1. The Writing Classroom P-12 Loddon Mallee Region

2. Session Outline Literacy Frameworks Writing Elements The Make-Up of The Writing Classroom Feedback

3. LITERACY FRAMEWORKS

5. 5 GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY MODELLING The teacher demonstrates and explains the literacy focus being taught. This is achieved by thinking aloud the mental processes and modelling the reading, writing, speaking and listening The student participates by actively attending to the demonstrations SHARING The teacher continues to demonstrate the literacy focus, encouraging students to contribute ideas and information Students contribute ideas and begin to practise the use of the literacy focus in whole class situations GUIDING The teacher provides scaffolds for students to use the literacy focus. Teacher provides feedback Students work with help from the teacher and peers to practise the use of the literacy focus APPLYING The teacher offers support and encouragement when necessary The student works independently to apply the use of literacy focus Role of the teacher Role of the student Pearson & Gallagher DEGREE OF CONTROL

6. LITERACY ELEMENTS Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent Reading SPEAKING & LISTENING OBSERVATION & ASSESSMENT Write Aloud Shared Writing Guided Writing Independent Writing

7. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS? Activity: Write down a list of things that you are currently doing to support students in writing in your classroom Bundling Activity

8. Purpose CONTEXT OF THE WRITING EVENT Roles and Relationships Subject MatterSocio-cultural InfluencesSituation Summons RANGE OF TEXT FORMS Blueprints Cartoons Rules Memos Affidavits Policies Timetables Complaints Narratives Poems Song Lyrics Fairy Tales Fables Myths Instructions Interviews Blurbs Descriptions Competition Entries DiariesLists MenusRetells Surveys Recipes Notes Journals Messages Invoices ReportsWord DirectionsPuzzles Labels Indexes Glossaries Expositions Editorials Job Applications Headlines Questionnaires Explanations Apologies Invitations Jokes Experiments Comics Contents Pages Biographies Autobiographies Meeting Minutes Personal Correspondence Reviews Planning WRITING PROCESSES Drafting PublishingConferring Refining WRITING STRATEGIES self – questioning paraphrasing / summarising connecting chunking using predicting spelling generalisations creating images sounding out determining importance using analogy consulting an authority comparing using meaning re-reading using memory aids synthesising using visual memory THREE CUEING SYSTEM Syntactic Semantic Graphophonic PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

9. WRITING ELEMENTS

10. LITERACY ELEMENTS Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent Reading SPEAKING & LISTENING OBSERVATION & ASSESSMENT Write Aloud Shared Writing Guided Writing Independent Writing

11. WRITE ALOUD Description Writing Aloud occurs when a teacher writes in front of students. The teacher models techniques, frameworks & behaviours, verbalising thinking and what is being written. It could involve whole class, small groups and individual students. Writing aloud increases student interest and motivation and develops the quality of writing. 31

12. SHARED WRITING Description Shared writing is defined as the teacher and the student composing writing collaboratively. The teacher acts as scribe and expert and makes decisions about where students may scribe. The teacher enables, supports and encourages. They invite students to participate and enjoy writing experiences they might not be able to do on their own. Writing is negotiated, discussed, and jointly decided by students and the teacher. 34

13. GUIDED WRITING Description The teacher facilitates writing with a group of students of similar needs. Students are observed closely and write with the scaffolded support of the teacher. Students do the writing. Students receive explicit instruction and feedback. They are guided to write more complex texts than would usually be written independently. Guided writing extends the thinking of students and generally builds on the instruction of Shared Writing. 37

14. INDEPENDENT WRITING Description Independent writing focuses on students taking charge of their own writing. Students apply understandings, processes and strategies learnt through supported teaching elements. It builds fluency and stamina establishes the writing habit, makes personal connections, explores meanings, promotes critical thinking and encourages the writer to use writing as a natural nd purposeful activity. 40

15. Video

16. ACTIVITY Watch the video of the 4 writing elements In pairs, match the writing element description statements to the writing element classroom indicators

17. THE MAKE - UP OF THE WRITING CLASS CLASSROOM

18. Evolution of Writing Expectations Engagement- Role Play Reading & Writing Connections Struggling Writers Conferences Assessment Environment

19. Evolution of Writing- First Steps Writing as a product or encoding Writing as creativity Writing as a process Writing as a genre Writing within the context of setting and culture “It is important that in the classroom students are exposed to many real-life situations and purposes for using writing. The goal for students is to understand and use writing in real-life settings to communicate their ideas, share information, stimulate thinking, formulate questions, or influence policy and action.” First Steps Writing Map of Development 2005

