help with your 4th grade class

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Home : 2004 : November : 20

help with your 4th grade class
By Antoinette

Dear Mia,

I can sympathize with you and perhaps I can help. Fourth grade has been my favorite grade to teach (I taught it for 6 years!). First, don't beat yourself up too much. Children who are frustrated by subjects
they are weak in will do everything in their power to avoid doing it. I would try to do some community building activities, such as a "write around." That's where each person at a table of about 4-6 kids would contribute 1-2 sentences to build a story. another thing would be to have a buddy write (where two buddies would collaborate on a piece). While the process is to encourage independence,

you have to start small. Expository writing is especially difficult. However, it is possible. Do you have the freedom to let them choose the topic themselves to write about? Perhaps you will get a ton of information from them. Let them write a "sloppy copy" first, not paying attention to the grammer,usage or mechanics. This way, you can see what they need both individually and as a class. You can have mini-lessons showing them how to write correctly. You will model what they need to write on chart paper. Then you GRADUALLY let them edit their work until it's ready for publication. You may get one or two who try to copy your story exactly. Tell them, nice try, but you want to hear from THEM! Celebrate small victories (maybe someone wrote an excellent paragraph -- it will build later). Make it clear that you will only display those which are presentable. set a firm deadline and make that be a part of the incentive to write. Work in a small group with students who have the same needs. Those who are off task should be made to complete their work on their time, since they wasted yours (I always use 1-2 recesses a week for the ones who didn't complete their tasks). I really hope this helps. Good luck.