A Place for Wonder: Reading and Writing Nonfiction in the Primary Grades

by Heard, Georgia

• ISBN13: 9781571104328
• ISBN10: 1571104321
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-17
• Publisher: Stenhouse Pub

Summary

In A Place for Wonder, Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough discuss how to create "a landscape of wonder," a primary classroom where curiosity, creativity, and exploration are encouraged. For it is these characteristics, the authors write, that develop intelligent, inquiring, lifelong learners.

Author Biography

Georgia Heard is a leader in the field of teaching writing. She has published numerous professional and children's books, and for the past twenty-five years has visited schools and spoken at conferences throughout the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia. Jennifer McDonough is a first-grade teacher and literacy coach at the Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida. She has taught first grade and kindergarten for ten years and has been a part of literacy training for teachers for more than three years. Jen received her bachelor's degree in speech pathology and early childhood education from Western Michigan University, and her master's degree in curriculum development and reading from Florida Atlantic University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Creating a Wonder World: Centers, Projects, and Clubs	p. 7
Introduction	p. 8
The Wonder of the Week	p. 11
Wonder of the Week	p. 14
Pondering Time and Whole-Class Shared Research	p. 17
Pet Observation and Wonder Journals	p. 22
The Discovery Table	p. 28
The Observation Window	p. 34
One Small Square	p. 36
A Listening Walk	p. 41
The Wonder Club	p. 45
Books for Creating a Wonder World	p. 50
Nonfiction Writing from the Heart	p. 57
Introduction	p. 58
What Are Your Three Wonders?	p. 59
Wonder Boxes	p. 64
Heart Wonders	p. 66
Books of Wonder: Writing Nonfiction from the Heart	p. 70
Books for Nonfiction Writing from the Heart	p. 77
Nonfiction Research Wonder Writing	p. 79
Introduction	p. 80
Exploring Nonfiction Books: Sorting and Cataloguing	p. 86
Exploring Nonfiction Books: Structures and Features	p. 94
Getting Started: Choosing Research Wonder Topics	p. 99
Nonfiction Writing: Trying On Topics	p. 103
Nonfiction Writing: Creating a Table of Contents	p. 109
Nonfiction Writing: Designing Chapters	p. 113
Exploring and Researching Questions	p. 115
Exploring and Researching Questions: Inferring	p. 122
Exploring and Researching Que3stions: Ask an Expert	p. 125
Nonfiction Writing: Leads/Beginnings	p. 130
Nonfiction Writing: Wow Words	p. 131
Nonfiction Writing: Other Craft Lessons	p. 135
Nonfiction Writing: Elaboration	p. 137
Nonfiction Writing: Diagrams	p. 139
Writing Partner Revision	p. 141
Editing: Using Word Wall Words	p. 142
Partner Editing: Capitals and Periods	p. 144
Publishing and Celebrating	p. 147
Conclusion	p. 148
Books for Nonfiction Research Wonder Writing	p. 152
Appendix	p. 155
Resources	p. 169
Bibliography	p. 175
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