A Big Deal

My kids love to write notes to each other and to friends and family during Work on Writing (Daily 5).  Seeing them voluntarily use the power of writing for their own purposes is pretty cool.  I enjoy writing notes to them as well, and I've come to find out it's a big deal to them.  (Parents have told me about their child's collection or display of notes from me.)  Honestly though, if I don't purposely plan for these notes, they don't happen.  Here's what I do to make sure I get them done.  

I choose a notepad and pre-write each child's name on the pages like you see below.  That way I won't forget anyone.

Then I write two or three a day and secretly slip them into their chat books.  (Look here to see what those are.)  In about two weeks time, every child has received one from me.  At that point, I grab a new collection of notes and start all over.  It's pretty simple, but without a purposeful plan, it can get lost in the shuffle.  Since notes from the teacher are a big deal, it's a habit worth keeping.