Natalie - Writing Apprentice

The Word-a-day email today included this quote:

Words are the soul's ambassadors, who go / Abroad upon her errands to and fro. - James Howell, writer (c. 1594-1666)

Perhaps this is one explanation for the fact that some of us are more comfortable expressing our thoughts in writing than in the spoken word. Some of us need an ambassador to go abroad for us.

One of our granddaughters has inherited my love of writing. She is in first grade and absolutely loves to write already. At her school, students are taught not to be concerned for spelling yet -- just to sound it out and get their thoughts on paper (or screen as the case may be.) When Natalie first began to write on the computer, she placed 5 or 6 spaces between each word trying to follow handwriting instructions to "put a finger-width between words." I can just imagine her putting her finger on the screen and spacing until the next word was appropriately spaced according to that directive.

My daughter sent this copy of a writing piece Natalie did in school this week. The writing prompt was: "If I were a reindeer..." The blue words in parentheses are my translations of her inventive spelling.

If I were a reindeer I would be frst in line. I would led the way. My name would be Merry. I would be a gril. I would be hefol (helpful). I will be nice to the auther reindeer. I will be pesfeol (peaceful). I will lisen to Santa. I will be like the auther reindeer. I will be nice to Rudolph even konw (though) all the auther reindeer are mene.

Of course, the following composition she wrote this week won our hearts!

I love my grandparents becalls (because) they play games with me. They taek me plaes I weat to go. They let me play outsiad. They let me spend the night at there heows (house). They teak me to the moves. They teak me to go get ice cream. They have a jar of pennis (pennies) and they let me dump it in the mony jar. They are fun. There heaws (house) is big.

Thanks to Natalie for subbing for me and writing my blog entry today.