If you are looking for a fun writing assignment for students in kindergarten through second grade,The Ultimate Shape Book by Evan-Moor Educational Publishers may be just what you need. There are fifty topics, including several different animals, the sun, a chair, a Popsicle, galoshes and a knight. There are books to read aloud and discussion questions to be used in preparation for writing. Each topic has a front and back cover and a writer's form, all in the shape of the topic.

For example, let's look at the mouse theme. The covers are to be colored in, including a short poem on the back cover that reads, "Bright eyes shine in a furry face. Tiny feet scurry from place to place." There is a list of books to read aloud, along with a discussion of the adjectives that describe mice -- the way they look and move. There are three levels of writing: the Emergent Writer would draw a picture of a mouse and talk about what it is doing; the Beginning Writer draws a picture and writes a very short explanation; The Independent Writer writes more details. The pages for each level of writing are different, so you would only duplicate those pages that are appropriate for your student.

Writing can often be a reluctant undertaking for students. The Ultimate Shape Book is a great introduction to this important skill. Students can use their creativity to make writing fun, and they will have a finished product of which to be proud.

For more information on Evan-Moor's products, contact them at www.evan-moor.com or at 1-800-777-4362. Every page of this 304-page book has a fun idea. With inspiration for the six and under crowd, Teaching Young Children can make every day a learning day.



-- Product Review by: Diane Wheeler, Senior Staff Writer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine