nurturing growing writers and teachers of writers complied by: the literacy link
TRANSCRIPT
Nurturing Growing Writers and Nurturing Growing Writers and Teachers of WritersTeachers of Writers
Complied by: The Literacy Link
Session Session Outcomes/objectives Outcomes/objectives Participants will build a
foundation of understanding the process of teaching writing using The Units of Study for Primary Writing Workshop.
Participants will understand the structure, purpose, and developmental milestones of writers in writer’s workshop.
AgendaAgenda
Nurturing Growing Writers and Nurturing Growing Writers and Teachers of WritersTeachers of Writers
Why is it CRUCIAL to teach writing?
What does writing currently look like in our classrooms?
What anxieties do we have about teaching writing?
The Reading and Writing The Reading and Writing ConnectionConnection Basically put: reading affects writing and writing affects reading.
Reading instruction is most effective when intertwined with writing instruction and vice versa. Research has found that when children read extensively they become better writers.
Reading provides young people with prior knowledge that they can use in their stories.
Since writing is the act of transmitting knowledge in print, we must have information to share before we can write it. Therefore reading plays a major role in writing.
At the same time practice in writing helps children build their reading skills. This is especially true for younger children who are working to develop phonemic awareness and phonics skills. Phonemic awareness develops as children read and write new words.
Phonics skills or the ability to link sounds together to construct words are reinforced when children read and write the same words.
DataData
What will it look like to effectively and
purposefully implement writing
into the daily classroom to support reading instruction?
Writer’s Workshop
Units of Study for Primary Writing:
A Year Long Curriculum
How is Writing Workshop Different?
Writing WorkshopWriting WorkshopWriting Workshop Is… Writing Workshop is NOT…
Authentic Prompt writing
Student Centered Copy writing
Teacher facilitated Teacher generated
Focused on writing strategies AND skills
Focused on mechanics Sight words / periods / capital letters
Process based – work done over time Product based – piece completed at the end of every period
Differentiated for ALL students at their own level with their own needs
Everyone writing the same thing
Follows the natural writing process as learning takes place
Follows a specific writing process
Creatively implementing reading skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, word use fluency) in meaningful pieces of writing
Word wall word callers / Fill in the blank / constructed response Handwriting
Assessed using a common rubric All right or all wrong
Let’s get started!
Having the Right Place to Having the Right Place to Nurture Growing WritersNurture Growing Writers….…. Daily Commitment with Class schedule focusing
on the crucial elements.
90 Minute Reading Block incorporating the Big Five Reading Components and independent reading time
30 – 45 Minute Writing Block incorporating minute lessons, independent writing time, conferring time, and sharing time.
Multiple opportunities for reading experiences throughout the day
“It is crucial that teachers read aloud at least several times a day (a minimum of three times). Some of texts teachers read (and reread) resemble those that children write. It is important that the school day includes time for reading to, with, and by children and that children are reading books the can read with confidence, ease, and above all, with comprehension.” - Calkins
A Rich and Active Learning Environment ◦ Classroom Libraries – accessible to students
Table top books, leveled book bags, read alouds
◦ Purposeful wall hangings represent prior, current, or ongoing learning ANCHOR CHARTS!!!! – Prominent Space to hang them
and for students to access them. Student Centered demonstrating a skill or strategy to
be used by students Created with students during learning/mini lesson/etc. Interactive with examples
Having the Right Place to Having the Right Place to Nurture Growing WritersNurture Growing Writers….….
Picture of Classroom
Nurturing Our Developing Nurturing Our Developing WritersWriters
All writers are different and range in abilities (this needs to be valued) – some can write squiggles and lollipops – some draw and some write full pages of detailed stories. It is our job to value and find ways to move EACH individual toward more and more independence and proficiency. - Calkins
Developmental Process of Developmental Process of WritingWriting
Some children will just draw.Some Children will WRITE squiggles instead
of letters to tell the story.Some children will WRITE labels for their
drawings to tell the story.Some children will soon WRITE a caption for
their drawing to tell the story.Some will WRITE sentences to tell the story.Some will WRITE stories (and other genres
too!) with settings, characters with personalities, problems, and solutions.
*All children deserve to start where he or she is as a writer and be challenged to go farther.
SAMPLESSAMPLES
Planting the SeedPlanting the Seed
Planting the Seed …Planting the Seed …- Workshop Lesson Structure:
- Mini-lesson (link, teaching point, modeling)
- Active Engagement (Guided Practice)
- Send off- Independent Practice –
Conferring/Small Groups- Share / Debrief
Growing Writers ….. Growing Writers ….. What do students do writer’s
workshop?- LISTEN during mini lesson- PRACTICE with a partner during active engagement- WRITE (but write based on themselves and what is
important to them)- SHARE during partner share and debrief session
What does the teacher do during writer’s workshop?- READ the daily read aloud and focus students on what good writers do- Present a focused, explicit mini-lesson to the whole group (10 min.)
using UOS- Check for understanding during Active Engagement- Send students off with a specific skill or strategy to practice (taught in
minilesson)- Confer one on one with students during ind. writing time, meet with
small groups – strategy/skill groups, assess student work, facilitate ind. work time
- Lead sharing time and redirect during debrief time
Samples
How are students working on reading skills during writer’s workshop?
Students are practicing - phoneme segmentation skills: breaking apart words
and building words.
- Phonics skills: letter sound connection as students write words
- Vocabulary Skills: transferring words, phrases, and their meanings from read alouds /ind. reading into written work (shows true understanding of vocabulary words)
- Comprehension skills: Similar story structures from read alouds / ind. reading embedded into their writing.
- Word Use Fluency: sight words, common cvc words, common patterns in words, etc. used in written work.
How will teachers be How will teachers be nurtured as they grow?nurtured as they grow?Monthly PD with writing focusStrategies / Skills ModeldedModeled lessons in your classrooms
(must sign up)Collaboration time with teamsCollaboration during PDAssessmentsWriting will be shared and discussedCollaboration shared on our website
The Garden will continue to The Garden will continue to GROW…GROW…August PD – refresher course,
look at first interactive writing unit, launching writer’s workshop
Yearlong PD outlineSupport StructureConstant support with
correlating reading and writing
Final noteFinal noteYour commitment, Our
commitment, team commitments
Resources UsedResources UsedPrimary Units of Study for Writing
Workshop by Lucy Calkins
http://www.amazon.com/Units-Study-Primary-Writing-Curriculum/dp/B000Z3U8HM