Today was the first day back at school for me and my Pre's (5 year old).  

After a break in Bali to escape the cold weather I came back ready for a fun filled semester 2! As soon as we got to school there was lots of holiday chatter and swapping of stories. I was interested to see how much knowledge my students retained over the holidays and using our holiday fun template we attempted a recount. 

Together on the mat we remembered 2 things we enjoyed doing the most on our holidays. We turned to our partners (we have assigned spots so students know who to turn to) and shared the 2 things with them. I shared my two things and drew a picture of each in the boxes. Students then went back to their seats and drew their pictures. 

After drawing the pictures we came back together on the mat. We talked about remembering a capital to start a sentence, space between words, thinking of our sentence and words before writing it down, sounding out words, using sight words and full stops. I modelled my sentence and had students help me sound out words and locate sight words from the word wall to use. I always take my time doing the modelling, making it really explicit and including the students as this is where they learn a lot of their writing skills.  

They again turned to their partner and told them their sentence. It is so important the students remember their sentence and know what to write before they go back to actually write.  

Making sure they each have a 'spaceman' first (templates for this next blog), a sharp pencil and their alphabet desk strip they begin their writing. Students are able to get up and find sight words off the word wall and take them back to their seat, copy them and then put it straight back if they like. 

Here are a few of their finished pieces.I students of lots of different abilities, however most at that stage of just attempting to put down as many sounds as they can in a word. 

'I went to the movies. I watched Ice Age 4.'

'I went to my cousin's party. I had a cupcake and some chips.'

'I went to Red Rooster with my Nanna and then she hopped on a plane'.

'I went to the park and my aunty pushed me on the swings'.

'On the weekend I played at the park and  I played on the swings with my brother.'

'I went to the shop and I bought lollies.'

'I went to the shops and I bought a phone.'

'I went at home and I play with my toys.'