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Learning to Write, Writing to Learn: Using the Traits to help our students learn to write, write to

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... adopted text IE: letter writing, poetry, biography, research reports, story ... Mem Fox (a renowned children's author and illustrator) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Learning to Write, Writing to Learn: Using the Traits to help our students learn to write, write to


1
Learning to Write, Writing to Learn Using the
Traits to help our students learn to write, write
to learn, and ACHIEVE!
  • Presenter
  • Kelly Nott 5th Grade

2
Why do we read?
  • Take a moment and discuss this with your group

3
Why do we write?
  • Take a moment and discuss this with your group.

4
Our Research Base
  • 90/90/90 Schools Its not a program
  • 90 Free/Reduced Lunch
  • 90 from minorities
  • 90 met or exceeded achievement standards
  • One of the primary factors is a school-wide focus
    in writing - especially NONFICTION across content
    areas. This includes using common assessments and
    academic language, aligning assessment with
    instruction and standards, writing frequently in
    a variety of subjects, having a consistent,
    uniform, and collaborative method for scoring
    writing, and displaying/celebrating student
    growth and achievement.
  • Accountability in Action

5
  • Additional Research
  • and Theory-in-Practice quotes
  • According to research, writing to learn is a
    growing trend in elementary schools today.
    (Indrisano)
  • Although the ultimate goal for most is to create
    independent readers and writers, we have learned
    that an interdependent process of writing
    instruction and assessment across grade levels
    and content areas is required to achieve this
    objective. (Indrisano p. 154)
  • Emphasis on correctness was rooted in a 19th
    century model of language development. Emphasis
    on mechanical errors overshadowed the deep
    rhetorical, social, and cognitive possibilities
    of writing for communication and critical
    thinking. (Because Writing Matters)
  • It is possible for anyone to write things that
    others will want to read. (Because Writing
    Matters)
  • Teachers can empower students, help them like to
    write, and be more forceful and articulate in
    using writing in their lives. (Because Writing
    Matters)

6
What people think when they have to write.
  • Where do I begin?
  • What if I make mistakes?
  • What if my teacher doesnt like what I write
    about or how I write?
  • How do I get started?
  • Will you still like me if I write my thoughts and
    ideas?
  • Do I make sense?
  • Am I getting my point across?
  • Why do I have write about it, cant I just tell
    you?
  • I cant write!!
  • You want me to write about WHAT?
  • Do any of these sound familiar?

7
What you may think or hear in the staff room
about writing.
  • Help!! I dont know what to do or where to begin!
  • Kids cant write about anything today and make
    sense!
  • These students cant write a complete sentence!
  • My students cant read or write at grade level!
  • WHAT DO YOU THINK OR HEAR???

8
How did you learn how to write?
  • Take a minute to share your experiencesor what
    you remember MOST about writing in school.

9
Now, close your eyes and think aboutWhen you
were going to school to be a teacherHow many
WRITING classes did you take as part of your
teaching degree program?
10
Writing is a craft before it is an art writing
may appear magic, but it is our responsibility to
take our students backstage to watch the pigeons
being tucked up in the magicians
sleeve.--Donald Murray(6 1 Writing Traits
The Complete Guide for the Primary Grades)
11
Ideas
  • The meaning and development of the message -
    Finding the right topic, selecting interesting,
    relevant details, and making the content clear.
  • Does my writing make sense?
  • Do I know my topic?
  • Is my writing interesting?

The Ideas Song Sung to Row, Row, Row Your
Boat Write, write, write your thoughts. Make
your ideas clear. Tell the reader what you
know And what you hold most dear!
12
Organization
  • The internal structure of the piece Bold
    beginnings, mighty middles, and excellent
    endings.
  • Do I start off strong?
  • Is everything in the right order?
  • Are similar things together?

The Organization Song Sung to Mary Had a Little
Lamb Writing has a good beginning, Strong
conclusion, And builds bridges. Writing has a
good beginning. The order just makes sense!
13
Voice - Sparkling, confident, unquestionably
individual These are the words that describe a
piece of writing with VOICE!
  • The tone of the piecethe personal stamp that the
    writer brings to it.
  • Can you hear me in the writing?
  • Can you tell I care about this idea?
  • Have I added some sparkle?

The Voice Song Sung to If Youre Happy and You
Know It If youre happy and you know it, thats
your voice. If youre angry and you know it,
thats your voice. If youre spunky and you know
it, Then your WORDS will surely show it. If
youre happy and you know it, thats your voice!
14
Word ChoiceArtists develop a love for the feel
of their tools, the smell and texture of clay,
wood, or paintWriters love words. And while
some writers get excited over a particular pen or
a more powerful word processing programwords
remain the most important tool the writer has to
work with. - Ralph Fletcher
  • The specific vocabulary the writer uses to convey
    the meaning Falling in Love with words,
    choosing precise words, and selecting words with
    color, variety, and sparkle.
  • Do these words sound and feel right?
  • Have I tried new words?
  • Have I painted a picture?

