Teaching Writing

1. Teaching Writing Tying it all together!? Presented by: Annette Hendry annette.hendry@nbed.nb.ca

2. Writing Standards Units of Study for Teaching Writing (Calkins) "6 + 1 Traits" "Writers Workshop" Curriculum " The Writing Process" Assessment !

3. Reaction? “We waste valuable time and energy fussing about the “trait” camp versus the “writing process” camp versus the “writing workshop” camp. We're all trying to do the same thing: help students learn to write well. When these three powerful ideas coexist in writing classrooms, both students and teachers win.” -Culham

4. The Writing Process What is the writing process? What are the steps in the writing process?

5. What is the writing process? A way of looking at writing instruction that shifts the emphasis from the finished product to what writers think and do as they write

6. What are the steps in the writing process? • Prewriting • Drafting • Revising • Editing • Publishing

7. Prewriting • Choosing a topic • Gathering and organizing ideas • Considering the audience • Identifying the purpose • Choosing a genre

8. Drafting • Writing a rough draft • Emphasizing content rather than mechanics Stamina and volume are important here

9. Revising • Rereading for refining and clarifying • Make changes “Adding and subtracting time”

10. Editing • Proofreading to locate errors • Correcting mechanical errors

11. Publishing • Publishing writing in an appropriate form • Sharing finished writing with an appropriate audience

12. Points to remember! • The writing process is not a linear process – but recursive; with labeling of the steps being useful for identifying and discussing writing activities.

14. What about the Six Traits? The new standards document evaluates writing based on the six traits.

15. What are the six traits? • Ideas • Organization • Word Choice • Voice • Sentence Fluency • Conventions • + Presentation

16. http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/posters/ideas.pdfhttp://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/posters/ideas.pdf

22. “How does knowing the writing process help me teach the traits?”

23. Writing Workshop? “So I understand about the Writing Process and how it fits with the traits….. Now what about the Writer’s Workshop?”

24. What is “Writer’s Workshop”? A organizational structure for allowing the writing process to happen in the classroom setting. It replicates the practices of professional writers as they take a piece of writing from conception to publication.

25. “The traits are the language of writing workshop.” “The six traits represent a language that empowers students and teachers to communicate about qualities of writing.” Ruth Culham

26. Writer’s Workshop • Minilesson • “Work Time” • Sharing

27. Writer’s Workshop • Minilesson- • Modelled Writing\Direct Teaching • “Work Time” • Students write independently • Teacher conferences with individuals and/or small groups (“Guided Writing”) • Sharing • Reinforces or makes the teaching point again

28. Minilesson components Connection Teaching • Demonstration • Explicitly tell and show an example • Inquiry • Guided practice Active Engagement Link

29. Using your Minilesson planning sheet and a lesson from Lucy Calkins Resource jot some notes for each component of the minilesson. “What is happening during each component?”

30. Use Book 2 of your Units set to search for instances where the traits are covered. • Pick any of the other units you wish to also look for instances where the traits are covered.

31. Ruth Culham: “Think of the traits not as a set of discrete lessons to be taught each day, but a way of thinking , shaping responses to writing, and talking about the writing. The traits are the writing process at the revision and editing stages. They don’t stand alone in the writer’s world; they shouldn’t be taught in isolation; they shouldn’t be portioned out by grade level.”

32. What about the standards documents? • Summative assessment • Formative assessment to drive instruction

33. Standards identify: The end of grade level of achievement for: • Writing strategies and behaviors • Traits Highlight a key word or phrase for each bullet for: 1.Strategies and behaviours 2.Traits

35. Research shows writers need: • Time to write • Choices • Feedback\response • Models of fine writing

36. “Success in writing directly relates to the amount of writing and rewriting a person does.” -Lucy Calkins

37. References • Culham, R. (2005) 6+1 Traits of writing the complete guide for the primary grades. New York: Scholastic • Culham, R. (2003) 6+1 Traits of writing the complete guide for Grades 3 and Up. New York: Scholastic • Calkins, L. et al (2003) Units of Study for Primary Writing: A Yearlong Curriculum, Portsmouth: Heinemann, • Calkins, L. et al (2006) Units of Study for Grades 3-5, Portsmouth: Heinemann, • Graham, S. (Ed) (2007) Best Practices in Writing Instruction, New York: The Guilford Press • http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/posters/ideas.pdf