Minilessons

“In writing-reading workshop, minilessons serve similar ends. I use the presentations to introduce and highlight concepts, techniques, and information that will help writers and readers…” Nancie Atwell

Kinds of minilessons Procedural: the rules and routines of the workshop. Literary craft: what authors consider when they create literature. Conventions of written language: the compacts or agreements between writers and readers that students need to know. Strategies of good readers: how to choose, engage with, understand, and appreciate literature.

Procedural Writing: –Expectations for writing –Rules for writer’s workshop –Workshop routines –How the room is organized –Status of the class –Where to find various writing resources in the classroom –Conferring with peers

Procedural Reading: –Expectations for reading –Rules for reading workshop –Workshop routines –Classroom literary resources –Reading folder and keeping a record of books read –Borrowing books and returning books –Procedures for booktalks about recommended titles

Literary craft These minilessons address techniques, styles, genres, authors and works of literature. –Genres: what’s possible and characteristics of each:memoir, poetry, short fiction, essay, profile, petition, parody, song, book review, drama, web page, resume, letters, etc. –Qualities of a good title –Strong leads –Figurative lanuage

Conventions of Writing What conventions are, what they do for readers and why we need them in texts Paragraphing Poetic formats Playwriting format Capitalization Dashes and what they do Comma rules Letter formats

Reading Strategies Why we read Choosing books and our criteria for selection Abandoning books and our criteria for rejection Brief bookstalks about the titles students are reading Schema theory Tests of hidden assumptions Comprehension strategies