Creative Writing in the Early Childhood Classroom Workshop by ...
Transcript of Creative Writing in the Early Childhood Classroom Workshop by ...
L I B B Y H E R R O N
E M A I L : L H E R R O N @ G L A D W Y N E . O R G
G L A D W Y N E M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L
W W W . G L A D W Y N E . O R G
M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 5
Creative Writing in the Early Childhood Classroom
Map for a Journey
Storytelling
Read Alouds
What are Mentor Texts?
Picture Book Analysis
Composing with Illustration
Learning to use marks to make meaning
Examples of Writer’s Craft
Writer’s Workshop
Take Aways
Drawing is Writing
The importance of drawing and illustration as a way of making meaning for beginning writers.
Primary Sources:
Horn & Giacobbe, Talking, Drawing, Writing (2007)
Katie Wood Ray, Already Ready (with Matt Glover) (2008), About the Authors (with Lisa Cleaveland) (2004) , and In Pictures and in Words (2010)
Olshansky, The Power of Pictures (2007)
Primary Sources
Beginnings
“Writing may actually be a better way
to lead children’s literacy development
than reading… a blank page presents children
with an invitation (to make meaning), while
reading presents them with an expectation
(to figure out someone else’s meaning).”
- Ray and Glover, Already Ready, p.13
Montessori Continuum : Developmental Writing
Writing viewed as an extension of oral language Primary focus was on “preparation for writing” Practical life work: small motor skill
development Sandpaper letters: sensorial formation of
letters Moveable alphabet: construction of words Metal inset work Handwriting practice
Storytelling
“We all have stories to tell about what we know
and the most engaging stories are often about
ordinary, everyday things… the “small moment”
stories. “We constantly tell stories about
ourselves to others and to ourselves, and the
stories shape who we think we are”.
- Johnston (2004)
What Stories Can You Tell?
Stories from your own life, family routines
Themes: holidays, seasons, family pets, animal stories
Songs, poems, fingerplays can all be dramatized… and elaborated upon
Folktales make particularly good models for storytelling because of their obvious beginning-middle-end structure, clear characters, simple settings and well-defined problems and solutions.
Tools to Develop Your Story
Five main tools of the storyteller’s trade are:
(1) dynamic settings
(2) vivid characters
(3) plot strategies
(4) a backstory
(5) lots of details
Creating Stories
Focus on short, concise event rather than entire day
Manufacture stories in the classroom: spill a large workbasket or a water bucket, pop balloons or blow bubbles
Whole class storytelling: a shared experience, such as field trips, fire drills, an assembly; circle storytelling
Oral Mentor Texts (Dierking and Jones, 2014) suggest creating a new class story every month, using it as a foundation for scaffolding writing skills
How to Teach Storytelling
“Tell us a story about something you know”.
Focus on important details, descriptive word choices
Encourage students to use prompts that support sequencing: “first…then…next…after…finally”
Elaborate the story by including dialogue
Later: Tell the students a story; then lead them through process of altering the story by changing one or more elements.
Read Alouds
Mem Fox, author of Stellaluna, Possum Magic
and Koala Lou, says:
“From my own experience I realize that the
literature I heard, rather than read, as a child
resonates again and again in my memory
whenever I sit down to write.”
Read Alouds
Reading aloud well is like playing music.
Each author’s text contains signals that indicate the intentions of the author, similar to signals provided by composers for musicians:
punctuation
shifts in font, bold print
underlining and italics, size of print
syllable, word and sentence lengths
line breaks, white space
Favorite Read Alouds
“Fizzelly sizzelly
Wappity bappity
Lumpety bumpety
Clinkety clankety
Bing bang pop!”
“Welcome to the green house,
Welcome to the hot house.
Welcome to the land of the warm,
wet days.”
More Read Alouds
Things to Consider When Selecting a Read Aloud
Does it:
Have potential to excite, move, entice and delight
Highlight the music of our language
Offer opportunities to model fluent reading, phrasing and well-crafted writing
Contribute to an author study: examine the work of a particular author or illustrator, finding patterns across books, which students can discover/ imitate
Connect to an aspect of your curriculum
Qualities of a Good Read Aloud
Tone - the feel of the piece…is it light, informal, deep, dark or formal? like the hues of a color, is it rich and robust, or soft and subtle?
Mood – the emotional climate of the piece…is it sad or depressed, hopeful, wishful, excited, eager or nostalgic? Does the reader allow extra silent space to let a new idea resonate?
