This year 2nd class are participating in a literacy project called The Flat Stanley Project. The project is based on a character from Jeff Brown’s book Flat Stanley. The children will write to children of similar ages all over the world. Our first set of Flat Stanleys are going to South Africa!
The Flat Stanley Project will connect our classroom with other classrooms participating in the Project by sending out “flat” visitors, created by the children, through the mail (or digitally, with The Flat Stanley app). Kids then talk about, track, and write about their flat character’s journey and adventures. Although similar to a pen-pal activity, Flat Stanley is actually much more enriching-students don’t have to wonder where to begin or what to write about. The sender and the recipient already have a mutual friend, Flat Stanley. Writing and learning becomes easier, flows naturally, and tends to be more creative. This is what teachers call an “authentic” literacy project, in that kids are inspired to write of their own passion and excitement about the project, and given the freedom to write about many things through the rubric of the Flat Stanley character.