The following activities will help you introduce The Writing Spot Big Book and Buddy Book to your kindergartners. Follow the instructions for each day of the first week, and download and distribute the PDFs.
Day 1
- Discuss the Big Book cover and what the children are writing. Assure your students that there are many ways to write.
- Find Spot’s picture on each page of the Big Book and try “Spot Check”.
Day 2
- Write your name on a large piece of chart paper.
- Invite children to add their names to the paper. (For some, just writing one letter may be a good start.)
- Find other children’s names (Big Book 8, 10, 11, 13, and 22). Are any of these names the same, or do they begin the same, as your students’ names?
- Implement “My Name.”
Day 3
- Give each child a personal note with a message like “I’m happy you are in my class.” Be sure you sign it.
- Read Notey’s notes (Big Book 10) and other notes (Big Book 8 and 22) with the children.
- Implement “Happy Note”.
Day 4
- Introduce the alphabet chart (Big Book 17) and point to the letters as the class says the alphabet together.
- Ask individuals to name the picture and point to the word that goes with it.
- If appropriate, introduce “Alligator to Zipper-Dee-Doo!” (Big Book 20-21).
Day 5
- Do a shared writing about the free online Big Book.
- Ask children what they think they will learn about in the Big Book.
- Implement “The Writing Spot.”