Intensity – is it powerful and bold, or tender and quiet? Does the energy build and wane? does it begin full and slowly dwindle? Attend to shifts in volume and the power of the reader’s voice.
Pacing - the heartbeat of the text, a rhythm that creates the flow of the language.
How to Read Aloud
Set the stage to maximize the effect; eliminate distractions. Sit quietly for a minute before commencing Introduce the read-aloud experience: state your purpose [say…”I selected this text for
read aloud today because…”] make connections between other books and authors,
topics and the interests of your students. introduce essential vocabulary beforehand draw attention to special features [picture walk for
non-fiction books: maps, graphs, captions, labels, fonts]
What is a Mentor Text?
A mentor text is a familiar picture book used by the teacher to lift the student’s level of drawing/writing
Introduced first as a read aloud: hear and appreciate the story, characters, rhythm, illustrations and words
Teacher leads children in noticing, reflecting and
thinking about an illustrator’s/author’s moves
Idea mentor texts: unique ideas
Structure mentor texts: story patterns; format
Craft mentor texts: well-crafted illustration or
writing styles
Mentor Texts
Picture Books
In a picture book, the story depends on the interaction between the written text and the image, where both have been created with a conscious aesthetic intention. The synergy created when text and art come together in a picture book reveals some new entity that is more than a sum of its parts. The words and pictures never tell exactly the same story; it is this dissonance that catches the reader’s attention.
Elements of Visual Grammar
Elements of visual grammar interact in picture books to determine how things are represented or depicted in an image, not what is represented:
Symmetry – words and pictures are on equal footing,
Complementary – each provides information
Enhancement – each extends the meaning of the other
Counterpoint – words and pictures tell different stories
Contradiction – beyond different narratives, the words and pictures seem to assert the opposite of each other
Post-modern Picture Books
Computer manipulated photographs and hand drawn sketches juxtapose real and invented space
Self-referential text refers to the images and text free from the constraints of a familiar story
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Visual features (elements of overall design and illustration) have special comprehension function to help readers link information-containing text parts
Introduces non-fiction text features to young writers
Allow children to bring natural interests to their writing, ability to choose topics/genres is critical
Develop language of science beyond learning specific vocabulary
Great Non-fiction Mentor Texts
Composing with Illustration
“What if children are introduced to key qualities of good writing in the context of illustrations? What if children gain lots and lots of experience planning, drafting, revising and editing content in the process of composing illustrations for their books?”
“The purpose of thinking aloud about possibilities is simply to show the children how everything they notice about illustrations can easily become something they might imagine creating themselves.”
- Katie Wood Ray (2010)
Illustration Techniques
In Pictures and In Words, Katie Wood Ray describes fifty (50) techniques that demonstrate “good writing”.
“Something to notice” (Names the technique)
Illustrative example (how it looks in a picture book)
Technique Discussion (thinking about what to do)
In a Teacher’s Voice (making it part of your repertoire)
Writing Connection (Decisions illustrators make are often based on the same understandings writers use)
Examples of Illustration Techniques
Crafting the background; manipulating point of view
Using scenes showing the passage of time or movement through different places
Crafting physical details of characters, including details of expression and gesture
Creating the illusion of motion with detail
Using details of light/weather show passage of time
Using graphic features to show information
Illustration Techniques
Illustration Techniques
Illustration Workshop
Horn/Giacobbe: teach students how to observe carefully; focus on craft of drawing, especially people, their actions and physical features
Talking, drawing and writing are three aspects of “symbol weaving”
What children learn to do in one mode sets stage for/supports learning how to do it in others
Drawing makes it possible for young children to tell a deeper, more involved story than they can with text
Acknowledge drawing is core element of composing
Linear vs. Non-Linear processes
Reading and writing processes are linear in nature:
Readers sound out individual letters/letter blends and combine them to read words; they piece together words to read sentences and string together sentences to read paragraphs.
By contrast, reading pictures or creating art is a non-linear activity: Readers take in the whole image before the eye wanders to the picture’s various parts to digest their full meaning and contribution to the whole. In creating a picture, the artist often envisions the whole image before creating various parts.
