In the Comments section below you will find writing plans developed by Writing Rocks! class participants. These plans include visions participants have for their classrooms as well as methods and timelines for carrying out those visions. All class assignments are posted so that they will be available for others. Sharing useful ideas, strategies, and activities can help make us all better instructors of writing.
Robert Young
Writer
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Writing Rocks Instruction Plan
The vision I have for my class is that by the end of the year my students will be excited about writing and be proficient in producing a well written, well thought out, piece of work that combines all the elements of good writing. I see them being able to combine words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into awesome forms of writing. I see them using technology to create works they can be proud to show off to their parents and classmates. I see them focusing on the skills and processes I teach. I see their flair and energy come out in the words on the page.
At the beginning of last year my grade level team sat down and started to comprehensively plan our writing schedule for the year. We began by looking at the end result that we wanted our students to leave our classrooms with as they moved to 4th grade. I had previously visited with the 4th grade teachers and asked them what would be helpful to them in terms of writing and where they would like the incoming students to be at the start of the year. They hoped that they would be able to walk in with the skills to write one complete 5-sentence paragraph. So with that in mind we used that as our initial goal for the beginning of the year and expanded on that to include the different forms of writing as well as creating a multi paragraph-writing sample towards the end of the year.
In September/October I start out with a series of worksheets that explain what a sentence is, the elements within the sentence (i.e. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.) and the grammar and punctuation of the sentence. I follow up on this direct instruction with some guided practice in our journals as well as independent practice that I provide feedback on. In the past I have not introduced technology but I think that with the feedback and results I saw last year with Story Jumper I plan to introduce it and have them practice their new skills within this writing program. One area that I plan on enhancing in my writing program is modeling; I realized during the class that I don’t model enough so that will be a focus for myself as I teach the lessons.
Towards the beginning of October I will introduce our writing journals and we will begin to spend a few minutes each day writing in our journals. It will be during this time that I will introduce Word Choice and Organization, model and provide opportunities for independent practice. We will also introduce conventions and presentation during this time and we will continue to practice and refine this throughout the year.
By introducing these two traits it will lead into one area that I feel needs some work in my program, which is the editing process. After learning some new tips and tricks in the class I am excited to use them in my classroom. In the past I have not had enough time for either peer to peer or teacher editing so I will focus on structuring my writing time to include opportunities for editing. This will as be beneficial as we are starting to write stories and narratives that will be posted in the hall for the school to observe.
As we move closer to the end of the year and prior to the winter break I will introduce Ideas and Voice. This will lead into lessons and practice on the different forms of writing that we will be working on for the remainder of the year. I will also continue to model and provide ample time for journal writing and more editing. My main focus will be to have the students’ feel comfortable writing and be excited about where we are going.
After the break I will introduce the last trait of Sentence Fluency and once again make sure that I am modeling the topic and giving lots of time to practice and refine. I will also use other forms of technology to help with this trait. I will have the kids read their writing into IPod Touches and listen to their writing. I feel that doing this at the beginning and ending of the writing process, will highlight the importance of sentence fluency as well as the process of editing, rewriting and enhancing the story to make it better in many ways. Another area I want to focus on which I feel would make my program better and I have not tried in a while is spending some time in small groups and working with one or two kids at a time to examine their writing in detail. My plan for the coming year is to find some parent volunteers that can work with the bigger groups so I can focus on small group time. We will also continue to work in our journals as we move through the year.
As we move through the remainder of the year we will concentrate on the skills, traits, and forms we have learned and practiced previously. We will work on refining our sentences, combining them into an outstanding paragraph, and making our writing fresh and exciting. We will spend time in small group time, one on one time, and whole class time reviewing our examples. We will get chances to edit our writing, refine it, practice, rewrite, and finally come up with a piece of work that we can be proud of.
As I contemplate my vision I know it will take some work, take some time, and take effort to make it happen. I also feel excited about my vision and how I can help my students become better writers. I know that if I stay focused, stay on task and make writing fun I will not only help my students become better writers but give them skills that will help them as they move into the future.
Writing Plan – Writing Rocks! Priscilla Ing
“When all else fails, punt.”
