Becoming a Word Detective and a Writing Wizard

Brooke GrayTalk for Writing trainer

Level 3 Classroom TeacherDSF Literacy and Clinical Services

• Delivering the Becoming a Word Wizard and a Writing Detective program:• Teaching comprehension through high-quality texts• Effective vocabulary instruction• Developing strong writing and grammar skills• Tracking student progress

Overview

• Developed as a small-group program, but can be used one-to-one or in larger groups

• Can be delivered face-to-face or online• Three courses of 9 to 10 sessions each

• Each course building upon knowledge taught in earlier courses• Designed to be delivered weekly, but well-suited to being run

more frequently• Designed so that the teacher can select content based on

students’ needs, allowing for:• Students to repeat the course with new content• Students of different ages to complete the course

Program design

• Becoming a Word Detective and a Writing Wizard uses modified components of two copyrighted programs:• Talk for Writing, Talk for Reading developed by Pie Corbett• Word Aware, developed by Stephen Parsons and Anna Branagan

• Becoming a Word Detective and a Writing Wizard is an evidence-based program

• It draws on current research to teach core literacy skills in a way that is most likely to be successful for as many students as possible

• This research is frequently referred to as the ‘Science of Reading’

Program design

• Each session includes:• Explicit, context-driven grammar instruction• Explicit, context-driven vocabulary instruction• Reading comprehension instruction• Written expression instruction

• Students have a workbook for within-lesson practice• Students also have a home practice booklet with clearly

defined ‘homework’ activities• Pre- and post-assessments are built in to each course

Program design

1. Understand and write grammatically correct sentences by drawing on knowledge of parts of speech and the role that different words play within a sentence;

2. Expand their vocabulary of high-quality, high-utility words and use these words effectively and appropriately in oral and written tasks;

3. Develop the capacity to use graphic organisers as a strategy to support their reading comprehension;

4. Develop skills in writing about the texts that they read, in order to facilitate comprehension of the text and demonstrate their understanding through writing.

Learning Objectives: It is anticipated that students will –

What does ‘expedition’ mean?_____________________________________________Use ‘expedition’ in a sentence._____________________________________________

What does ‘novelty’ mean?_____________________________________________Use ‘novelty’ in a sentence._____________________________________________

Assessment task – example

• WD1 and WD2: select one fiction text and one non-fiction text• Ideally with a related theme

• Is the text well-written?• Is it on a theme or topic that has strong instructional value?• Is the text worthy of re-reading, with layers of meaning that can be

explored and unpacked over time?• Is the text enjoyable – for both students and teacher?

The selected texts may be slightly beyond students’ comprehension on the first reading – allowing for further reading, discussion and analysis

Selecting texts for study

.

Fiction: Our Expedition, by Shaun Tan (in Tales from Outer Suburbia, 2008)

• Siblings set out on an expedition to find out whether the suburbs exists beyond the last page of the street directory

• Why read it? High-quality language; thought-provoking story with a lot to discuss; classic tale of a quest

Non-fiction: How far round? from A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson (2010)

• A band of scientists conduct an expedition to determine whether the Earth is perfectly spherical, or bulging at the Equator

• Why read it? High expectations for vocabulary and language; information about geography, history and scientific endeavours, presented with a ‘human’ aspect

Selecting texts for study - example

•Really get to know the text:•What background knowledge is needed to understand the themes and content?•What vocabulary will you teach? •Which sections can be used for close study?

•Remember – keep the purpose or theme of the text in mind

Analyse in preparation for teaching

Why is this important?

Thomas woke to the sound of bells. He scrambled out of bed and peered into the half-light, searching for the source of the Zäuerli. As the cold began to bite at his fingertips, pressed against the windowpane, he finally spotted them, his favourite Silversterchläusen: Wüeschte.

Q: What is the date?

• Our Expedition: Road maps are now virtually obsolete –students will need to be familiar with the structure and content of a print street directory• Perth and Surrounds Street Directory, UBD, 2009

• How far round?: The expedition travelled to Peru, because it was near the equator and has high mountain ranges. Students will need to be familiar with Peru’s position on the globe, its neighbours, and its geographical features (the Andes) • Country Fact File: Peru! from National Geographic Kids

Background knowledge – example

Example – Our Expedition

What time of day do you think it is? Why? A: Dusk – pink sky, turning dark

How is the character feeling if they can’t be bothered with their victory speech? A: Tired/exhausted

In your own words, what was the character doing when ‘mentally preparing the inevitable victory speech’? Discuss

Novelty means being ‘new’ or ‘original’. If it’s wearing thin, what might this mean? A: No longer exciting enough to make up for the difficulty; sore feet, sunburn etc.

