Correspondence:Letters to Authors &

IllustratorsMegan Griffin

Heather McRae

Kayla Wall

ECED 4300 ADr. Tonja RootSummer 2010

Grade 3

Prewriting Megan Griffin

• GPS: ELA3W1 The student demonstrates competency in the writing process. The student

m. Pre-writes to generate ideas, develops a rough draft, rereads to revise and edits to correct.

Prewriting Megan Griffin

• PLO: The students will plan their writing by completing a graphic organizer.

Form of Writing: Correspondence

• We write letters to authors & illustrators to:–share feelings–share likes and dislikes about their books

–ask questions

Form of Writing: Correspondence

• We do not write to:–Ask personal questions

•Money–Ask for free books–Expect a letter back from the

author/illustrator

Prewriting• Components of prewriting:

Form

Topic

Audience

Purpose

–Graphic organizers•Structure and organize • thoughts, ideas, and information

Prewriting

• During prewriting–Gather and organize your ideas–Do NOT use complete

sentences–Do NOT focus on spelling and

grammar

Prewriting Graphic Organizer

• Griffin, M. (2010). Author/Illustrator letter graphic organizer. Unpublished graphic organizer. Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA. – Modified from: Root, T. (n.d.). Friendly

letter graphic organizer. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from Dr. Tonja Root’s website: http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/eced4300/Graphic%20Organizers.htm

Graphic OrganizerHeadingWhat is your address?  ________________________________________(Your street number, street name, & apartment number (if living in an apartment)) _________________________________________(Your city, state, and zip code) _________________________________________(Today’s date) Who will get your letter?Body___________________________ (Greeting) What are some thoughts and feelings you would like to share with the author or illustrator?_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________What are some questions you would like to ask the author or illustrator?_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Closing__________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________(Closing) _____________________(Your signature)

Parts of the Letter

• Heading–Name & Address–Date–Greeting

–Dear _____________,

(author/illustrator)

Parts of the Letter

• Body–Thoughts, feelings,

concerns, likes/dislikes, etc.–Lessons Learned–Questions and ideas

Parts of the Letter

• Closing–Examples

• Sincerely,• Yours truly,• Your friend,

• Signature– (signed name)

Citation

• Regehr, A. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read

Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from KNEA Web site: http://www.knea.org/readacross/allisonregehr.html

Published Example• Dear J. K. Rowling,

• I love your books a lot. They are awesome. My favorite book in the series is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. That one is so exciting because when he catches the portkey it takes him to where Valdemort is being recreated. The recreation was so thrilling in the book that I will never forget it.

• I think the scariest one in the series is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Every time I read it I get a chill. The part that scared me the most was where he stabbed the basilisk fang into the diary. I read the book two days ago. I was babysitting my little brother and he had me read that part to him and he said that part gave him a chill too.

• I used to get scared really easily but now I only get scared in life threatening situations. I’m really glad you wrote these books. I got the first book in my school library. When I was finished with it, I was like Wow! That is so intriguing. It was so good. Since my parents aren’t really sci fi people, my best friend’s mom told me what the books were about. She has read them all. What character do you pretend you are when you read the books? I pretend I am Harry or Hermione. For some reason I just can’t see out of Ron’s point of view.

• You are my favorite author ever. Your books change my life in some way or another every day. Your series helped me get through my grandmother’s death.

• Sincerely,

• Allison Regehr• 4th grade, Jefferson Elementary School• Great Bend, KS

Practice Activity

• Letter to an Illustrator– Susan Hall

1. Look at the pictures in the book

2. Complete the letter graphic organizer

Assessment Activity

1. Read the book

2. Choose audience: author or illustrator

3. Complete letter graphic organizer

Drafting Kayla Wall

• GPS: ELA3W1 The student demonstrates competency in the writing process. The student

m. Pre-writes to generate ideas, develops a rough draft, rereads to revise, and edits to correct.

Drafting Kayla Wall

• PLO: The students will draft a letter to an author or illustrator.