Illustration Techniques
Olshansky:
Crayon resist painting
Collage created out of hand-painted textured papers
Brainstorming process: bridge between picture and written word
“Reading the Pictures”
Students who made pictures first made greatest advances: more imaginative stories with richer detail
Mentor Text: Illustration
Crayon resist drawing
Models “interesting groundlines”, natural settings
Crayon Resist
Crayon Resist
Collage
Technique: Eric Carle -
inspired Painted Paper
@deepspacesparkle.com
Creating a portfolio of hand-painted papers for constructing a story
Students able to rehearse, draft and revise their stories by moving cut/torn shapes around on each page before gluing
Creates problem solving opportunities
Brainstorming Process
Students:
Study picture carefully for detail and description
Write descriptive words in columns (choose one)
(1) identify four important things (nouns)
(2) brainstorm adjectives (“describing words”:
five senses)
(3) brainstorm verbs (“doing/action words”)
Compose story using words
“transmediation”: Recasting meaning from one sign system (visual image) to another (written word)
Olshansky: Brainstorming Sheet
Brainstorming Example
Brainstorming Example
Brainstorming Sheet
Images available online
@ Olshansky, brainstorming sheet
Customize: 5 senses
Time of day, weather, setting
Learning to Use Marks to Make Meaning
Initial awareness: letters in their own name
New insight: there are just a few letters, not an endless number
Very important: Understanding that print is mapped onto oral language must be explicitly demonstrated:
Sandpaper letters
Moveable alphabet
Experimenting with writing tools
Figures are open
Handedness often not established
NEFEC REACH Workshop Series Website; www.2.nefec.org>REACH project >emergent writing >ppt
Emergent Writing: Developmental Continuum
“Discovers” a familiar object in random marks
Tries to recreate object with deliberate strokes
Begins to name objects on page
“drawings”
Include deliberate marks and patterns begin to appear
Discern difference between drawing and writing
Child understands print conveys meaning
“controlled scribbles”
Pays more attention to details
Writing discernible from drawing
Letter characteristics with lines and curves
Linear patterns, sometimes cursive
”mock letters”
Letters appear in repeating patterns
Letters do not represent sounds
No spacing between words
Often copies words from other texts
“letter strings”
Initial sounds appear first; final sounds next, then medial ones
Becoming aware of:
* concept of word
* print conventions
Letters have extra lines or may be reversed
Invented Spelling
Invented Spelling
“When encouraged to invent spellings as
best they can, children will pull from thousands
of words they know orally to help the compose
their texts, and many of the words they’ll use
are the ones they wouldn’t recognize yet if
they encountered them spelled conventionally
while reading.”
- Katie Wood Ray, Already Ready
Writer’s Craft
When we read like a writer, we focus less on
what the writer is trying to say and
more on how the writer is saying it .
By thinking about the reasons authors make
decisions about words, images, alliteration, repeated
words and phrases, and illustrations, the use of
details, and the intentions behind them, we begin
to discover the ways we might use the same crafting
techniques in our own writing.
Reading like a Writer
In her book, Wondrous Words (1999), Katie Wood Ray lists five steps to reading like a writer:
Notice something about the craft of the text.
Talk about it and make a theory about why a writer might use this craft.
Give the craft a name.
Think of other texts/authors you know. Have you seen this craft before?
Try to envision using this crafting in your own writing.
Reading Like a Writer
“ The ability to read as a writer and understand
all texts as being the product of another
writer’s decision making is one of the most
important habits of mind teachers can help
students develop.”
-Katie Wood Ray
Notice and Name the Craft
Connection: why are you teaching this lesson?
Teach: describe how it looks or sounds
Engage: provide practice time, using a well-known text
Link: how could child use this in his own writing?
Name book /author
Notice it Name it How is it done?
Craft Techniques
Writer’s craft techniques that emergent writers could use:
Power of Three: three words used in a row for emphasis Onomatopoeia: sound words Repetition: repeating a word or phrase Big and Bold: text written in bold/ capital letters/ fonts Stretching out the print Hyphenated adjectives [made up words] White space –from Annemarie Johnson
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Writers’ Craft Techniques
Repetition
Print manipulations: capital letters, italics
Environmental print in illustrations
Sensory detail “orange smell, squash and pumpkin smell”
“trees are spreading their arms like dancers”
Writer’s Craft Techniques
Onomatopoeia, sound effects
Print manipulation
Sequence, small moment
Writer’s Craft in Class
The Writing Process
Discovered children write more on unassigned topics
Not necessary to wait until children can read
By using simple prewriting frameworks, teacher modeling and illustration, even the youngest students can write
Supports NAEYC core principles (2009) of persistence, initiative, flexibility and attention.
