Student Printing:

    One of the areas that I look at for student growth is the child's ability to print their name. At St. Alphonsus, it is very common for students to come to school unable to print or visually recognize their name. In order to promote visual recognition, we spend a considerable period of time over the first few months focusing upon the students names- names are posted in various places around the classroom, and we undertake a number of activities that discuss the components of their name. As the year progresses, and students become more comfortable with their name's unique features (number of letters, repetition of letters, and letter names), the printing of their names progresses.

September 2001

November 2001

March 2002

    Another area of student printing that I look at is the child's ability to copy print. After every field trip or presentation we participate in, the students complete an entry in their field trip journals. In September, few of the students were able to copy even one word without assistance, while by March, several of them are copying entire phrases. In addition, I watch to see the students letter formation, size, and spacing, and how they progress over the year. The field trip journals are also useful to track language development. At the beginning of the year, when I ask the students to tell me something about the event, they struggle to come up with one or two relevant ideas. By mid-year, they are often able to tell me 4-6 sentences about the topic. In addition, this print is often complimented by their drawings, which are also useful to monitor progress.

Sample One:

Sample Two: