I know – summer has barely started and I am offering you some back-to-school resources – we must be teachers!

If you follow my posts, you already know that Literacy is a subject close to my heart. Given current conversations around culturally responsive education, it becomes even more essential to include a diverse variety of literature and activities that encourage meaningful talk in the classroom and at home. At the end of my last book, there is a special keepsake page which looks like a bed and the pillow lifts up so that you can save your dreams of hope underneath. Well, after one of my Skype author visits, a teacher in Texas shared how her class write friendly wishes to each other during the week. I thought it was a wonderful idea to encourage compassion and understanding. Here is a freebie to use during either Writer’s or Reading Workshop – printable Dreams of Hope postcards – and some ideas on how to include this in your regular day:

1. Students use the prompt: “My Dreams of Hope for…” and write each other 1-2 sentences to tell a peer about a strength to be celebrated. (They could do a Think-Pair-Share with an assigned partner before beginning the writing to ask some questions about their dreams and hopes. At my son’s recent Kindergarten graduation, the students shared dreams ranging from “I wish for 1000 puppies” to wishing for a rainbow.) Each dream is precious. You could put all student names into a brown paper bag so they pick each other randomly or you could hand out clothes pegs with a student name on it at the door upon entry. This would be a great way to encourage hesitant writers too!

2. Set up a mail system in your classroom so that students each receive mail once a week. (Here’s a fabulous tutorial – get your parent volunteers to work:) You could have them paint some large cereal boxes and decorate them as mailboxes. The postcards are “mailed” into the box and then a special helper can deliver them. Students LOVE receiving traditional hand-written notes and it truly encourages them to write. The mailbox could also become one of your Literacy Centres. You can find more ideas for creating DIY mailboxes here and here).

3. After reading a book (if you need ideas, please check out diverse books for children on my Pinterest Boards), students can choose to write some Dreams of Hope to a character from their book. The dreams of hope may be directed to a favourite character or a character they feel could have acted differently in the story. The Dream of Hope could also be directed to the author or illustrator which would really encourage critical literacy. This would make a meaningful reading response during Reading Workshop.

4. For older students, they could think about a fact around global illiteracy and write Dreams of Hope to a young girl/boy around the world. Here is one fact I u