Years ago I was presenting demonstration lessons in an elementary school. It was one of those days when time blurs, a whirl of one classroom and lesson after another. My last stop (and 12th lesson!) of the day was in a kindergarten classroom. A couple dozen twitchy, happy, eager five-year-olds sat on the rug in front of me, with six teachers observing from the back of the room.

"How many of you know how to write?" I asked. Every child's hand shot in the air. I often begin lessons with this question, to show teachers that even young children are confident in their ability to put pencil (or crayon) to page. And then because I was tired, and punchy, and the sight of 24 squirming smiling kids brings out the goofiness in me, I asked a new follow-up question: "How many of you know how to drive a car?" Every hand shot into the air again. I then had to backtrack a little and talk for a bit about why it was a good thing that only adults were allowed to drive, before we returned to our chat about writing.

Blurting out that second question sort of killed my teachable moment for the adults observing in the room. (The first question shows children sometimes believe more in their literacy than we do.) But it did give us all a laugh, and reminded us that young children have infinite confidence in their abilities, no matter what the topic is.

Kindergarten has long sparked debate because it is the beginning of what will be a long road for most children through many classrooms and schools. Should it be an academic bootcamp? A garden for children? Or something in-between?

I've long admired the New Zealand tradition of children starting school on their fifth birthday. Imagine that - on any given day, a kindergarten teacher may have a new student who is celebrating the start of their school career. This tradition ensures teachers and school communities welcome each child individually to a new world of learning with others, and it's naturally a celebration since it falls on a birthday. I marvel at how flexible those teachers and schools must be.

How can we tap the energy, enthusiasm, and confidence of kindergartners, and still teach them community norms for literacy? How can we be flexible, but still chart progress in reading and writing with young learners? This week we've got some new resources for promoting literacy for young children, plus more as always. Enjoy!

Brenda Power

Editor, Choice Literacy

www.choiceliteracy.com

Free for All

"Why isn't there a Frog and Toad for African-American students?" asks a literacy coach. This question leads Shari Frost on a quest to find the best early readers for multicultural students. In her new booklist, she highlights her top picks:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/583.cfm

From the Choice Literacy Archives, a simple assessment system to use when conferring with kindergartners or any young student. Templates provided include a chart for noting new letter learning and brief written observations:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/130.cfm

Join us this summer in Oregon, Ohio, or Maine for Choice Literacy Workshops. Our events are small, with lots of opportunities to chat with presenters in lovely locales. Featured presenters include Aimee Buckner, Karen Szymusiak, "The Sisters," Franki Sibberson, Jennifer Allen, Ruth Shagoury, and Andie Cunningham. All participants receive DVDs to use in study groups or staff meetings back home:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department22.cfm

For Members Only

What's in a name? For a kindergarten student, it's often the beginning of their understanding of how letters and words work. In this video of a coaching session, Joan Moser helps a kindergarten teacher think through his conferring technique by demonstrating how to confer with Maria. The conference builds on Maria's knowledge of the letters in her name:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/588.cfm

Our Kindergarten Resource Round-Up is a compilation of of features geared to this age level at the site:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/593.cfm

We've posted Part II of Katie DiCesare's video tour of her first grade classroom:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/587.cfm

Finally, Andie Cunningham works with three-, and four-year-olds as they become "letter detectives." This activity is a wonderful bridge between children's natural curiosity and the alphabet, suitable for preschoolers or kindergartners:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/589.cfm

That's all for this week!