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