Principal’s Message Newsletter

MAY

Communicating Through Writing

Last month’s article spoke about the importance of teaching our children the communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Most parents and teachers would probably agree that today’s children are extremely verbal – sometimes it seems excessively so. Unfortunately, this verbal ability to communicate is not always accompanied by the ability to put words into writing. The written language skills of children have been an area of concern for some time.

For the past few years at Sea View School, we have focused on enhancing our student’s writing skills. Teachers have attended a variety of in-services on developing the writing skills of children. Teachers at Sea View are emphasizing the development of pride in written work, setting of high standards, and editing student writing in a supportive, skill-enhanced manner. Teachers are also designing a variety of writing experiences for students and are developing effective skill lessons to encourage children’s writing.

Our goal is for Sea View students to become more fluent and proficient in written expression in the areas of reading, math, language, social science, science, and art. The children of Sea View School are learning to write for different purposes and audiences. They are learning to edit and proofread their own papers and to look for the writing mechanics and forms they have been taught.

Children at Sea View are using daily logs and journals as effective ways to record their thoughts, observations, information, and responses to literature. They have the opportunity to write every day and many are keeping journals in reading, math, science and social studies. Student publishing of their own material is increasing with the use of computer technology.

Parents can help their children at home by taking the time to review with them the papers they complete and give praise for completion of new and accurate work. Children need guidance in seeing that their spoken words are easily written down and can become a story, paper or book. With our help, they can become skilled and fluent writers as effectively as they learn to communicate verbally and in written form.

Dr. Timothy C. Steele

Principal