Journal entries: Last Year
Writer’s Workshop: Early Childhood
Horn and Giacobbe:
Beginning weeks of school:
Teachers tell/model ordinary, everyday stories
Next, prompt children to tell their own stories about something they know
“Small moment” story zooms in on one moment, is a true story, lots of details, has beginning, middle, end
Ability to compose full, detailed stories has everything to do with having learned how to tell a story orally
Writer’s Block
Importance of Writing Routine
One-on-one, think /talk through their story and help them visualize what story will look like on paper
Do not suggest topics
Expectation: continue work on pieces the next day
The more detail in their storytelling, the more detail in their drawings and the words in their stories
Story forgotten w/o some teacher-written prompt
Thinking, Talking, Drawing, Writing
Drawings
Labeling
Adding Details
Both Writing and Storytelling
Writing the Talk on Paper
Writing in “Booklets”
Picture books are a familiar format
Booklets: pages of copy paper stapled together/cover
Logical structure for organizing story elements: one part of a story on each page > one sentence per page
Format encourages revision: manipulate the parts
Project-based learning: children develop and expand their own interests
“New Shoes”
“My Lost Puppy”
Booklet: “My Lost Puppy” (p.2)
“My Lost Puppy” (p.3)
“My Lost Puppy” (p.4)
A Flip Book
Minilessons
(1) writing process: planning how to draw a story, finding new ideas, making sure the story makes sense, beginning, middle and endings
(2) craft: drawing lessons, creating dialogue, settings, using describing words and action words
(3) conventions: leaving spaces between words, where to put words on a page, what is a sentence
(4) *organization: keeping work in writing folders, how to add pages, materials, checklists
Writing Center
Architecture of a Minilesson
Connection to previous story, background info
Teaching point: name the point, “noticings”
Demonstrate with only one example (from another student’s work or mentor text)
Active engagement- try it right away: quick and small
Link: restate, rename what was taught: “you could try this, don’t forget to”
Group lessons by topic: ways to bring characters to life, vivid descriptions, actions, dialogue, etc.
Revising, Editing and Assessment
Even for stories that are only illustrations, composing involves revising by (1)adding information (2) clarifying, (3) changing focus
Children need to see creation process happening: teacher models think alouds to transfer learning to their own piece
Develop habit of reading their words aloud.
Random, short, “one topic” conferences
Assessment: Cumulative writing records>Horn/Giacobbe
Writing Sample
Assessment Process
Look, name and record each
child’s work on regular basis Document progress Guides instruction Generate useful lessons Informs our teaching
Completed assessment form from Horn & Giacobbe (2007)
Assessment Guidelines
Modeled Writing Shared Writing
Teacher models all writing and thinking
Uses “think alouds”
Children learn writing skills by
watching others construct text
in meaningful writing activities.
(Fox and Saracho, 1990)
Teacher and children compose a message together while teacher writes on large surface
Provide opportunities to learn about concepts of print
Study printed texts
Lesson Formats
Shared Writing
In addition to daily writers workshop:
Takes kids through entire process: from gathering ideas to drafting to revising an entire piece
Teacher coaches, restating and scaffolding language
Each child writes their own version of a shared story
Model qualities of good writing: voice, meaning, organization/structure, genre, details, conventions
Don’t over-focus on conventions, spelling or mechanics
Teacher Support
Routine of writing daily in class
Importance of conferring: ask each child to tell you about their drawings/read their writing to you
Accept a child’s writing errors as opportunities
Focus on the process of drawing or writing – not the finished product
Scaffold instruction by modeling; taking children’s dictation; guiding children’s efforts; providing opportunities for children to write independently
Take-Aways
Understand/encourage image-making as a beginning step to composition
Teach children “how to read like writers”
Don’t rush students away from drawing, into words
Stamina: return to work to add, enhance, refine
Separate spelling/mechanics from creative process
Writing teaches students critical thinking and organizational skills . It should become an important part of our Montessori curriculum from the very beginning years.
