Words-on-the-move 08-#1
Words-on-the-move 08-#1
WSRA convention February 7-9th
Lucy Calkins presentation on Saturday Feb. 9th.
Notes that were important to me.
• Life provides the Big Ideas for writing (the subjects)
• Need to provide an environment that is conducive to writing
• Can not teach writing well alone
o Need collaboration for teaching writing –both horizontally and vertically
o Students need more than one year of good teaching in writing to become a good writer.
o Ideally you need the entire school to embrace “good writing”
o Example : 4th grade teachers meet in May/June to map out the next years pacing of units for writing. The order of units is not as critical as the fact of grade levels be in sync. Plans can change during the year but must stay in sync.
o Should check for spiral development of writing skills and expectations
• K-2’s purpose is to get kids to write independently
o Cycle of idea – write – publish
o May add extra units from her published units such as Fairy Tales or Persuasive Writing
• 3-6’s will write less published pieces but focus on developing skills per genre
o Class all write in same genre but may have different topics.
o Teach the structure of the genre
Narrative structure
Expository structure
Poetry structure
Etc.
• Teacher needs to have a clear vision of what kids will be about
o 3rd -5th will produce possible 2 narratives in a months time
o 1st grade may produce 18 personal narratives in the same time
o Set dates for Author Celebrations at beginning of year
• Begin unit by identifying strategies for generating ideas
o Think of a person that matters
Then think of some small moments with that person
Issues that matter
Places that matter
Etc
Chart these for a room reminder
• After a couple of days start lifting the level of writing
o Minilessons
Focus – how to make more powerful
• Details bring out purpose
Difference between “summary” and “story telling”
• Choose entries from strategy exploration and pick a seed idea.
Rehearse for Writing
o Make a timeline of the story
o Do this orally/aurally
o Have students start at different point of the timeline
o Try out different story leads
Dialogue
Small action
Upper grades – write whole draft in one sitting
o Subsequent days 1 major revision per day
o Watermelon – big topic – summer vacation
Seed – day my grandmother and I baked cookies
When telling a story the oral thinking is important
Have young children use different pages to simulate timeline.
They point to page and tell what they will tell about on that page.
After rehearsal – then begin writing process
When revising – find important pages and start them (or paragraphs for older students) and those are the points where more details can be added.
If having trouble getting started advise them to talk about the weather.
o Start with “when ….
o Mentor or coach can help with revising and lifting the story.
End of Unit – pick the best piece and publish it. (not everything written needs to be published)
Kindergarten –
o Think about life – what you do
o Make picture – tell story
o Letters are for later
Kindergarten students are reading at the C level when they can write in a way that they and we can read and make sense of it.
After a few days of drawing the pictures they can add labels.
o 4-5 labels by beginning of October
Paper to use
o Beginning of year – no lines
o Month or two later – one line
o Months later – more lines
o Diverse array of paper available in one classroom for different developmental writers.
Conferencing
o Goal is to have writer leave the conference wanting to write.
o Time
Sample period
Minilesson
Circulate to make sure all have started
May table conference a small group
Individual conferences
• Teach one thing at a time
• Expect the best they can do
• Conversation may be
o What are you working on as a writer
o What struggles are you having
Compliment
• Not only the writing but the writer
• Compliment should be able to be generalized and used for future writing impact
Assessment
Develop levels of writing per building
Each classroom bring a typical good and excellent writing sample.
Lay out on table in order – now note the levels and their characteristics
In class
• First day of class have everyone write. (teacher is silent)
• (this is on-demand narrative writing)
• After the units on narrative writing have been celebrated
• Another on demand timed narrative writing
New book for coaches and principles coming out this summer
What to look for
What do you do in editing and revision segments
Will be evident in the drafts
Minilesson on Re-Vision
Stand back and see again
Look through one lens at a time
Example – look at organization
Can I read each paragraph and give it one sentence heading?
