Welches Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jenai Burden stands in front
of three large pieces of paper with “3,” “4” and “5” on the tops to remind her
students exactly what it takes to get a good grade for a writing assignment.
Scoring a three means they will put together a good, simple sentence, while a
five, the highest mark, requires them to put together a full paragraph with a
topic sentence.

Those highly defined expectations have produced strong results for her class
this year, with most students writing strong paragraphs, and even including
advanced structures such as similes.

“If I tell them what I expect of them, they’re going to give it to me,” explained
Burden, who has taught for two years in Welches and a total of seven years in
the Oregon Trail School District. “Where if I just say, ‘write me a really good
paragraph,’ they have no idea what that means, it’s too abstract. In
kindergarten, they need concrete.”

Burden noted that typically at this time of year, her students can write a good
sentence and kindergartners don’t work up to a full paragraph until the end of
the year. She added that this year’s class consists of just 12 students
(compared to 29 last year) allowing her more time with each individual
student.

The early development is a good harbinger for the future, as these students
will need to be able to write multiple paragraphs for the third grade writing
standard test.

“If I can send them to first grade writing a solid sentence with spacing and
periods, then they can really start developing that paragraph,” said Burden,
who has previously taught first and second grade. “I know where they need to
be in second grade.”

Burden introduces writing to her class on the first day of school, having
students at least scribble random letters and then getting them to tell her
what they’ve written.

“I want them to get over that, ‘I can’t write ... I don’t know how to spell it so I
can’t write,’” she said. “I want them to put something on the paper; it’s OK if
it doesn’t look like a story that you and I would write.”

This past month, her students put their skills to work by creating Valentines
cards for their parents.

“It fun to write,” said Maddie Balsiger, 6, whose topic sentence for her father’s
Valentine was, “My dad loves me.”

And even with the sentimental nature of the assignment, Burden’s students
kept the expectations – and good grades – in mind.

“ I’m going to get a five,” said 6-year old Kyler Steven-Pfau.