Time to Buy your Medicine!

Here is another example of how teachers are creating “playful” spaces for authentic writing experiences in their classrooms.

Children’s Writing Shapes their Play Narratives

This student takes notes about the “medicine” that she is holding.

Three young girls brought some writing materials to the tables (along the wall) in the corner of the classroom. They each set up a “work station” at the table and began to stock their stations with wooden blocks. As they did this, they also wrote some names/letters/lines/shapes on their papers. One girl announced that the blocks were “medicine” and soon these stations became “pharmacies” and the blocks were pretend medicine that they had to organize. They gathered the medicine (blocks), they took notes, and talked about doctors and patients.

With this type of writing-play scenario …

We noticed teachers:

• provide writing materials for children in the classroom
• remain observers of the children’s play

Another student’s “prescriptions”.

We observed students:

• bring writing materials to the play area
• write independently as they talk and play with peers
• integrate writing into their play
• shape their play around the writing