Fourth-grade students at J. Allen Axson Montessori Academy, along with their parents, are participating in a unique weekend writing class called the "Family Writing Project," created by their school curriculum coach and local author Steffani Hendricks Gilligan.
While presenting at the Florida Reading Association conference, Ms. Gilligan was introduced to the book Writing with Families, which addressed methods for getting students, parents and teachers writing together. After obtaining financial support from the Cummer Family Foundation, Ms. Gilligan launched the "Family Writing Project," a six-week class that meets on Saturdays during which parents and their students receive lessons about writing, poetry and descriptive language. It is also a chance for those involved to focus on their family in a fun and creative setting.
"Each lesson gives children and their parents the opportunity to spend a few hours learning side by side in a unique way," said Ms. Gilligan. "These classes offer everyone involved a positive feeling about writing and poetry."
Every week's class focuses on a specific topic, such as 'Food and Family,' and then the student/parent team works together on a writing assignment. During many lessons, homework is assigned for both students and the parents!
Class participants also received a performance poetry session from special guests, like Dr. Nile Stanley, a University of North Florida professor, and Ben Brenner, who is a J. Allen Axson Montessori School alumnus.
Ms. Gilligan is passionate about teaching others to write poetry – she's taught poetry at several state and national conferences and has written children’s poetry books - and she has enjoyed sharing this love with her students and their parents.
"Adding parents into my class has really opened up a new world for me and it has been a delight to watch the parents grow as writers, just as their children are about to take the state writing exam. I think they have, indirectly, shown the children that writing can be fresh, fun and exciting – just by their honest enjoyment of the lessons."
Ms. Gilligan also believes the class has created a deeper level of community within the fourth-grade students and families.
"We have all shared memorable times, maps of our neighborhood, childhood photographs and special family foods with each other. We have all grown from the experience in many different ways, and it is my hope to continue these lessons next year."
**Samples of the students' and parents' work is available
here.
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