Writing/Comprehending/Organizing/Thinking
Brandon Literacy Support TeachersJanuary 27th, 2010
Presented by Faye BrownlieReferences:
Grand Conversations, Thoughtful ResponsesStudent Diversity, 2nd Ed
It’s All about Thinking
Managing the Writers Workshop
• Work with large chunks of time• Build criteria with students• Teach one specific criteria at a time,
over time• Model, model, model• Focus on pre-writing • Coach students as they are writing• Goal-set with students• Increase your silent writing time
ModelGuided practiceIndependent practiceIndependent application
Pearson & Gallagher (1983)
How can we best use our resource time together? Can we introduce writing in a playful way to a diverse group of K children?
Students need:
• To see themselves as writers• To have fun• To develop a sense of sound/symbol
relationships• To find their stories• To work with criteria• Teacher’s Need: What’s Next for
This Beginning Writer? – Reid, Schultz, Peterson (Pembroke Pub)
K-1 Writing:Model - pictures & printRefer to criteriaKids draw & writeRefer to criteria
Pearson & Gallagher (1983)
Power Paragraphs
• Create a power structure:• Power 1 – the big idea• Power 2 – 3 big details about the big idea• Power 3 – 2 more precise details/examples about the
2nd powers• Together, write the paragraph, 1 topic sentence
(power 1), and 3 explanatory sentences (powers 2 and 3)
• Reread for fluency• Do several together, then students can create their
structure, get feedback before writing, then write independently
power 1
power 2 power 2power 2
2 details 2 details (power 3)
Response Journals
double-entry journals
initially, written in class, together
develop criteria for powerful responses
Left Side Right Side Notes Early Stages:
1 Title of the Book One sentence I can read from the book. 2 Title of the Book (After reading a pattern book)
A sentence of my own following the pattern of the text.
3 Title of the Book My Opinion (e.g. The part I like best is ...
My favourite character is …)
Writing is very limited in the early stages.
End of Grade 1/ Beginning of Grade 2:
4 Summary (What Happened?) My Thinking About What Happened Initially, expect a lot more writing on the left side than on the right at this stage.
Later:
5 Two Events My Thinking About These Events Gradually expect the length of the writing to become more balanced on each side.
6 A Quotation from the Text My Interpretation/Thinking of the Meaning of this Quotation
By Intermediate, expect 1 – 2 sentences about an event and a paragraph of personal response.
Online literacy videos
• www.sd72.bc.ca Literacy Videos• Clustering from Text• Squiggles• It’s All in the Bag
Learning Intention:
• I can examine a picture and infer what is happening
• I can provide ‘because’ reasoning (evidence) for my inference
• Peter’s Poofect Pet - Tina Powell
• www.bigfatpen.com
Gr. 3 Writing:Model – a small momentEstablish criteriaKids writeDescriptive feedback on
criteriaPearson & Gallagher (1983)
Learning Intention: I can write and describe a small event from my morning.
• Choose a topic• Write in front of the students• Students describe ‘what works’ in your
writing• Students choose a ‘morning’ topic• Students write• Students self-assess• Students meet with peers to share and
provide feedback
All alone, I stepped into my car. With my map in hand, I began to drive. At the lights I turned left, then the map said to turn right. “Oh, no!”
The sign said, “Road closed”. “Help,” I thought. “What am I going to
do?”
Notices…criteria
• Mystery
• Opening
• Detailed
• Sounds like you (Voice)
Lori JohnsonGrade 1
Coldstream ElementaryRichmond
Learning IntentionsSelf AssessmentDescriptive Feedback
Ownership
Browsing Bags– Lousesa Newman, Jennifer Hall
Tait Elementary
Click icon to add picture
Browsing Bags
What’s working?
What’s not?
What’s next?
Descriptive Feedback
Descriptive Feedback
• Give a specific compliment
• Set a goal
• Have an action plan
Descriptive Feedback
• In guided reading groups• In 1:1 reading conferences• In whole class strategy sequences
• Choose a partner. What does descriptive feedback look like in this scenario?
• Report back to your table group.
Formative assessment to determine students strengths and needs
Brownlie, Feniak & Schnellert, 2006; Earl & Katz, 2005; Schnellert, Butler & Higginson, in press; Smith & Wilhelm, 2006
My students need to learn to record notes when reading information text.
Can I introduce the double-entry journal to my grade 2/3 class?
Students need:
• A model• Guided practice in following the
model• An opportunity to practice the
strategy, with support as needed• Choice in the degree of complexity
they use to complete the task