A Workshop for Teaching Writing: Grades 1,2

Mount St. Mary’s CollegeNewburgh, New York

February 11, 2008

Presenter: Amy Benjamin www.amybenjamin.com

Topics:Review of what worksProblem-solversSentence developmentWriters WorkshopReadWriteThinkMore Spelling Ideas

What’s Possible:

• Elevate vocabulary: Use “more exciting” words as a form of revision

• Increasing their “Tier 2” oral vocabulary• More reports, using unit-based vocabulary;presentations• Color-coded sentence strip, designating subject and

predicate (It is true that… test for sentence completion)• Asking if their sentences make sense when standing

alone• “Be kind to your reader”• Bicycle metaphor: Subject and predicate

Tier Two Words

Words with a Latin base:

Prefix, root, suffix

Words that are not usually found in the

children’s conversation, but are found

in academic language

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

and, and, and

Problem and Reason:

“and” chain

mimicking speech

not respecting clauseboundaries

not being kind to the reader by giving thereader “no break”

Write sentencesthat allow me (thereader) to processreasonableamounts of information.

Set down a law:

A sentence may have no morethan two uses of and.

Small AND: joining words or phrasesBig AND: joining sentences

Rule: Comma before Big AND

Rule: Think really carefully before deciding to have more than one Big AND in sentence

You may begin a sentence with AND oncea week, maximum.

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

Prompt: Writea report that tells about rain.

I like rain. It is fun.I like big dogs.I have a dog.

Problem & reason:

Lack of: attending to the question cohesion (developing a single subject)

Rain comes fromclouds. The cloudshave rain drops inside. When thereare enough rain dropsit starts to rain. Rainmakes the grassgrow and flowersgrow. We need rain.

Start with a word bank.

The given/new principleof textual cohesion:

In coherent text, we havegiven (old, familiar) informationin the subject slot; new informationin the predicate slot

Like a KWL chart

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

gonnahaftalemmewannalotsakinda

Problem & Reason:

Lack of understandingabout language register;

Inability to code-switchfrom informal to formallanguage

going tohave tolet mewant tolots ofkind of

Acknowledge the validity of informal register, especially in online language and speech

Make an analogy about clothing:informal (home)schooldress-up

Teach that school writing hasa different code (more formal):

Translate a message from informalto formal

Who is my audience? What does myaudience expect? What is my purpose?

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

Double negatives

Problem and reason:

Non-standard andstatus-marked inboth speech andwriting

They hear it.

Standard useof negatives Model the Standard form back to

the student

“Is there another way to say that?”

Showing the models side by side

With your friends,you might say this:

In school, we sayand write this:

I ain’t got no money. I don’t have anymoney.

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

Me and my friendwent to the movies.

Problem:Use of objective casepronoun in thesubject position

Reason for problem:They hear it:“Automatic Wincerdoes not activate”

My friend and Iwent to the movies.

1. Be polite: Place the other personfirst.

2. Take the other person out andsay the sentence:

Me went to the movies (?)

Model the correct form back to the student.

Problem-Solver: Student writing

When my students(mistakenly) writethis:

and I want them(instead) to writethis:

Here is what I might suggest:

If you have anyquestions, seethe principal or I.

Problem:Use of subjectivecase where objectivecase is called for.

Use objective casefor: direct object indirect object object of a preposition:

Ex:

This is a gift for mymother and me.

Take the other person out.

How to use the ACTION FLASH CARDS to expand sentence skills:

Have students express what is happening in the action flash card using various sentence forms:

Step One: Explain what is happening in your action flash card.

Step Two: Now, experiment with many different ways to write your sentence:

Ex: Begin with There is/ There are____________ Don’t begin with the or a

Write a yes/no question Write a Who? or What? or When? or Where? or Why? question Write a sentence that has an -ING word Write a sentence that has a word in it that you’ve never written before Write a sentence that does not use IS or ARE or WAS or WERE Write a sentence that uses BECAUSE in the middle Write a sentence that use SO in the middle Write a sentence that needs a comma Write a sentence that shows a detail Write a sentence that could be the first sentence of a story Write a sentence that could be the last sentence of a story

How to use the ACTION FLASH CARDS to expand sentence skills:

Have students express what is happening in the action flash card using various sentence forms:

Step One: Explain what is happening in your action flash cards.

A gingerbread man is riding on a giraffe’s back..

