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Writing Four Blocks Literacy
Erickson, K., & Koppenhaver, D. (2007). Children with disabilities: reading and writing the four-blocks way. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc. What is the Writing Block? During the block children are engaged in various activities that lead to a published piece of writing. “Assistive technologies make it possible for children with a variety of disabilities to see, hear, produce and process print as they type words into talking word processers” (Erickson & Koppenhaver, 2007).
Why is Writing important?“One way children learn to read is by writing. For struggling children, their own writing is sometimes the first thing they can read” (Cunningham, Hall & Sigmon, 1999). The Writing block allows students to: • See writing as a way to tell people things • Learn to read through writing. • Apply grammar and mechanics in their own writing. • Learn particular forms of writing. • Maintain self-confidence and motivation. • Help develop skills to independently write a wide variety of texts for real purposes on topics of interest Cunningham, P. M., Hall, D. P., & Sigmon, C. M. (1999). The teacher’s guide to the four blocks. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.
Important things to remember when writing. • Copying is not writing. • Don’t sound out the words for the students. Encourage students to think about the word and what sounds they hear without your help. • Students need to be engaged and interested in the topic. • Students need the opportunity to write without standards. This means no judgement or correction of students work. After they have finished writing you can provide feedback. • Say something positive (e.g. I like how you…) • Ask a question (e.g. I’m not quiet sure, can you tell me what this means?) • make a suggestion (e.g. Maybe if we change this we could make it even better!)
Writing Stages • The Writing Block has 3 parts: • Mini Lesson • Writing and Teacher Conferencing • Sharing • Variations of Writing • Emergent Writing
Mini Lesson • A 10 minute mini-lesson begins each Writing Block. • In the mini-lesson, the teacher uses one or more of the students’ writing tools as she models the thinking process of composition.
Writing and Teacher Conferencing • Students pend the next 20 minutes working on their own writing. • The teacher or aide will go around and supports students writing though conferencing. Types of writing • Letter writing • Writing about yourself (picture stimulus) • Poetry • Writing about your favourite topic. • Writing a book.
Sharing Student’s share their work in the Authors Chair. • It is important to celebrate and value student’s writing. • Each day students share their writing with the class on a special chair out the front of the classroom. • Writing can be put onto a speech generated device for non-verbal students to read their writing out loud.
Emergent Writing • Each student needs a pencil (see alternate pencils). • Using pictures to prompt students writing allows the teacher to help the student focus writing on a topic. Connections between the letters written and the topic can be made. A model of conventional writing using the connections is shown at the end.
References All information in this presentation has been sourced from: • Cunningham, P. M., Hall, D. P., & Sigmon, C. M. (1999). The teacher’s guide to the four blocks. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc. • Erickson, K., & Koppenhaver, D. (2007). Children with disabilities: reading and writing the four-blocks way. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.