The 2nd graders of Ms. Builez’ class are off and running in their exploration of the alphabet as building blocks of writing. They are doing fine collaborative work, so this Bright Spot highlights everyone involved in this burgeoning word-and-imagination-engine. Here, students are brainstorming NOUNS as the first element in their Poetry Toolkits, and learning how to embody these words in tableaux. Having identified a deep well of persons/places/things they encounter in their community, they will be able to use this language in creating poems about their world.
Through creating stage pictures in sequential order inspired by this language, students connect their language to physical ideas in order to express feeling and tell a story. Collaborating physically causes students to be aware of other classmates and respectful of their space while connecting their words to action. We are proud to see these young writers gaining vocal courage to speak in front of their classmates, while building new word vocabulary AND a vocabulary of the body as they link language to the physical expression of their ideas.
CWP programming at CS 111Q was made possible in part by The New York Community Trust and our collaboration with Zone 126.
