Overview and Outcomes:

In this one-week Whole School Writing Root for The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson, children will begin by exploring what makes each of them unique, using special objects, memories and personal stories as a way into the text. Together, they will consider how it can feel to be different, left out or unsure, and how sharing parts of ourselves can help others to understand us. As they move through the book, children will explore the importance of food, laughter, books, journeys and stories in shaping identity and belonging. They will use rich vocabulary to describe feelings, memories and personal experiences, before creating poetry, advice writing, posters or guidebooks about friendship and inclusion. Through the text, children will develop empathy, confidence and respect for difference, as well as a deeper understanding that everyone has a story worth sharing.

Synopsis of Text:

There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael López’s dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.

Links:
Community, uniqueness, coming together, diversity, inclusion