20. Raising Expectations All students go through similar stages of literacy development: some need more demonstrations, more shared experiences, more guided practice High expectations and trusting relationships: safe to take risks, approximations welcomed and accepted Intentional teaching at point of need Always focusing on the reader or audience Daily quantity does matter: students who are excellent writers write a lot Writing seen as “a school thing for the teacher” School wide expectations: PLT, talk, moderation, samples

21. Raising Expectations… If conventions are under control, the writing process speeds up. Handwriting, spelling, punctuation Handwriting matters: we need to teach it (early), demonstrate it and value it Spelling matters: teach high frequency words and expect kids to use them correctly Writing notebooks: messy covers, scribble, lack of pride. “Let me show you what I expect” Editing expectations: clearly share with the students What gets published is as good as it can be for the individual student What does this mean for you in your setting?

22. Engagement Role Play (P.208 of Conversations- Regie Routman) Discuss the conditions that enable this student to move from disengaged to engaged. Reflect on your own schools.

23. Reading & Writing Connect Reading and Writing: interactive, support each other. Research: high achieving classrooms link two. Effective teachers who have high achieving students do more writing and reading on whole texts and spend little time on stuff….activities about reading and writing. Marie Clay…. Growth in reading positively impacts writing, growth in writing positively impacts reading. Oral language/Language Experience: “What I think I can say. What I say can be written. What is written can be read.”

24. …literature a springboard for writing Ensure students read quality texts: experience more language, vocabulary, character and plot Ensure fiction and non fiction is read to all students: hearing rich language of quality literature inspires conversations, thinking, triggers ideas and motivates them Non fiction: students have more information with which to write, have writing models and are more aware of non fiction features

25. …a springboard for writing Gary Paulsen “ The most important part of writing is to read. I tell young people, ‘Read like a wolf eats, read when they tell you not to read, and read what they tell you not to read.’ If you read enough, ultimately when you sit down to write, that information is in your head and you can write, or it will start to work for you. The rest is learning mechanics, which you can learn from reading too.” Students who read more are more confident writers because of their superior command of the written language. Turn & Talk

26. Struggling Writers Unconditional support Reluctant writers…. able to express their feelings without judgement Tools: prompts, scaffolds, folder organistaion, anchor charts From oral language to written language Quickwrites Contextualised, social learning… not isolated drills and skills Explicit instruction: think aloud in Read Aloud and Write Aloud, thinking and writing with students, linking reading & writing Focus on essentials

27. Struggling Writers What works for you?

28. The Writing Conference Different Purposes Formal/Informal Varies grouping: 1-1, small, whole Specific Focus Routines and Procedures Put the writer first Respond to whole piece Hand over responsibility Regie Routmann- Writing Essentials

29. WHEN I CONFER WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR WRITING, YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE WRITING Donald Graves Movies/EY Writing Cnf.m4v Movies/MYWriting Conf.m4v Movies/3B_65.mov

30. Assessment “Good intentions around assessment can come to naught if we teachers have scant knowledge about teaching writing” “Placing student on a writing continuum has the potential to be helpful or a waste of time based on teachers knowledge. ……Take care most of your time and effort is spent teaching effectively not matching students with writing stages” DISCUSS AT TABLES Pg 239 Writing Essentials Regie Routman

31. Assessment- FOR Use data to differientiate instruction for each student One on One roving Writing Conference Whole Class Reflection- students see and hear where to go next Conversations before writing Student questioning Formal Testing e.g NAPLAN Knowing where to take the students tomorrow and the next day and the next…

32. Assessment -AS We need to teach well enough so that students can take some responsibility to evaluate their work: Did I do enough? Have I done my best? Have I met the criteria? Will my writing engage the reader? Have I communicated clearly and accurately? “This is… what we do as writers when we care about our audience. We want no less for our students”

33. Assessment- OF Evidence informed decisions based on goals and standards e.g. Moderation Identify spread of achievement e.g. OnDemand Teacher/student generated criteria e.g. rubrics Purpose- student, class, level, school, system

34. ENVIRONMENT “ It is crucial for all students to have frequent, predictable time set aside to write” Donald Graves

35. What did you observe? What is worth putting the time into?

36. References First Steps Map of Development. First Steps Linking Assessment and Teaching & Learning. Converstaion. Regie Routman Writing Essentials. Regie Routman Meet Me In The Middle. Rick Wormeli Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers. Strickland, Ganske, Monroe www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresour ces/english/literacy/default.htm

37. FEEDBACK