Step Two: Now, experiment with many different ways to write your sentence:

Write a sentence that is make believe:

Write a sentence that combines what is happening in two card, and join the two sentences with ,and

Write a sentence that shows detail: in, on, at, for, with

Write a sentence that uses proper nouns: Group1: person Group 2: place on the map

Group 3: day on the calendar

How to use the ACTION FLASH CARDS to expand sentence skills:

Have students express what is happening in the action flash card using various sentence forms:

Step One: Explain what is happening in your action flash cards.

A gingerbread man is riding on a giraffe’s back..

Step Two: Now, experiment with many different ways to write your sentence:

Write a sentence that uses an explanation point.

Write a sentence, and place a comma after the first, second, third, fourth,and fifth word. Read the sentence with the random comma andsee what happens.

Write a sentence that uses an adjective (Which one? What kind? How many?)

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?

Language Development:

Students place a picture in the

center of this page. They

compose sentences that

answer the six information

questions.

Purposes for writing:PIES

to PERSUADE to INFORM

to ENTERTAIN to SOCIALIZE

Reports (expository wtg)

NarrativeMessagesBlogsLetters

LettersArticlesRequests

Written FormsNot requiring complete sentences: Requiring complete sentences

Social

Invitation to a Panda Party

Write a letter to the author to the Bee Book

Write a flyer inviting people to vote for the best jack-o’lantern

Write an announcement for the school PA system for the upcoming Little League game

Write a thank-you letter to the firehouse, thanking them for the field trip

Write an announcement about Sugar-Free Day

Narrative

Write a story about a little league team that gets invited to the Yankee Stadium for the very last game against the Yankees.

Write a story about A Day at the Dentist

Pretend that you are a firefighter. Write a journal entry about your day

Write a haiku about pumpkins

A day in the life a bee: Bee by the Bee

Poem to the Panda Bear

Story about stuffed panda coming to life

Informational

Make a poster for the classroom about dental hygiene: labeled collage

Following visit to the firehouse, make a poster about fire safety and present it to the first graders

Write a report about how playing baseball is good exercise and is healthful;

Explain the rules of baseballMake a booklet with directions on how to carve a pumpkinWrite the sequence (step by step) telling how honey is

collectedMake a poster showing how the bamboo forest is being

destroyed

Persuasive

Write a letter to the World Wildlife foundation persuading them to continue protecting the panda

Write a commercial to promote honey bee awareness

Write a letter to the principal asking for permission to go to the pumpkin farm

Write a letter to the community recreation department asking for improved fields and new equipment

Write a letter to the firehouse commission to ask permission to go there for a field trip

Dentist: write a letter to the children about dental hygiene

Write an editorial (persuasive report)

Purposes for writing:PIES

to PERSUADE to INFORM

to ENTERTAIN to SOCIALIZE

Reports (expository wtg)PosterDirections

Narrative: story poem play

MessagesBlogsLettersAnnouncement

LettersArticlesRequests

FORMAL FORMAL

What the author says is formal;What the characters say can be informal.

FORMAL or INFORMAL,depending on the audience

Write a letter to theprincipal asking forspace and materialsfor a class garden

Make a poster about how tomake flowers grow

Write a story about a girl whose flowerdisappear

Write a party invitation for a “flower party”

AfternoonGenerating writing experiences for upcoming holidays

Teaching students to write different kinds of questions

Spelling Clearinghouse

ReadWriteThink Lessons

Writer’s Workshop Model

Based on Lucy Calkins’ model from The Art of Teaching Writing

Students have open flexible time (usually about forty minutes each day, threeor four days a week) for writing.

Students design their own writing program, with help from the teacher.

Topics, form, and format are chosen by the student.

Students draft several pieces, and then choose one of their drafts to take throughthe remaining phases of the writing process (…revision, editing, publication)

Revision: Peer readers respond to the draftEditing: With teacher assistancePublication: Copied neatly or typewritten; illustrated; displayed or published

in a book; student sits in the “Author’s Chair” and reads hisor her piece to an audience How is your writing class similar

to/different from this model?

What might you like to adapt?

Peer Helper:Read your partner’s draft. Answer these questions.

1. What are some exciting words?

2. What do I want to know more about?

3. What pictures in my mind do I see?

Please read the “ReadWriteThink” lesson that you have been given, and,along with your group, report out to the group, summarizing the following:

Overview of lesson: What does the lesson look like?