In my thirty-plus years as a teacher, I often ended lesson plans for substitute teachers with the phase, “When all else fails… punt.” Now, as a substitute teacher myself, I see writing activities as the possible ‘punt’ in a day that the classroom teacher’s prepared lesson plans are not going well, or in rare cases, not even available.
The following lessons are based, in part, on my Writing Rocks experiences and my own experiences as a classroom, facilitating, and Title I teacher; and experiences while serving as a media specialist. In order to keep my substitute’s bag of tricks as light as possible, I have selected six books on which to center several writing lessons, each teaching to at least one of the writing traits. Conventions should always be a part of writing activities, however the emphasis may be downplayed in order to give greater focus on one of the other five traits.
Writing traits:
Conventions – The writer uses appropriate grammar and a punctuation as well as accurate spelling.
Organization – The writing exhibits an inviting beginning and satisfying ending, uses smooth transitions, and the sequence of events makes sense.
Sentence Fluency – The writing sounds natural by using varied beginnings and sentences of different lengths.
Ideas & Content – Writing is clear, focused, and uses well-chosen details.
Word Choice – The writer’s words are fresh, accurate, and paint a picture in the reader’s mind.
Voice – The reader is engaged in the writing and feels the personality of the author.
EMPTY POT, Demi, Henry Holt and Company ISBN #0805012176
Organization – Sequence
Discuss the definitions of legends, fairy tales and morals. Introduce the story and read it aloud. Ask what is the moral of the story or what they learned in this story. In a class discussion, review the sequence of the story noting the beginning, several consecutive events in the middle, and an ending. Direct students to write their own legend/fairy tale with a moral at the end. Ask students to voluntarily share their rough drafts.
See also, the homeschool website at the following address, for printable follow-up information:
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/empty_pot.php
GREAT KAPOK TREE, Cherry, Lynn, Harcourt Brace & Company ISBN#015200520X
Voice –
Read the story aloud. Discuss if this story is informational or fiction. Note how many voices are in the story. Allow students time to discuss what real topics could be the basis for fictional stories. Direct students to think about what characters might say regarding the chosen topic. Students then write four paragraphs about the chosen topic from the viewpoint of each of four different characters. Share some of the paragraphs with the class.
See, also, the following websites:
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/great_kapok_tree.php
http://pinterest.com/nrcato/the-great-kapok-tree/
HAILSTONES AND HALIBUT BONES, O’Neill, Mary, Doubleday & Company, Inc. ISBN #0385053746
Word Choice – Description / similes
Part I – Divide students into groups of 3 or 4. Hand each group a different, pre-copied poem from the book. Instruct groups to discuss the pictures that come to mind after reading it together. As individuals, or as a whole group, create a picture or poster with the Poem’s title to label it.
Part II – As individuals, each student should choose a color and write phrases that exemplify that color.
See more teaching ideas at the following website:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/hailstones-and-halibut-bones-lesson-plan
SNEETCHES AND OTHER STORIES, Dr. Seuss, Random House ISBN #978-0394800899
Sentence Fluency – Varied beginnings
Read aloud the Dr. Seuss story of the SNEETCHES. Ask the class what lesson they might have learned from this story. Guide the discussion to the topic of bullying, depending upon the grade level of the students. Students in upper elementary may want to think of other Dr. Seuss books and draw parallels as to the lessons each of the books may be teaching, such as The Lorax which deals with environmental issues. Students in early elementary grades could discuss the story in light of bullying. Follow-up writing assignments could range from writing their own story with a lesson to be learned, to writing a story as a whole class. Pay special attention to not repeating the beginning of each sentence. Go back to the story for examples.
See more ideas at the following websites:
http://www.teachpeace.com/drseusssneetches.htm
http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/anti-racism-activity-sneetches
THROW YOUR TOOTH ON THE ROOF, Beeler, Selby B., Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN #9780618152384
Organization –
Read the story aloud.
Use of headings – Upper Elementary – Make copies of a few of the pages. Have students identify the subjects and headings by highlighting the headings. Divide students into small groups or pairs. Using a current classroom unit topic, have students write five sentences about the topic, each on a separate sentence strip. Then ask student groups to organize their sentences into a fluent paragraph. Give students a sixth strip to create the heading for their paragraph. Display their final product and take a walk-around fieldtrip to share. If time, have students illustrate their paragraph.
