He Has A Point
We are working on a writing in our first grade classroom. I've been reading books about winter and walks in the snow and my favorite, Owl Moon, to the class, to class to create visions of snow-laden trees and the sounds under our feet when we go walking through the woods in the winter. I wish I could take them all on a little field trip as the whole concept seems to be completely foreign to all of them. I remember vividly walking through the woods behind our home in the snow and loving the silence.
We started by just listing the things we might see, hear, feel and even taste on such a walk. I had several try to convince me they would see dolphins and candy canes and even taste cookies. We kept working on the concept. One boy in particular was really struggling with the task, however. Listed under what he might taste, he had written, "cheze its". I got down on my knees and asked him very quietly to close his eyes. I asked him to dream about walking through the woods. I talked him through the mental picture, the snow falling, the trees covered with white, silence and dark. I reminded him of the books we read, of the animals they talked about, of the sounds they made. I asked him to take a deep breath and then I asked in a whisper - what do you taste?
"Candy bars."
"Candy bars?" I said. "In the middle of the snowy woods you might taste a candy bar?"
"In my dream I sure do!"
Well, true. He probably does taste candy bars in his dream. What was I thinking?
We started by just listing the things we might see, hear, feel and even taste on such a walk. I had several try to convince me they would see dolphins and candy canes and even taste cookies. We kept working on the concept. One boy in particular was really struggling with the task, however. Listed under what he might taste, he had written, "cheze its". I got down on my knees and asked him very quietly to close his eyes. I asked him to dream about walking through the woods. I talked him through the mental picture, the snow falling, the trees covered with white, silence and dark. I reminded him of the books we read, of the animals they talked about, of the sounds they made. I asked him to take a deep breath and then I asked in a whisper - what do you taste?
"Candy bars."
"Candy bars?" I said. "In the middle of the snowy woods you might taste a candy bar?"
"In my dream I sure do!"
Well, true. He probably does taste candy bars in his dream. What was I thinking?
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