Teacher Appreciation Day is an ideal opportunity to have our children thank their hardworking and dedicated teachers in a meaningful way.
Here are 4 ways to get children writing in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day:
1. Drawings with Labels: A simple drawing with labels is a great way for younger children to incorporate writing into something they are usually quite comfortable with—drawing. Before you give your child the big task of drawing a masterpiece for his or her teacher, ask a few questions to get thoughts moving:
- How does your teacher start the day at school?
- What makes him or her smile?
- What do you love most about your teacher?
- What do you look forward to most each week?
These questions should start a conversation about the instructor, and then you can introduce the idea of having your child draw a picture of his or her teacher doing one of these things.
When the drawing is complete, encourage the child to label it so that the teacher knows exactly what is featured here and doesn’t miss a thing!
Don’t forget to have the artist sign his or her work; every artist signs a masterpiece—and that name-writing practice counts as writing, too.
2. Comic Strip: When done well and with thought, comic strips can really speak volumes with their conciseness and images. For some children, writing and illustrating a comic strip as a “thank you” is manageable, unintimidating, and crazy fun!
Use the starter questions above to begin a conversation about your child’s teacher, and then hand over the pen and paper and let your child at it.
3. Acrostic Poem: Acrostic poems are poems that begin each line with a letter of a certain word, name, or phrase, such as:
L ike the sun
O r the moon
V ery tricky
E veryone needs it
Encourage your child to write an acrostic poem for his or her teacher, using the teacher’s name, the word “teacher,” or some other relevant word. Acrostic poems are perfect for design and color, too. After your child finishes writing it, have him draw it on construction paper, adding designs, color, and flair!
4. Mini Thank-You Story: Using the discussion that stems from the questions above, hand your child a few sheets of paper and encourage him to write a “thank-you story” to the teacher. Folding each paper in quarters will make smaller pages, which are less intimidating, and any teacher would love a mini “thank-you story” for Teacher Appreciation Day.
How does your family recognize teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day? Share your thoughts on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, or find Amy on twitter, @teachmama, and let’s continue the conversation!