Map Pencils

Are they still called Map Pencils? Colored pencils sounds so blah.... Map pencils sounds like something awesome is going to occur when I put them to use.... And something awesome has occurred when I introduced them to my students.

I have several students who before coming to my class had never correctly held a pencil. This became obvious when I gave them paper and pencil and asked them to draw. They either looked at me and did nothing... "Debijur," I said pointing at the blank paper. Or, they grabbed the pencil like a stick and scratched lines across the page then pressed the tip of the pencil as hard as they could into the page until it broke.

Okay I thought. Interesting. Now what? So the next day I gave them paper and pencil and said, "Escribir," again motioning to the paper and pencil. This time I wrote letters on my own paper to show them what I wanted them to do. Again, blank stares. Papers slide across the table and unto the floor and lines scratched then pencil-tips broken...... 

My assistant began writing their names in highlighter.... I understood her logic. They were to trace. The thing is, they don't know how to hold a pencil... And the younger ones haven't the fine motor pincer skill to hold the pencil to trace a highlighted letter.

They also don't want to write. Which to me is the real concern. My job is to find ways to plant the seed of desire to write and draw and color and create inside of them. If they want to learn how to write and draw, then they will make the effort to do so. Their attitude comes from having not been introduced and encouraged before attending preschool. (Which lends creditability to the necessity of preschool/preschool-like experiences.)

As I sat in The Writing Center rethinking my writing lessons and assessing my strategy I remembered how something as simple as a marker, a ball-point pen, crayons or map pencils could change their minds about writing. We started the year with crayons and they weren't that enthusiastic about coloring (kids these days, humph!) I wondered if map pencils could do the trick? So, I asked one of my parents to buy 2- 12 packs of Colored Pencils. She didn't know what they were or where to buy them. I explained and sent her to the dollar store.... A week later she came with 2-12 packs and 2- 50 packs. Jackpot!!!! 

It took 2 days and 4 poorly, Teacher-drawn pictures of Spiderman and 3 pink and purple, floral-gardens for my kiddos to appreciate the map pencils.... At this point, Im not stressing them about writing their names, or writing anything at all. I want them to grow comfortable with holding the pencils and manipulating them on paper... I want them to become curious about new ways to use their  new tools... Then, ever so clever I will introduce their next level... Everything in its proper order.