This quick post was written in response to an email I received asking for a little more information.
The ‘Everyday Reading Wall’.
Today we started a new ‘Language Experience’ little book. Having just completed our first book, it was time to start our ‘Everyday Reading Wall’. The reading wall is created from the previous class made sentences and read everyday. Reading games are played using the vocabulary. As we write more sentences, and create more little books, our ‘Reading Wall’ grows.
What is a sentence?
Today’s question for the children was: What is a sentence? I want my students to use their inquiring minds, so each day we have questions to answer. The children are exposed to writing, and books everywhere in the classroom. They looked at books, displays, and shared their ideas with each other. Looking carefully at sentences ‘around them’, they came up with the following ideas which were shared with the grade.
A sentence says something.
A sentence is made of words.
There are gaps between words.
A sentence can be read.
A sentence ends with a fullstop dot.
Our New Sentence
Today the children came up with a new sentence for our sentence strip board. Once we have four sentences, a new ‘Language Experience’ book will be made, and sent home to read. Using the children’s collective knowledge they collaborated as a grade to write the following sentence. We copied ‘school’ from the reading wall. It was great to see the children referring to ‘words around the room’ for support.
The children sounded and stretched words long, and said them short. They ‘listened to their own voice as they sounded’, looked at the alphabet tool cards, and shared their ‘thinking aloud’. These are strategies I model everyday. What a wonderful attempt they made at writing the word learn. Once again writing spacers were used to create the gaps between words. These are magnetic spots for the whiteboard.
Finally the children were given the sentence to trace. Having taught how to write an ‘a’ and ‘o’, I was interested to see how they formed these letters. I use the dotted Victorian script for this activity.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Nina
Nina Davis: Teaching & Learning in Australia 
Hi Nina,
I’ve just started team teaching a Prep/1 composite and have found your blog to be a really useful source of information and inspiration.
Where did you get your dotted Vic cursive from? We’ve got regular Vic cursive at our school but the dotted form would be SO handy.
Thanks in advance,
Sumah
Hi Sumah,
Thanks for the feedback, and I’m pleased my blog is helpful. The vic cursive font has to be purchased. Just google it, and see where you can buy it from. I use it all the time. If you can’t find it the THRASS program sell a dotted sassoon font, which I’d happily use. I use the dotted cursive all the time. Get your school to buy it for your junior staff. There a a few different ones that come with it. Take a look.
I hope you’re enjoying your Prep students. It can be overwhelming for the children, and teacher at the beginning. I find that the first 6 weeks are a ‘bit of a blur’, but after that it’s smooth sailing – well, sought of! My advice is enjoy… it’s such a special year and get Student Led Interactive Writing goung, start a reading wall, make Language Experience books. Let them answer a question a day via exploration & inquiry. Don’t forget to play!
Cheers Nina
Shalom ‘my people’,
Hi Rene,
So pleased you have visited my reflection space. I share ‘the work I do’ here, ‘things’ that work, and move my students’ learning forward. Last year my students’ achievements were amazing. Focussing on ‘deep’ comprehension and fluency has helped. I know their learning was not limited by their year level. Differentiation and engagement has been my focus . I’ve captured their progress in my blog. I’d also have to say that my practice is improving, and changing all the time. It keeps me motivated, and I link with many wonderful teachers who share with me.
I’ve written many posts about ‘PrepD Student Led Interactive Writing’, and I believe this is a fantastic strategy. It fits beautifully into the Language Experience Approach. I’ve used many of the strategies I write about when I’ve taught older students. The PM Writing Exemplar big books are sensational as well, and can be used from Prep through to Middle School students.
Jenni and I will be visiting this year. I know you do amazing things, because I follow a number of your staff in other forums & read ‘What Ed Said’ religiously.
Once again, thanks for visiting, and leaving a comment. Such a lovely surprise!
Shalom,
Nina
Thanks for sharing this. I emailed the link to my Prep teachers. Within the hour one teacher trialled your strategies and the thinking that she got from her children was amazing- she now feels they are ready for NAPLAN!!