LEGO® Education Story StarterElementary teacher, Barb McLain, uses this hands-on language arts tool to engage and motivate students to read and write.
The Need AsaTitleIelementaryeducatorforGrades1-3,BarbMcLain
isalwayslookingforanengagingwaytomotivatestudentsto
write.Manyyoungstudentsareverycreativeandhavelotsof
ideasbutstruggletogettheirideasdownonpaper,whichcan
makewritingafrustratingexperience.With75percentofthe
elementaryschooldayspentfocusingonliteracyskills,it’svital
toprovidestudentsanonthreateningapproachtowritingthat
works,whichisexactlywhatBarbfoundwithLEGO®Education
StoryStarter.Shesays,“ChildrenloveLEGObricksandenjoy
creating,building,andusingtheircreationstotelltheirstory.”
Whatbettertimetoteachaconceptthanwhenstudentsare
engagedandhavingfun?
The Solution ThecombinationofLEGOelementscombinedwiththe
interactivesoftwareprovidesauniqueopportunitytoteach
andreinforceelementsofreadingandwriting.Thecurriculum
includedintheactivitypackcorrelatestoallofthelanguage
artsCommonCoreStandards.AccordingtoBarb,“Ateacher
cansimplysettheprogramtocoverthematerialstheyneed
toteachandthenstandbackandletthelearningbegin!”The
LEGObricksenablethestudentstocreate,sequence,andtell
theirstoriesinahands-onwayandthenlaterusethevisualthey
createdtowritetheirstories.Thesoftwareallowsthestudentsto
publishdocumentsthattheyareproudofandanxioustoshare
withtheirpeers.BeforeusingStoryStarter,thestudentsoften
producedstoriesaccompaniedwiththeirownillustrations,butthe
printedcopycreatedbythesoftwareismuchmoreprofessional
looking.Barbbelievesthistangiblepiecethatstudentscanshow
othersenablesthemtogainconfidenceintheirlearning,and
saysthat“StoryStarterisagreatprogramtogivechildrenthe
confidencetheyneedtobesuccessful!”
The Results Infact,thestudentscreatedquiteabuzzaroundschool
bysharingtheirStoryStarterexperiencesandcreations.Barb’s
classroombeganhavingmanyvisitors,includingteachers
andadministratorscurioustoseehowshewascreatingsuch
excitementaboutreadingandwriting.Afterthestudentswrote
andpublishedtheirstories,sheletthemtakethefinishedpieces
hometosharewiththeirparents,whoalsoletherknowhow
excitedtheirchildrenwereaboutwritingusingStoryStarter.
Shesaid,“Iwasapproachedbyparentstellingmehowexcited
theirchildwasabouttheLEGOprojectandcouldn’twaitforthe
weekendtobeoversothattheycouldgetbacktoschoolto
workonStoryStarter.”Whatteacherdoesn’twanttohearthat
aboutalesson?
BarbsharesthattheapproachtolearningthatStoryStarter
providescanbesuccessfulwithchildreninarangeofgrade
levelsaswellaswithchildrenofdifferentabilities,fromgiftedto
specialeducation.Shestates,“It’sagreatfeelingwhenanychild
lovestolearnandfeelsproudandsuccessful.”
About the School: El Dorado Springs RII
•ElDoradoSprings,MO
•Grades:1-3
•Title I School
•LEGO® Education classroom solution:
LEGOEducationStoryStarter
