How often do children take literacy suitcases home?
Each child takes the suitcase home several times each year.The
suitcases go home on a rotating basis. Our classrooms each have
sixteen children. Some teachers send home one suitcase per week,
while others send home more each week. Children get a turn
once or twice every few months. Since children are typically very
excited to take home the literacy suitcase, some teachers post a
schedule so that children know when their turn is coming. Teach-
ers often send the suitcase home on Thursdays and ask children
to return it on Mondays or Tuesdays. This allows teachers several
days to replenish the supplies for the next child.
How can teachers assess children’s writing development
using the literacy suitcase?
Teachers can collect and preserve artifacts from the literacy suit-
case.These writing samples often amplify the information already
recorded by the teacher based on observations in the classroom.
Some children may not feel comfortable attempting to produce
letters at school but may readily do so at home. Children who do
not select the writing materials in the classroom may demonstrate
advanced skills based on samples fromtheir explorations at home.
Some teachers post the writing samples in the classroom and later
include them in the child’s portfolio, school file, or end-of-the-year
scrapbook.
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