Give Them the Words

I am inspired by Christina's Wordless Wednesday question over at Sugar and Spice.  I haven't posted in weeks because at this ending time of year there is so. much. to. do. I admire those teacher bloggers who can blog now. I'm going to dash this little post out because it might be useful to some of you in your last week.

Christina asks, "What do your students just LOVE getting to take home?"  Each year, although my kidpeople get to take home all sorts of stuff, their favorite items are the words from the word wall.

Yep, that's right. See those not at all fancy, handwritten on index card strips, words up there in the photo? Those become precious treasure in the last days.  I hand them out very ceremoniously, taking one down at a time while asking, "Who would like the?  Who would like with?  All the hands shoot up.

I think the biggest reason these words are so popular is that they represent so much of the kids' learning. The word wall is a resource they look at and use every day. The kidpeople help me build it when we do our word routine each week. Those basic words were the keys to reading and writing and the world that opened up when the kids could do both.

I stumbled upon this idea quite a few years ago when I decided to incorporate the kiddos into the clean up/take down process in the room. I used to resist this, doing almost all of it after they left for summer break because I didn't want the room to seem empty and sad. I've come to realize that it is a way for the kids to say goodbye to the year, and to ready themselves for first grade that lies ahead. They ponder the idea that brand new kidpeople will be in their space next year... which brings up some mixed feelings. We share lots of memories and laughs. And it does have the added bonus of getting just a bit more of the room packed up for summer.

I ask my readers, What do you do to ready the kids for next year? Do you pack anything up with them?  Give them things?  I'll be happy to hear.

Click on the Wordless Wednesday button to find more ideas.