Documenting Delight: day two hundred and twenty six {writing centre}

A little something wonderful has been happening in this household over the past few months. Step by step, bit by bit I have had the privilege of watching a beginning writer emerge. Finn is a words man. He l.o.v.e.s  books and soaks up and stores language.  Even with this being said, I wasn’t sure how and when or if this love for words would translate to wanting to write. That sounds quite ridiculous with me being a Kindergarten teacher but really even though I have myself taught children to write I have never seen where, way back in early childhood, it all begins. What prompts a child to move from random scribbles on a page to markings that mean something to them? How do they move from Hey this is my name and now I want to know how to write it?

Throughout this process the teacher in me has had to take a sit back a little, learn to watch more, do less and only give direction when he seeks it. Most of the time Finn happily writes letters, addresses envelopes, draws up shopping lists and speeding tickets (for all those law breaking duplo people in our playroom), makes maps and labels drawings all without engaging with me or asking for assistance. Then there are those times he will come to me and ask how to write a particular letter or request that I write a word on the whiteboard so he can copy it. And so it goes; tiny pockets of child led teaching, a high interest level and a massive amount of independent writing all revolved around play.

{um...like mother like son. finn's to do lists (top). completed items highlighted of coarse}

Over the past few months I have been trying to find ways to support  Finn (& Harper) with their writing. To make writing more accessible to them and organise any potential writing materials close to their play space. We don’t have a great deal of space near their craft table so it took me a while to find a smallish bookcase to store their materials. I wanted all of the materials to be at their level, easy to collect and simple to pack away. When I found this cheap bookshelf at Magnet Mart ($17) I knew it would be perfect. I added an office paper divider above the bookcase and there you have it, our mini writing centre.

{small bookshelf to hold writing implements}

{paper divider for easy storage + access}

{finn making his selections}

{tins: washed out fruit/vegetable cans, scrapbook paper, handstamped labels + contact}

{this book lives in the writing centre. an easy way for finn to record his little adventures}

Making everything at arms reach, giving them control over what materials they use for their pictures and letters etc has made a huge difference. Play now moves smoothly from engaging with toys in the playroom to creating drawings, writing or making props for play (Finn will complain that his toys aren’t doing what he wants them to do so he often make additions/modifications using paper or cardboard). Pack up time around this area is now easier now that everything has a spot and is labelled.  

It has been fascinating to watch Finn’s interest and skills in this area grow and I can't wait to see where it all leads in the future.