Writing Area

[Guest terrydoo73]

Our writing area is right next to the arts and crafts area but on a separate table if you understand what I mean so the children can access writing paper or card. There is also a small note block of paper on the actual desk with a desk tidy - little caddy for different pens etc to stay in. I have until now put in some ordinary pens in different colours, shapes and sizes as well as some felt tips. There are also calculators, rubbers, rulers, clipboards, bull dog clips etc. Is this enough? Should we have more or less? We are noticing quite a number of children sitting at this table and doing mark making as I would say. They then take them home at the end of the day.

[Phil]

Ours is a table which has a letter rack with an assortment of pens and pencils, envelopes, stencils, notebooks, pieces of coloured paper and sometimes preprinted sheets that mirror current tastes. it is a very well used area and constantly needs restocking. There is plenty of mark making going home quite often via the photocopier!

[Guest terrydoo73]

Oh thank goodness Phil I thought we hadn't enough! We did invest in book racks which are attached to the wall beside this table and there are little notebooks in this although I don't think the children have discovered them yet. I usually raid my daughters cupboards for bits and bobs that take my fancy - feathers on the end of pens and ones that light up too!

[Devondaisy]

The thing that's being used most in our mark-making area at the moment is mini whiteboards - the children absolutely love them!

[Guest terrydoo73]

We tried that before but they used our whiteboard with crayons! Perhaps I should try a blackboard with chalks?

[HoneyPancakes]

I found some white sticky backed plastic in the scrap shop and covered some pieces of card to make some very useful little whiteboards. Felt very clever I did.

 

Honey

[Panders]

there are little notebooks in this although I don't think the children have discovered them yet. I usually raid my daughters cupboards for bits and bobs that take my fancy - feathers on the end of pens and ones that light up too!

 

We keep the children's scrapbooks in a trolley close to the writing area, these scrapbooks are for their particular use, nothing to do with learning journeys. There is a photograph of each child on the front of theirs as well as their name. The children love finding their scrapbook and either writing in it, stenciling in it, cut and sticking in it all sorts of things. Maybe you could put the children's photos on the little notebooks making them individual to them. I just print their photo and name on sticky labels and stick them to the front.

[fimbo]

we have a couple of those magic magnetic writing boards....cant think of the proper name !!! - ours love them, we did also have a few incidents of writing on them with crayons - but we made sure we established a few 'rules' and they soon stopped doing it.

laminated paper and card of different colours -used with whiteboard markers (just make sure they are low odour ones)

small chalkboards

old forms and paperwork that we no longer need

tracing paper

[Guest terrydoo73]

There are some great suggestions on here - thank you so much! I think I will sort out my notebooks and do as you suggested - we use symbols for our children which could easily stick on and then it would be personal to the children. We have the children's scrapbooks on the other side of the junk art area but we use these specifically for art work they have created and commented on by way of observation but also a journey as such through the months of the year! I am looking at all my areas at present and picking up on things that might work if changed - hence my writing area.

 

I am rather pleased with our junk art/creative area as there is so much in there that is natural - pumpkin seeds, leaves, barley and wheat heads and it is wonderful to see the children using the pva and putting them onto a page. We have those individual cereal boxes which I am planning to put out next month with bottle top lids - we might even get a few creations of dare I say it cars! I know one little boy who at present loves the jam jar lids and bisto jar lids to pile one on top of the other with glue - the other side of the page is full of cotton wool - what it is in his eye I am not exactly sure!!

 

The writing area has really developed - initially it was an interest in the different coloured pens to now where it is concentration of marks on a page and what each signifies to the children. Sometimes we get the children asking us to write their name and you can see them working out the shape of the first letter of their name - is this normal? Then another time you will see a child using a ruler and pen to make a straight line - I just think it is fascinating and of course great observation points as you can see hand eye coordination developing as well as how they actually handle the different instruments or what they do with them.

[jennim]

Hi, all these fab ideas!

 

Also useful is to put out laminated cards, upon which there is a picture of the latest 'fad' tv or cartoon character - Ben 10 / Dora / Peppa etc - just leave these lying around the room for children to 'find' and react to - they will 'write' away.

Enjoy!

 

Jenni

[Upsy Daisy]

Black card with chalks works well.

 

Also you can buy packs of restaurant order pads from Staples and notelets from Poundland which go down really well.

[fimbo]

ooo....charcoal too , and pastels !!! -nice and smudgy !!

[Gezabel]

our children love junk mail! especially the ones with application forms where there are lots of little boxes, envelopes are another favourite.

[Guest terrydoo73]

We are going to focus on our senses and road safety during November so have decided to get some "smelly" felt tip pens to put in this area.