Word Choice-The Use of Onomatopoeia in Student Writing

Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig and Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep-Emma Garcia

By: Dawn Wilson

About the Author

Emma Garcia was born in North Yorkshire, England. She is a primary teacher. She designs puzzles and games for children. This is her first picture book to be published.

Activity

Students will gather around the rocking chair in the reading center. I will have the large easel set up with a blank sheet of paper on the front. I will start the activity by displaying the book Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig. We will look at the cover and I will ask the children, "What do you think this book might be about? Why do you think this?"

Next, I will present the students with some information about the author. We will talk about where she is from and find it on our classroom map.

Then I will say, "I am going to teach you a new word today. It is a very long word and it can be hard to say, but I know with practice we can say it together."

I say the word, "Onomatopoeia." We say it together a number of times.

I ask them. "Have you ever heard this word before? Do you now what it means?"

I explain that it is a special style of writing and that our author, Emma Garcia, used this style when she wrote our read-aloud for the day.

Next, I tell them to listen carefully while I read to see if they can figure out what our new word means.

As I read the book aloud, I continually stress the author's use of onomatopoeia by exaggerating the repeated "action" words in the book. For example: With the digger we can DIG DIG DIG. With the mixer we can MIX, MIX MIX.

At the end of the book I will give them clues to the meaning of the word.

I might say, this is what the mixer does. This is what the digger does. Then I explain that onomatopoeia means to imitate the sounds or actions of things.

Next, I pick-up my marker and move to the easel. I ask them to help me make a list of objects and the sounds or actions they make or do.

Responses may include: baby cries cries cries, car, vrmmm, vrmmm, vrmmm, bell, ding ding ding. I write these on my easel. Students write them in their journals as well. I tell them to think about other objects that they can share with us during read aloud tomorrow.

The next day, I will use Emma Garcia's picture book, Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep. The lesson will run similar to the day before. Yesterday's responses are still posted on the easel.

Now, I explain that as a class we are going to write our own story using onomatopoeia. I point out that Ms. Garcia uses working trucks, called heavy equipment, in Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig and that she uses other types of vehicles in Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep. I tell them we must decide what to use for our book. I will give them a few suggestion: people, animals, kitchen appliances, children on the playground. However, I will ask them to help me think of topics we could write about. I write these on my easel, as well.

After the students decide on one topic, I send them back to their desk and provide them with a blank piece of writing paper. I tell them that we are going to make a classroom book for our reading center and they each get to make one special page for our book. Students will work on writing and illustrating their page using "onomatopoeia." I will walk around the room and help students sound out words and answer any questions they might have.

When the students complete the assignment I will take them to the teacher's lounge where they can watch me laminate the book. I will explain that lamination protects the book so that we can continue to share it for the rest of the year in the reading center.

Ohio Standards (Benchmarks) for Writing

Grade 1

Process: Generate ideas for written compositions.

Application: Write a response to literature that demonstrates an understanding of a literary work.

Conventions: Print legibly using appropriate spacing.

Communication: Use active listening strategies to identify the main concept and gain information from oral presentations.