Writing Instruction Made Tangible a(Gr. 6-12)

KatherineMcKnight, Ph.D.Email: Katie@KatherineMcKnight.com

Writing Beliefs

Above Everything Else—WRITING IS COMMUNICATIONWriting is not DRILL & KILL WorksheetsWriting is not practicing isolated skillsWriting is not mindless writing exercisesWriting is not all about assessmentWriting is not formulasWRITING IS COMMUNICATION

Writing Beliefs

Writing may stem from and is intimately related to:ThinkingReadingSpeaking

But—Writing is none of these things. Written Communication is not spoken language

transferred to print.We cannot “Write it like you say it!”

Making Writing Tangible Incorporating multiple intelligences in mini

lessons. Using and developing strategic writing

activities that employ multiple intelligences

Mini Lesson Development Let’s look at the Mini Lesson

Determine Content NeedKeep Them ShortMake Them SimpleEngage Students and Provide for InteractionProvide Practice TimeConsider, “What’s Next?”Evaluate

Sample Mini Lessons

Lessons for Focus and Organization

Don’t Spill the topics

Sweet Organization

Sample Mini Lessons

Lessons for Sentence Structure, Punctuation and GrammarNouns and VerbsPostcards from the PastCrushing Contractions

Kinesthetic Writing Exercises

Based on Improvisation Games(Spolin, 1999)

One Word Story

Beginning-Middle-End

Situation-Problem-Solution

Pearls on a String

Reflections

What did I learn about writing? Why is what I learned important

To ME?To my STUDENTS?

How will I incorporate what I have learned into my teaching?

How to Reach Me

Email: katie@katherinemcknight.com Website: katherinemcknight.com Twitter: @literacyworld Facebook: Katie Siewert McKnight

Literacy

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