The Word Choice Song Sung to Ring Around the
Rosie Writing with your best words Finding
lots of new words Sparkle!! Dazzle!! The words
stand out!!
15
Sentence Fluency
  • The way the words and phrases flow throughout the
    text
  • Beginning sentences in different ways, creating
    sentences of different lengths, and reading
    sentences aloud to check how they sound.
  • Can I read my writing aloud?
  • Do my words and phrases go together?
  • Have I tried to use different types of sentences?

The Sentence Fluency Song Sung to Frere
Jacques Sentence fluency, Sentence fluency. The
writing flows, The writing flows Sentences are
longer, Sentences are stronger. It sounds smooth
it sounds right..
16
Conventions(oh those pesky conventions!) The
secret in assessing and teaching conventions is
to notice what the student does know and build on
that. Remember that nothing is automaticeven
writing from left to right. All must be learned!
Vicki Spandel
The Conventions Song Sung to The Hokey
Pokey You put your periods in, You pull some
spelling out. You put your capitals in, And you
shake them all about. You make your paper
better When you edit it just right. Thats what
its all about!
  • The mechanical correctness of the piece
    Learning how to spell words that matter,
    practicing accurate capitalization, and using
    punctuation to enhance meaning.
  • Is the spacing correct between the letters and
    words?
  • Is my spelling readable?
  • Does my punctuation and capitalization make
    sense?

17
Presentation
  • The overall appearance of the work - Handwriting
    is the vehicle carrying information on its way to
    a destination. If it is illegible, the journey
    may not be completed
  • Donald Graves.
  • Is my paper framed with open space?
  • Is there balance between pictures and text?
  • Is it neat and legible?

The Presentation Song Sung to Yankee
Doodle Take a look at what you wrote. Does it
look nice and neat? Have you done the best you
could So reading is a treat? Have you written
carefully? Is your writing clear? Not a cross-out
or a smudge Will you or I find here!
18
Why the Writing Traits?
  • Vertical alignment with common vocabulary,
    scoring, and ways to express thoughts. (Arent
    these the traits of strong writers anywayall the
    way through school and beyond)?
  • Teaches children to think about what they are
    writing and HOW they are writing itand provides
    the tools to do it.
  • Nurtures and guides the learning process.
  • Dont just teach the traits
  • teach the children to write using the traits as
    a guide through the writing process!!

19
Data Collection Tips Below Recipe for Success
  • Connect Writing with Reading and Reading with
    Writing.
  • USE THOSE MENTOR TEXTS!
  • Mini Lessons are greatand they dont have to
    take everything to the publishing stage.
  • Teach the traits, one trait at a time, throughout
    the year always with a secondary emphasis on
    conventions.
  • Periodic, independent writing assignments taking
    the students through the writing process.
  • Journal writing.
  • Allow students to write badly.
  • Weekly/monthly conferencing - comment and mark
    with the individual students using rubrics
    instead of just handing back a paper that has
    comments and marks on it hoping that someone will
    look at it! This is key to parents
    understanding of what we expect and look at in
    their childs writing.
  • Teach students to evaluate and score their own
    writing (see next section on RUBRICS).
  • If you use Writers Workshopuse it as an
    assessment tool when working with students.
  • Interactive writing that is content driven
    beginning with idea webs taking students through
    the writing process.
  • Purpose-driven writing.
  • Incorporation of GLAD strategies that complement
    the type of writing we are doing and the traits
    we are focusing on.
  • Writing assignments by genre coordinated with
    Houghton Mifflin adopted text IE letter
    writing, poetry, biography, research reports,
    story writing, etc., integrated with content
    area/non-fiction writing, adapted to focus on
    Trait(s) that we are focusing on for that grading
    period.
  • Beginning, middle, and end of year writing
    samples.
  • Formative spelling and reading 3 times per year
    to guide instruction and show growth.
  • Adjust based upon students needs
  • REPEATOFTEN!

20
Conferencing, Scoring, and Rubrics
  • Children are our most important evaluatorsWhen
    a child can say with some degree of specificity,
    this is good becausethen we know that child is
    becoming a better reader and a more independent
    writer.
  • Carol Avery

21
O Say Can You Write?
  • Need Help?
  • Writing Fix
  • History Fix
  • Northern Nevada Writing Project

22
Writing Across the Curriculum with GLAD Strategies
23
Home-School ConnectionFamilies that Read and
Write TOGETHER Success
Writing is a social act and if we are to succeed
at engaging learners of all ages and abilities in
daily and sustained writing, we must position
writing both in and out of the school as an
activity that has the potential to mediate events
that are important and purposeful in our
students lives. -- Indrisano, Learning to
Write Writing to Learn.
24
No one in real life fills in ditto sheets
(worksheets or practice books). Filling in the
blanks doesnt foster fluency, higher-level
thinking, or the creation of extended texts.
Ditto sheets (worksheets or practice books) are
nothing but the frustrating one-way streets of
writing. Mem Fox (a renowned childrens author
and illustrator)
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