Writing IS Thinking

Brandon Elementary TeachersJanuary 28th, 2010

Presented by Faye BrownlieReferences:

Grand Conversations, Thoughtful ResponsesStudent Diversity, 2nd Ed

It’s All about Thinking

Managing the Workshop

• Work with large chunks of time• Build criteria with students• Teach one specific criteria at a time,

over time• Model, model, model• Focus on pre-writing • Coach students as they are writing• Goal-set with students• Increase your silent writing time

ModelGuided practiceIndependent practiceIndependent application

Pearson & Gallagher (1983)

Quick Writes

• Give a word to students• Give 15 seconds to think about the word,

then 3 minutes to free write, using the word• Students reread (mumble) their writing• Students choose a phrase, sentence,

powerful word to share – if they choose• Share the ‘treasures’• Describe ‘what works’• Repeat the process

How can we best use our resource time together? Can we introduce writing in a playful way to a diverse group of K children?

Students need:

• To see themselves as writers• To have fun• To develop a sense of sound/symbol

relationships• To find their stories• To work with criteria• Teacher’s Need: What’s Next for

This Beginning Writer? – Reid, Schultz, Peterson (Pembroke Pub)

K-1 Writing:Model - pictures & printRefer to criteriaKids draw & writeRefer to criteria

Pearson & Gallagher (1983)

Grade 2/3 Writing Criteria

• An opening sentence with a hook

• Details

• Distinguished words

Autumn Bear

Author-Diane CullingIllustrator - Cindy Vincent

Snowberry Books, 2007ISBN 978-0-9736678-2-0

One September morning •a piece of fog touched me. As I looked out my window the gold leaves drifted out of the tree as I dragged my feet down the stairs to breakfreast, as I waited for the school bus I feel puffs of wind pick up my hair when the school bus came I slowley walk up the stairs as I bundled • in a seat as I went down the steps I saw birds migrating south as if leaves followed them it looked like they were air dancing.• -Allyson, gr.2

• As the cool fall leafs fall the aniamails hide in thir hafertat an the people put worm fire on and they have hot chocolet with mashmao. If feel couze with the blaket on you. You feel like you want to stay home forever. The wind hits your face it feels like somebudys teeching except it’s the breeze. -by Jason, gr.3

• When the Autumn wind blows it makes me shiver. It really makes me quiver. The wind is cold and really bold, it feels refreshing on my face. I get to keep my own pace. My hair would blow I can be slow, I walk on the ground I don’t have a frown, it feels so good and it keeps me in a joyful mood it keeps me happy for the rest of the day and I want to play and play. After the Autumn wind blows on my face it is really cool, it almost feels as cold as my pool.

By Samantha, gr.3

Autumn Wind

Grade 1 Writing Criteria

•powerful beginning•detail

Pinduli

By Janell Cannon

Harcourt, 2004

Power Paragraphs

• Create a power structure:• Power 1 – the big idea• Power 2 – 3 big details about the big idea• Power 3 – 2 more precise details/examples about the

2nd powers• Together, write the paragraph, 1 topic sentence

(power 1), and 3 explanatory sentences (powers 2 and 3)

• Reread for fluency• Do several together, then students can create their

structure, get feedback before writing, then write independently

power 1

power 2 power 2power 2

2 details 2 details (power 3)

How can I help my students develop more depth in their responses? They are writing with no voice when I ask them to imagine themselves as a demi-god in the novel.

Students need:

• to ‘be’ a character• support in ‘becoming’ that character• to use specific detail and precise

vocabulary to support their interpretation

• choice• practice • to develop models of ‘what works’• a chance to revise their work

The Plan

• Review scene from novel• Review criteria for powerful journey

response• Brainstorm who you could be in this scene• 4 minute write, using ‘I’• Writers’ mumble• Stand if you can share…• What can you change/add/revise?• Share your writing with a partner

Criteria

• Write in role – use ‘I’• Use specific names• Phrases/words that show feeling• Particularly descriptive details of the event• Powerful first line

• What will you change after listening to others?

Direct, explicit comprehension instruction

• Secret of the Dance - • Andrea Spalding and Alfred Scow, Illustrations

- Darlene Gait

• Orca Publishing, 2006• #9 781551 433967

Response Journals

 

double-entry journals

 initially, written in class, together

 develop criteria for powerful responses

Left Side Right Side Notes Early Stages:

1 Title of the Book One sentence I can read from the book. 2 Title of the Book (After reading a pattern book)

A sentence of my own following the pattern of the text.

3 Title of the Book My Opinion (e.g. The part I like best is ...

My favourite character is …)

Writing is very limited in the early stages.

End of Grade 1/ Beginning of Grade 2:

4 Summary (What Happened?) My Thinking About What Happened Initially, expect a lot more writing on the left side than on the right at this stage.

Later:

5 Two Events My Thinking About These Events Gradually expect the length of the writing to become more balanced on each side.

6 A Quotation from the Text My Interpretation/Thinking of the Meaning of this Quotation

By Intermediate, expect 1 – 2 sentences about an event and a paragraph of personal response.

Found Poems

• Read a text to the students• Students listen for phrases that they

love – powerful phrases – phrases they want to remember

• By birthdays, students stand and say their ‘found poem’

• Mix the order to hear different variations of the poem

• Students write their own ‘found poem’

Online literacy videos

• www.sd72.bc.ca Literacy Videos• Clustering from Text• Squiggles• It’s All in the Bag

References

• Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses – Brownlie (2005). Portage and Main Press.

• Student Diversity, 2nd ed (2006) – Brownlie and Schnellert. Pembroke Publishers

• It’s All about Thinking – Humanities, Social Studies and English (2009) – Brownlie and Schnellert. Portage and Main Press.