Student objectives

Preparation

Highlights of the classroom procedures

Assessment

Ten Great Writing Activities for St. Patrick’s Day:

Categorizing:

Letter-writing:

Report-writing:

Story-writing:

Story summary:

Story finishers:

Lists:

Questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Word banks and vocabulary development

Rhymes:

Teaching Students to Write Different Kinds of Questions

Topic:_________________________

Yes/No Questions: Require a yes/no answer

Begin with: Is/are/was/were Do/did/does

Teaching Students to Write Different Kinds of Questions

Topic:_________________________

“Inch” or “centimeter” questions: Require an answer of one or two words

Begin with Which one…?/ What kind…?/How many…? Who is…?/What is…?

Teaching Students to Write Different Kinds of Questions

Topic:_________________________

“Foot” or “meter” questions: Require you to read a passage and state it in your own words

Begin with: Explain…; Summarize… Tell about…

Teaching Students to Write Different Kinds of Questions

Topic:_________________________

“Mile” or “kilometer”questions: Require you to find the answer by looking at various

sources and draw your own conclusions

Begin with: What if…? What do you think about…? Why do you think…? Would you want…?

their

Homophones: The Substitution System

There√TheirThey’re

The substitution for THEIR is HIS:

house is next to our house..

All students should be respectful to bus drivers .

TheirHis

their

his

hisThe Wilsons keep dog inside a fence.

Ten Great Writing Activities for St. Valentine’s Day:

Categorizing:

Letter-writing:

Report-writing:

Story-writing:

Story summary:

Story finishers:

Lists:

Questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Word banks and vocabulary development

Rhymes:

there

Homophones: The Substitution System

√ThereTheirThey’re

The substitution for THERE is HERE:

is a big truck parked outside our house.

Please put the candy over

We expected some friends to meet us at six o’clock.

ThereHere

there

here

here

they’re

Homophones: The Substitution System

ThereTheir√They’re

The substitution for THEY’RE is THEY ARE:

moving into the house next door..

I saw that training a new puppy.

Sometimes, not happy.

They’reThey are

they’re

they are

they are

your

Homophones: The Substitution System

√YourYou’re

If you can substitute HIS, use YOUR:

mother is calling you on your cell phone.

Get to know the children in

Introduce me to friends.

YourHis

your

his

his class.

ITS/IT’s works the same way.

About Your Word Wall

The best word walls are:DynamicUsefulOrganized for a purposeGenerated and created by studentsWritten with words on cards, for easy

changeAttractive

Spelling Steps:

1. Look at the word. See the letters in it and think about what the word means2. Say the word. Hear the vowel and consonant sounds.3. Think about the word. How is each sound spelled? Look for any prefixes, suffixes, or word parts that tell you the meaning.4. Find groups of letters that go together in the word.5. Write the word in the air with your arm straight out.6. Close your eyes and see the word in your mind’s eye.7. Write the word just by remembering how it looked. Form the letters carefully as you write.8. Check the word. Did you spell it correctly? If not, notice what part you got wrong. Start over.

look say think find air-write close youreyes

check

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

write

Spelling Instruction

Recommended:

Lists of words that

students need

immediately for their

writing

Not Recommended

Lists of unrelated wordsthat are not applicableto immediate writingneeds

Spelling Instruction

Recommended: Not Recommended

Rote memorizationthrough repetitionw/o a pattern orassociations

Memorization through rhythm,patterns, groupings, andassociations

Ex: Twins are two

Spelling Instruction

Recommended: Not Recommended

Organizing thedifficulty of wordsbased on lengthalone

Considering thedifficulty of a wordto be related to thestudent’s familiaritywith it, visually; and,the non-phoneticnature of it; and, the “unusualness”of it

Spelling Instruction

Recommended:

Not giving students

negative or

intimidating signals

about words

Not Recommended

Designating some words as “demons”

or “problems”

Spelling Instruction

How to Compile a Great Spelling List:1. The 44 morphemes of English with the K

sound2. Pattern-based lists: …ough; …oo; …tch3. Words related by subject: wallpaper,paint, carpet, tiles…4. Words that are related by form: vacation,relation, station, imagination…

Spelling Instruction

How to Compile a Great Spelling List:

5. Common words that we need all the time:it, and, the, you, I, me, my, mom, class…6. Useful proper nouns: United States, American, Catholic, Jesus Christ, February,…7. Pattern-based rules: prefixes, suffixes,ie/ei, “when two vowels go walking, the first doesthe talking”…