact words. That will come.

Look for evidence of the child’s early literacy skills:  she begins her story with “Once upon a time…” She knows to turn the page for her separate ideas. She mainly dictated one word at a time, showing her understanding of words that make up sentences. She divides words but not syllables. She noticed that she uses “then” a lot, and in so doing, notices that it is a word that signals a change. She recognizes when the teacher understands that she wanted her to write “wanted” instead of “was,” probably when the teacher makes the letter “n” or perhaps when the word was longer than just three letters.  

At the end she says, “Do you want me to read that at circle?” and the child responds with a “yes.” This shows great respect for the child and her work. The work is the child’s and she has a right to say whether it is heard by others or created for her own enjoyment. By reading it to the class, the teacher will honor the child’s work and her creation and will have an opportunity to model literacy to others through the work of the child.