What does it tell us when the narrator says they are blaming each other for the forgotten sunscreen?/ that their feet hurt? A: They are sun-burned and have walked a very long way.

Example – How far round?How many years are two and a half centuries? A: century = 100, half = 50, total 250 What is a reasonable question?

A: Why the French went to the Andes to solve a problem that they could have solved at home.

Link to prior knowledge, about Peru being close to the Equator.

So, did being on top of the Andes mountains mean they could see a long way? A: No, because there was so much cloud.

In your own words, what were the problems the team faced in Peru? A: Steep mountains, bad weather, difficult landscapes (jungle and deserts), no maps and difficulty getting supplies.

Was the team foolish to have chosen to go to Peru for this expedition? Why or why not? Discuss

What are sightlines? A: The ability to see in a straight line without interruption.

• Our Expedition:• Inevitable – each character had no doubt they were correct• Gloating – characters ready to celebrate their superiority• Expedition – this word is crucial for understanding the text• But not ‘novelty’ – it’s not as important as the others in discussing the

story• How far round?

• Establish – the team needed to establish the answer to a question• Tenacious – this describes the attitude of the team• Scale – both meanings are used in the text• But not ‘ford’ – it’s not likely to be as useful in future

Teach the Vocabulary

• Research tells us that isolated grammar teaching does notimprove writing

• …but teaching grammar incidentally means:• Teachers don’t have a framework• No common vocabulary to discuss terms• Not enough practice to internalise concepts

• So – we teach grammar explicitly, in context, with an emphasis on function

Teaching grammar

A boy called Augustus Gloop won the first Golden Ticket. The evening newspaper showed a large picture of him. It showed a youthful boywho was enormous, with great flabby folds bulging out from under his tight, checkered shirt. His face was monstrous, with two beady eyes peering greedily out upon the world. “I knew Augustus would find the first ticket,” boasted Mrs Gloop triumphantly.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

Who or what is the sentence about?

A boy called Augustus Gloop won the first Golden Ticket. The eveningnewspaper showed a large picture of him. It showed a youthful boywho was enormous, with great flabby folds bulging out from under his tight, checkered shirt. His face was monstrous, with two beady eyes peering greedily out upon the world. “I knew Augustus would find the first ticket,” boasted Mrs Gloop triumphantly.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

What are they like?

A boy called Augustus Gloop won the first Golden Ticket. The eveningnewspaper showed a large picture of him. It showed a youthful boywho was enormous, with great flabby folds bulging out from under his tight, checkered shirt. His face was monstrous, with two beady eyes peering greedily out upon the world. “I knew Augustus wouldfind the first ticket,” boasted Mrs Gloop triumphantly.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

Doing what?

A boy called Augustus Gloop won the first Golden Ticket. The eveningnewspaper showed a large picture of him. It showed a youthful boywho was enormous, with great flabby folds bulging out from under his tight, checkered shirt. His face was monstrous, with two beady eyes peering greedily out upon the world. “I knew Augustus wouldfind the first ticket,” boasted Mrs Gloop triumphantly.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

Doing it how?

Sentence Building Grid – WD1

What is it like?

Adjective

Who or What?

Noun

Doing what?

Verb

Doing it how?

Adverb

• We introduce conjunctions in WD2• Conjunctions allow us to make:

• Compound sentences (two clauses joined by FANBOYS: For And Nor But Or Yet So)

• Complex sentences (two clauses joined by a subordinating conjunction)

Sentence Building Grid

Sentence Building Grid – WD2 and WD3

What is it

like?

Adjective

Who or

What?

Noun

Doing what?

Verb

Doing it how?

Adverb

Does it join to

another idea?

Conjunction

• We also include creative writing activities• City of Stars• Spine poem• Bringing the World to Life

Writing activities

What does ‘expedition’ mean?To take a trip for a specific reason.

Use ‘expedition’ in a sentence.We made an expedition to Bunnings for a new hose after our dog chewed the last one.

What does ‘novelty’ mean?Something to play with.

Use ‘novelty’ in a sentence.We got novelty items at the Royal Show.

Assessment task – example

Assessment Task – template

What does 1 mean?

Use 1 in a sentence

What does 2 mean?

Use 2 in a sentence

What does 3 mean?

Use 3 in a sentence

What does 4 mean?

Use 4 in a sentence

What does 5 mean?

Use 5 in a sentence

What does 6 mean?

Use 6 in a sentence

What does 7 mean?

Use 7 in a sentence