When reading, writing, and language acquisition are woven
into a school garden or habitat project, students are naturally
motivated to hone these skills. After all, keen garden observers,
like all good scientists, must document what they see and
describe their investigations. Second language learners
are compelled to expand their vocabularies. Youngsters in
growing classrooms keep garden journals, create publicity
for garden-based businesses, and write visitors' guides
to schoolyard habitats. Young
authors tell stories from the point of view of ladybugs
and describe their feelings about their green sanctuaries.
Then there are children's fiction books that
deal with people/plant connections, garden creatures, or
plant lore. What better way to arouse interest and curiosity
than with the emotional hooks that stories furnish? Books
that feature plants and gardens can inspire planting projects
(an herb garden or wildflower meadow, for instance), lead
to science investigations (What is the effect of
shouting at seeds?), or prompt community outreach (inviting
seniors to become garden partners).
The following articles highlight how some of your colleagues
have created garden-based writing opportunities and used
children's fiction to exercise imaginations, inspire growing
projects, and improve literacy skills.
Page 2 Aromatic
Lessons. A novel literary launch to an eighth
grade herb project.
Page 3 Garden
Tales. Teachers use familiar stories to spark plant-realted
inquiries.
Page 4 Plant
Legends and Lore. Plant stories inspire investigations
and growing projects.
Page 5 Garden-Based
Literature: Early Primary. First graders eat the alphabet
and make fruitful connections.
Page 6 Digging
Deeper with Literacy Connections. Ideas for linking
kids' fiction to growing projects.
© 2008
National Gardening Association