While it is important to establish a solid foundation with letter formation, writing skills should not solely focus on penmanship in early childhood. Creative writing strengthens imaginative minds, while broadening a child’s thought process, problem solving and analysis skills. Through writing, your honeybee has a safe haven for exploration and expressing their emotions. They will also begin to find their “voice” and develop the skills needed to assert themselves and their opinions. These writing skills can strengthen your honeybee’s self-confidence.
It is important that your honeybee is introduced to strategies, planning, and organization of creative and practical writing instruction. Exposure to writing increases self-assurance with literacy and becomes essential when communicating understanding of academic content. When committing to writing regularly, your honeybee will demonstrate their knowledge in all subject areas more effectively.
In this activity, your honeybee will complete a narrative writing piece. Children at this age are encouraged to express ideas through artwork. Expecting evidence of ideas through words can be frustrating at this point of development. Open ended art materials (crayons, paint, Playdoh, costumes, etc.) will provide your honeybee with the means to make sense of their thoughts and express ideas through hands-on learning.
Here’s what you’ll need…
1. A picture book of your choice
*Feel free to follow along with my read aloud – “The Giving Tree”. This story has great sequencing! *
2. Open ended art materials- (i.e. crayons, paint, Play-doh, costumes)
3. Canvas of your choice (i.e. paper, chalkboard, stage)
Ready to be imaginative? Let’s get busy!
1. Read picture book with your child or follow along with attached video
2. Prompt questions throughout the story
3. Stop reading once a clear problem has been introduced
4. Generate conversation about events leading up to the problem
5. Encourage a strategy to organize ideas: drawing, painting, or acting out what will happen next
6. Have honeybee express their ideas and write them down as they go
7. Read back their ideas, allowing them the opportunity to verbally edit
8. Reread story with their ending!
*Modify this activity to your honeybee’s ability! *
Be sure to have conversations about the characters, setting, and problem of the story. This activity uses a visual thinking method. Ask your honeybees to question while they are expressing their ideas: what’s going on in this picture? Which character is this? Are we in a new setting? How did this character solve the problem?
Remember, every honeybee is different. Organizing ideas can be tricky.
Use the proper language with your honeybee; they are smarter than you think!
Language to use:
• Ideas
• Character
• Setting
• Problem
• Solution
A quick side note:
If you are watching the attached video, you will notice that I am using American Sign Language (ASL) in the bottom left corner. I am not a licensed ASL interpreter. I have been studying ASL (formally and informally) for the past 6 years. I am still learning. The inclusion of ASL is not with the intention of teaching the language or deaf culture; I am not qualified to do so. My mission at The Busy B is to present an inclusive hive that is accessible and welcoming to all honeybees!
Questions? Comments? Compliments? Leave them BEELow!
The Busy B 