Grace Kriech’s first-grade class poses for a picture at Northwood Elementary School.
Submitted photo
A group of first graders at Northwood Elementary School will soon be able to put “published author” on their résumés.
In an attempt to evoke a passion for writing, first-grade teacher Grace Kriech is constantly exploring innovative ways to inspire her students to enjoy creating written content.
“Writing is a huge struggle nowadays for kids,” she said. “I’m always finding more ways to get them engaged and excited about writing.”
Now in her fifth year of teaching, Kriech decided a novel approach to this year’s instruction by having her students publish their own book about animals.
A significant focus for Kriech’s class is informative writing, a task made challenging by the wide array interests of her class.
“It’s difficult to pick a book topic when you have 24 kids that need to contribute to it,” she said. “We really needed something to motivate these kids.”
Kriech decided to focus on animals because each student could pick their favorite and conduct research on their preferred creature, hoping it would get the kids excited to write.
“I let them pick anything from ocean animals, safari animals, arctic animals, insects – anything that they had an interest in learning more about,” she said.
Each student researched their chosen animal’s diet, habitat, and appearance, aided by fourth-grade helpers from fellow instructor Mandy Bechert’s class. The cooperation of the two classes was a “really cool sight to see,” Kriech said.
Not only did the project encourage collaboration but it also honed essential research skills. They delved into both online resources and physical books to gather information about their chosen creatures.
Kriech’s class book will be published through Studentreasures Publishing, of Topeka, Kansas. Studentreasures provided the classroom with a book kit, which guided the students through the process of researching, writing, illustrating, and publishing their books.
“It’s cost-friendly for teachers,” Kriech said. “I didn’t have to pay anything and they sent me the packet for free. The kids have been so excited about it.”
The book features the research of a different student on each page of the book. On the cover is a drawing by Luke Antle of several different animals that are featured in the book.
“[Antle] is super artistic, and the class decided to have him draw the cover of the book,” Kriech said. “He is very excited about that.”
Parents have embraced the project as well, with many purchasing copies of the book, Kriech said. Her class will also receive a free copy of the finished product that Kriech will most likely use as an example for future projects.
The classroom receives a $25 Amazon gift card for classroom supplies from Studentreasures if parents purchase 20 or more copies of the book. The class also is automatically entered into a national book challenge for a chance to win up to $5,000 in school grants as well, according to Studentreasures Publishing’s website.
The book’s publication is expected to take about five weeks from the time the completed kit is sent to Studentreasures.
Upon the book’s completion, Kriech plans to celebrate with a publishing party for parents in April, complete with a red carpet and individual showcases for each student’s page. Every student will receive a certificate, officially declaring them a published author, with their first name featured in the book.
Kriech anticipates this project will become a yearly tradition in her classroom, building a community of young published authors in Franklin Community Schools.