Order of sentences – Early Elementary – With whole class participation, encourage students to dictate many sentences about a topic of which they know. The teacher writes the statements on sentence strips. Lightly tape the strips to a white board or wall for all to see. Have students help to physically move strips to make sense/make fluent the information. Read the final paragraph together.
See more activity ideas at the following websites:
http://luv2teach.weebly.com/uploads/3/9/6/4/3964527/tooth_unit_lesson_plans_1_and_2.pdf
http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/curriculum/Case2012-v28n5p54.html
TWO BAD ANTS, Van Allsburg, Chris, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN #9780395486689
Ideas & Content- Perspective & Word Choice
After reading the story to the class, brainstorm how big things may appear to someone smaller. Have students pretend they are small creatures in an environment of their choosing and write a paragraph describing what they see. This could lead to a game of classmates guessing what the small creature is seeing from the writer’s description.
See the author’s teaching tips at the following website: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/tg/twobadants.shtml
The above listed websites are only a few of the many supporting book activities that may be used with the selected titles. Substitute teachers can support, enhance, or extend current units of study in most classrooms, using websites activity ideas, some of which include additional writing activities.
A great resource for other guest teachers. Thanks, Priscilla!
Megan Imamura
Writing Rocks: My Writing Plan
As a guest teacher, I have not had the opportunity to create a writing program for a classroom but if I had my own second grade classroom this is how I would like to set it up. From what I have learned about Writer’s Workshop I believe it would be a great way tool I can use to set up my writing curriculum.
My vision for my classroom would be for my students to write about what they are interested in and passionate about with enthusiasm. I have been in many classrooms, as a substitute teacher, and have seen the different ways teachers approach writing. I feel that writing should be an everyday activity. It is an area that can be easily integrated into lots of other subjects throughout the day. I would set up a part of my classroom to have all the traits of writing clearly explained as we study them throughout the year (Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions), a word wall and lots of room for writing activities to be shared.
At the beginning of the year it will be important to set a good foundation for my students. Starting with explaining the process of writing. I would start by doing lots of modeling and working together. I will start by introducing writing journals and folders. Using picture books from the beginning will be key in getting my students excited about writing. I would introduce a basic writers workshop in stages to my students. Talking about each step, practicing on their work and later practicing with a peer.
I also think that starting off with poetry is a great idea. Poetry is fun, usually shorter in length and a great way to get students excited about writing. Last year I was in a classroom where they were working on something as simple as color poems during reading time when I was meeting with small groups. It was fun to see how quiet and intently they were working on their poems. Once you teach the students what to do poetry is something they can work on and come up with a finished product in a word period. I enjoyed reading some of the finished products at the end of the work time.
Possible mini-lessons to introduce the 6 Traits:
Ideas and Content: Start by reading a very short story with few details. Ask the students to ask me questions to fill in the details, rewrite the story with details. Read both versions and discuss differences. Use picture books to reinforce this concept after completing the activity.
Organization: Pick a story and type out the story with the sentences out of order. Make copies and cut the sentences apart. Have small groups of 4-5 put the sentence strips in an order that makes sense. Read aloud to class when finished. Discuss how they knew which order would work. Could also use picture books to show same concept such as Zoom.
Voice: Simple lesson read students 2 books: One with no voice and one with great voice. Have the class decide which one is stronger and why.
Word Choice: Put a copy of a paragraph that uses plain, boring words and have students underline them as a class. Brainstorm more interesting words we could replace them with. Together vote on our favorites we came up with. Finally re-read the paragraph with the new words. See how it changes!!
Sentence Fluency: Read a passage that has sentences that start in the same way and about the same length long. Think of ways to change the sentences. Making sure they sound natural, with varied beginnings and different lengths. Find literature that shows this. (Picture books, read aloud)
Conventions: I read about a game that I thought was fun. It is called “treasure hunt.” Divide students into pairs and give them a copy of a paragraph from a story. Look for accurate spelling, correct punctuation and appropriate grammar. Go over as a class making sure to emphasize why we use each punctuation mark.
