The write start - Jennifer Hallissy 2010

Telephone Messages
Guidelines for the Activities

HAVE VOICE MAIL, answering machines, and caller ID rendered the good, old-fashioned phone message obsolete? Are message memo pads going the way of the rotary phone? Let’s hope not!

There’s a certain skill involved in relating a phone message. Do you remember playing Telephone, the game, as a kid? One person whispered a message in the ear of the person next to him, and so on and so on, down the line, until the last person announced what she heard. Chances are, by the time it reached the end of the line, the final message bore little resemblance to the original. When kids are challenged to transcribe a phone call, they learn to focus on the most relevant information while filtering out the extraneous stuff. Young writers need to master this kind of information processing to prepare themselves for the rigors of note taking at school, and in life. The more they get to do it, the less that gets lost in translation. Get the message?

MATERIALS

∗ memo pad, a stack of phone message slips (see “Phone Message Slip” in the templates section), or a fancy phone message book (available at office supply stores)

∗ pencil

HOW-TO

1. Teach children how to answer the phone and ask relevant questions such as, “May I ask who is calling?” and “May I take a message?”

2. Place a phone message pad alongside a centrally located phone or cordless docking station.

3. Establish a place to leave phone messages where family members can easily find them.

Variations

For Scribblers: Little ones can practice their skills by playing messenger. Have them communicate simple messages from one family member to another (such as, “Please tell your brother that Charlie is coming over to play”). When they can remember one-part messages, challenge them with two-part messages (such as, “Tell him we’re having spaghetti for dinner, and it will be ready in ten minutes”). All this practice using their working memory will come in handy when it comes time for writing.

For Spellers: Emerging writers can prepare for real-live message taking by practicing with their pretend phones (or some old cell phones you have saved for play) and a small memo pad. For example, you might ask them to write down the Little League coach’s phone number or take a message for Daddy reminding him to fix the leaky sink when he gets home from work.

For Storytellers: Storytellers are ready for some serious lessons (and lots of practice) in phone etiquette. They need to master the give-and-take of conversation in order to listen to and transcribe someone else’s words, in between sharing their own little stories.

For Scholars: Your Scholars probably have enough skills by now to run their own switchboard! Take advantage of the opportunity to say, “Hold all my calls!” when you need a break from answering the phone yourself.