Art and the Craft of Writing
“What if children are introduced to key qualities of good writing in the context of illustrations? What if children gain lots and lots of experience planning, drafting, revising and editing content in the process of composing illustrations for their books?” - Katie Wood Ray
In Pictures and in Words
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Recommended Support Materials
Realia, Making Language Real, available from primaryconcepts.com
Cultural storytelling kits: German (Hansel and Gretel & Rapunzel); African (The Girl who Loved Danger) available from montessori-n-such.com
Classic storybooks with storytelling props (Stone Soup, The Mitten, Gingerbread Boy, etc.), available from primaryconcepts.com
Story sequencing card activities, available from lakeshorelearning.com, among others
Cause and Effect story cards, available from Toys for Life (Nienhuis)
Picture Book Mentor Text Suggestions
Burningham, Come out of the Water, Shirley
Cooper, Beach; Farm; Train
dePaola, Strega Nona, Christmas stories
Frazee, Roller Coaster (small moment, details)
Graham, How to Heal a Broken Wing (perspective)
Hanlon, Ralph Tells a Story (where to get ideas)
Palantini, Piggie Pie (word choice)
Root, The Rattletrap Car (onomatopoeia)
Rylant, The Relatives Came, The Great Gracie Case, In November, Scarecrow (sequencing, point of view)
Picture Book Mentor Text Suggestions
Shannon, How I Became a Pirate, etc. (contrast story with events in illustrations)
Taylor, Coyote Places the Stars, Secrets of the Stone
(illustrations)
Van Allsburg, Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Jumanji
Wiesner, The Three Pigs (post-modern)
Willems, Knuffle Bunny ; Elephant and Piggie series
Yolen, Owl Moon, Welcome to the Green House, Welcome to the Sea if Sand (word choice)
Non-Fiction Mentor Text Suggestions
Aston, A Seed is Sleepy, An Egg is Quiet, etc.
Davies, Bat Loves the Night, One Tiny Turtle, etc.
Franco, Birdsongs
Gibbons, Bats
Horowitz, Crab Moon
Jenkins, Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest, Looking Down, Living Color, etc.
Munro, The Inside-Outside Book of Paris
Sidman, Butterfly Eyes and other Secrets of the Meadow
Yolen, Welcome to the Green House; Welcome to the Sea of Sand (word choice)
Research Bibliography
Beginnings Ray and Glover, Already Ready (2008) Storytelling Dierking and Jones, Oral Mentor Texts (2014) Horn and Giacobbe, Talking, Drawing, Writing (2007) Moore, E, A mini crash course on oral storytelling, Two
Writing Teachers blog, 4/06/14 Montessori Schonfeld, J., “We are all authors!” Montessori Life (1996) Read Alouds Laminack, L, Unwrapping the Read Aloud: Making every
read aloud intentional and instructional (2009)
Research Bibliography
Picture Books Serafini, F., Reading the visual: an introduction to teaching
multimodal literacy (2013) Wolfenbarger, C. and Sipe, L., A unique visual and literary art form:
Recent research on picture books, http://repositoryupenn.edu/gse_pubs/32 (2007)
Illustrations Olshansky, C., The power of pictures (2007) Ray, K., In pictures and in words: teaching the qualities of good
writing through illustration study (2010) Mentor Texts and the Craft of Writing Johnson, Annemarie,” Mentor Texts: Using children’s literature and
modeling to improve student writing, grades 3 and up”, available at www.Teacher2TeacherHelp.com
Wonderteacher.com blog
Research Bibliography
Preschool Writing Schickedanz, J. and Casbergue, R., Writing in Preschool (2004) www.2.nefec.org>REACH project >emergent writing >ppt
Writers Workshop Avery, C., …And with a light touch, (2002) Giacobbe, M., Talking, drawing, writing (2007) Hubbard, B and Moore, E. Blog: Two Writing Teachers Johnston, P., Choice words (2004) Landa, M, Listening to Young Writers (2005) Larremore, “Chalk Talk”, in prekandksharing.blogspot.teaching children to draw,
4.29.12 Ray, K. and Cleaveland, L., About the Authors (2004) Ray, K. and Glover, Already Ready, (2008) Schrecengost, M., Writing Wizardry (2013)
Other Reference Sources
Other reference materials [ focus more on specific mini lessons, teaching mechanics and conventions, and traditional writer’s workshop for early writers]
Bergen, R., Teaching writing in Kindergarten (2008) Dierking, C. and Jones, S, Growing up Writing (2013) Freeman, M., Teaching the youngest writers: a practical
guide ( 2003) Johnson, B., Never too early to write (2013) Parsons, S., First grade writers (2005) Rog, L., Marvelous minilessons for teaching beginning
writing K-3 (2007)