Students take pride in writing

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Second-grade pupils at the Marshall Errickson School, showcased their writing at an end-of-year activity at the school. Jennifer Salvo and Lara DeFazio, second-grade teachers, organized a Publisher’s Picnic for parents to listen to stories the students wrote during the year as part of the district’s writing program.

“Students had writing time every day where they chose their own topics, edited and revised each story,” Salvo said.

The stories were complete with illustrations, a cover and binding. At the event, students read their stories aloud to groups of parents. Salvo told parents, “it was a great year in the writing program and I am glad you are here to share it with us. The kids have been anxiously awaiting the day that their parents would be here to see the fruits of their labor.”

The writing program provides new ways of teaching students to improve their craft as writers, according to a press release from the school district. It aims for students to gain confidence and skill in their writing while drawing on their own experiences and interests to take ownership in their work.

“The students are so happy to share their stories,” Salvo said.

Student writing has been a particular focus for several years in the district and most recently, through intensive research, an updated writing workshop model has been introduced. This model was first established at Columbia Teachers College, one of the nation’s leading think tanks in the areas of reading and writing. Through an affiliation with Columbia, Freehold Township teachers are receiving training in this methodology to implement in their classrooms, according to the press release.