Miss Riggs' Class    

Dear Parents:

The purpose of this letter is to describe the Project CHILD approach to writing. The goal is to enable students to become competent writers and communicators. Students should be able to express themselves clearly and accurately in both their speaking and their writing. The CHILD reading teacher and I will work closely together to plan activities to help your child become an effective reader and writer.

CHILD students will use computers as a learning tool, along with more traditional materials. Primary grade students (K-2) use computers to practice letter formation and begin to write simple sentences and compositions. Intermediate grade students (3-5) use computers to write and publish a wide variety of written compositions, as well as to practice language skills such as spelling and punctuation.

The CHILD approach to writing focuses on these key strategies:

1. Becoming a good writer takes lots of practice. Thus CHILD students will write frequently across a variety of topics. The CHILD unit topics are autobiography, biography, fiction, non-fiction, and practical writing. Students will write creative stories, essays, reports, poems, letters, news articles, etc.
   Children will select their own topics related to the unit theme. They will have many opportunities to share their writing with other students as well as the teacher.
2. Primary grade students are encouraged to use "temporary" spelling (for example "wuz" for "was") as they begin the process of becoming writers. Research has shown that temporary spelling helps students concentrate on the content of their writing rather than being restricted to only simple words that they may know how to spell. By second grade, most students should begin the transition to standard spelling.
   Intermediate grade students will be expected to edit and publish their writing in standard form. Proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and legible handwriting are stressed more at this level.

If you have questions, please feel free to call and leave a message, or make an appointment to talk with me. Also, I encourage you to visit our classroom and see the exciting world of young writers at work.

Sincerely,

Miss Riggs

CHILD Writing Teacher

If you need to contact Miss Riggs, you can call (352) 671-6325 or e-mail riggsc@marion.k12.fl.us and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you wish to schedule a conference with me, my conference hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Please call or e-mail to schedule a conference with me ahead of time before you come).

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