Waterhouse, a member of the Niskayuna Teachers Association whose president is Sue Penny, advises teachers to use graphic organizers. These are pre-writing exercises, such as lists or flow charts, to prod students to organize their work. For example, when students read Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, they list six ways the big boys from Hardscrabble Settlement frightened the teacher for use in a writing assignment. Improving vocabulary starts the first week of school, with brainstorming. The record so far is 70, including suggested, declared and warned.
Students brainstorm descriptions and transitions.
That also means understanding proverbs and idioms, even cliches. Students write how it makes them feel when they smell turkey cooking or chocolate-chip cookies baking. Taking notes New York state now expects fourth-graders to take notes on articles they read and hear. From the first day of class, Waterhouse dictates assignments to hold kids accountable for listening. When reading articles, she directs students to underline words they don't know, details they like.