Form of Writing: Correspondence

• We write letters to authors & illustrators to:–Ask questions–Share feelings and ideas

Drafting• During drafting, we:

–Complete thoughts & sentences

–Skip lines–Do NOT worry about

mechanics–Focus on content

Citation

• Powers, C. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from KNEA Web site:

http://www.knea.org/readacross/carsonpowers.html

Published ExampleDear Mr. Riordian,

I really liked your book! The Lightning Thief was a good book because it made me want to keep reading and reading, I couldn’t put it down! At first I thought that gods didn’t exist, but after reading your book I thought there might still be gods all over the place with their demi-gods and demi-goddesses. My favorite character was Percy Jackson because he can breathe underwater, control ocean life, and make anything he touches underwater dry. I liked it when he was underwater and he grabbed a hamburger wrapper and a lighter and lit the wrapper on fire, underwater! If I was a demi-god I would have Poseidon as my father and I would create tsunamis and right when they were going to hit, I would stop them and push them back to the ocean.   I have read the other two books and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth!

Sincerely,

Carson  Powers4th grade,  Village Elementary School  Emporia, KS  

Practice Activity

1. Let’s look at our completed graphic organizer

2. Together we will:– Get ideas– Form complete sentences

Assessment Activity

1. Using your graphic organizer, work to create a letter

• Remember to:– Create sentences– Form ideas– Focus on content, not

mechanics

Revising & EditingHeather McRae

• GPS: ELA3W1 The student demonstrates competency in the writing process. The student–m. Pre-writes to generate

ideas, develops a rough draft, rereads to revise and edits to correct.

Revising & EditingHeather McRae

• PLO: The students will revise their rough draft by using proofreaders’ marks to add, delete, change, and rearrange text.

• PLO: The students will edit their rough draft by correcting errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

Revising & Editing

• During revising, we:–Add, delete, change, & rearrange–Make writing more interesting &

detailed–Use proofreaders’ marks

• During editing, we:–Correct our revised draft–Focus on mechanics

Form of Writing: Correspondence

• We write letters to authors & illustrators to:– Ask questions– Share feelings and ideas

Citation

• Blackwell, O. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from KNEA Web site:

http://www.knea.org/readacross/oliviablackwell.html

Published Example• Dear Mary Pope Osborne,

• You have written some of my favorite books. It makes me feel like I’m in that place. One of my favorite books by you is Standing in the Light. It taught me to appreciate what I have. If I were taken by Indians, I would wish I were back home. But when she started enjoying living with them, it taught me to make the best out of a situation.

• You have inspired me to write books of my own. Your books were the first chapter books I read, and they taught me reading can be more fun. When I start a Magic Tree House book, I have to finish. I can’t stop just in the middle. Thank you for showing me reading is fun.

• Sincerely,

• Olivia Blackwell• 5th grade, Lincoln Elementary School• Great Bend, KS

Revising & Editing

• Revise: Content

• Edit: Mini-lesson– Comma splice– Sentence structure

Practice Activity• Revise letter

to:– Add– Delete– Change– Rearrange

• Edit letter for:–Sentence structure–Comma splices–Spelling–Grammar–Punctuation–Capitalization

Assessment Activity1. Edit your rough draft

• Proofreaders’ Marks

2. Look for errors in:• Spelling• Punctuation• Capitalization• Comma splices• Sentence structure

Assessment Activity

3. Peer editing

4. Teacher Conference• Spelling• Punctuation• Capitalization• Comma splices• Sentence structure

ReferencesBlackwell, O. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest

Entries. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from KNEA Web site: http://www.knea.org/readacross/oliviablackwell.html

Goldish, M. (1994). Step Inside the Rainforest. New York: Newbridge Educational Publishing.

Griffin, M. (2010). Author/Illustrator letter graphic organizer. Unpublished graphic organizer. Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA. – Modified from: Root, T. (n.d.). Friendly letter graphic organizer.

Retrieved May 26, 2010, from Dr. Tonja Root’s website: http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/eced4300/Graphic%20Organizers.htm

Powers, C. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from KNEA Web site: http://www.knea.org/readacross/carsonpowers.html

Regehr, A. (2006). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from KNEA Web site: http://www.knea.org/readacross/allisonregehr.html