What Is a See Saw Writing Pattern?
Children's books often follow predictable patterns, such as rhyming, circular plots, sequencing or repetition. The see saw pattern captivates a child's curiosity as she tries to guess the next event.
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Definition
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See saw is a pattern of writing which compares and contrasts in a back and forth style, like the back and forth of a playground see saw.
Examples
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Eileen Spinelli's book, "Someday," alternates between a little girl's current life and her dreams for the future. In "When I Was Little: a Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth," author Jamie Lee Curtis used the see saw pattern to repeatedly contrast what the main character couldn't do as a baby with what she can do now that she's four years old.
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Pattern Recognition
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When reading a see saw book to students, teachers encourage the students to identify the pattern. Repeated readings of the text and asking children to participate in telling the story aids students' understanding.
Teaching Writing
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Once students recognize the pattern of see saw stories, this pattern can become a guide for writing their own stories. Students are encouraged to write a story using their own words and experiences, in the pattern of the story they've heard.
Confidence
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Students gain confidence in their ability to write when provided with the pattern. Reluctant writers can often be encouraged by modeling their writing after that of a famous author.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Indi Samarajiva
