Nurturing Growing Writers and Teachers of Writers Complied by: The Literacy Link

Session 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.

Agenda

Nurturing Growing Writers and Teachers 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 Connection 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.

Data

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 Workshop Writing Workshop Is…Writing Workshop is NOT… AuthenticPrompt writing Student CenteredCopy writing Teacher facilitatedTeacher generated Focused on writing strategies AND skillsFocused on mechanics Sight words / periods / capital letters Process based – work done over timeProduct 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 rubricAll right or all wrong

Let’s get started!

Having the Right Place to Nurture 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 Nurture Growing Writers ….

Picture of Classroom

Nurturing Our Developing Writers 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 Writing 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.

SAMPLES

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 ….. 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 nurtured as they grow? Monthly PD with writing focus Strategies / Skills Modelded Modeled lessons in your classrooms (must sign up) Collaboration time with teams Collaboration during PD Assessments Writing will be shared and discussed Collaboration shared on our website

The Garden will continue to GROW… August PD – refresher course, look at first interactive writing unit, launching writer’s workshop Yearlong PD outline Support Structure Constant support with correlating reading and writing

Final note Your commitment, Our commitment, team commitments

Resources Used Primary Units of Study for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins Primary-Writing- Curriculum/dp/B000Z3U8HM