Towards the middle of the year, February-March I would introduce letter writing and persuasive writing. Letter writing is such a fun skill and having pen pals would be a great way to explore this type of writing. Picture books that teach letter writing: Corduroy writes a letter, Dear Mr. Blueberry, The Jolly Postman, With Love, Little Red Hen.) I have friends that teach out of state and at the second grade level so it would be perfect. Persuasive writing is also fun. I would read books like Not Norman, I Wanna Iguana and Dear. Mrs. LaRue. The workshop time should be up and running smoothly by this point in the year, with the students knowing the routine and what is expected of them during this time.
By the end of the year I hope my students will love writing and everything about the process! No matter what the task I want them to feel like they can be successful.
Good job, Megan! Hope you get your own classroom soon. In the meantime, I hope you will use some of your ideas in the classrooms you will be working in.
Diana Fitzer
Writing Rocks!
Writing Instruction
Over the past three years my professional development focus has been on the instruction of writing. As I have worked to internalize this knowledge on writing and taught the lessons newly incorporated into the curriculum, my kindergartners’ abilities have improved significantly, each class progressing further than the previous.
During the first semester of the school year much time is spent with learning the letter sounds, phoneme segmenting, blending sounds, decoding, pencil grip and letter formation. During this time concepts of print and writing are taught directly or indirectly within whole group activities as well as through one-on-one instruction.
Concepts of print, parts of books, traits, composing and behaviors of authors are introduced, modeled and practiced in a group. The trait of organization (beginning, middle with a problem to solve, end) is practiced regularly as the class composes a story around a student-generated list of words that all begin with the letter of the week. This is also an opportunity to emphasize other traits by thinking aloud and requesting specific kinds of contributions to the composition as I take dictation on chart paper.
During the individual work time I am able to differentiate instruction more readily. The few students who come to kindergarten as emergent readers are usually ready to begin working toward composing brief pieces of writing using best-guess spelling and space between words. The first individual writing assignment is to construct something with the recyclables and masking tape or with one of the sets of blocks, draw a picture of the construction and write a title below the picture. The writing challenge is different for each student ranging from using a functional pencil grip while copying a dotted, student-dictated title to spelling out the sounds of the title to writing the best-guessed title on ruled paper using an initial capital then lowercase. Sharing this work at group gives children practice in presenting as well as creates excitement about this work with its built-in writing requirement. Over the year, writing expectations for individual students are increased as abilities develop. The aim being that eventually each child will progress to composing a brief, written description or explanation of her construction or “invention,” as it is often called.
The students, teacher and environment are the major elements I considered when evaluating my writing program. I can count on student readiness varying greatly from individual to individual. Variables such as age, exposure to print, etc. can affect how fast and how far a student will advance in writing during the kindergarten year. And what I continue to learn about writing and its instruction prepares me to more effectively scaffold each student’s progress, respecting his own level of development. It is also noteworthy that the lengthy independent work time is a real advantage for differentiating lessons and expectations. So, accepting the status of the students and teacher, I draw my attention to the learning environment.
I have to admit that writing has no real physical presence in my classroom. The surroundings are not prepared to support the progress that is being made in writing during the year–the writing center isn’t functional. The writing shelves in my classroom barely got any attention this past year. Last summer when the school moved to a new campus, I reserved space in my classroom for a writing center. During the unpacking phase, whenever I came across materials designated for writing, I either haphazardly placed them on the shelves that would be the writing center or I left them boxed and stored them in cabinets. Even though I had every intention of manifesting an exciting center, this area was at the bottom of my list. Time ran out, school began and it remained unorganized. The potential of my vision could not be fully realized as the children were unable to use the materials effectively to support their writing. Students had to ask for the kind of paper and other materials they wanted. Occasionally, a child would pick up one of the pairs of fancy eyeglasses and ask what it was for. I would give a cheerful but inadequate, “Oh, these are for when you reread your writing to look at it in a new way to see if you want to make any changes.” Of course without a proper lesson these attractive materials did not get used for their purpose. Also, because the publishing materials remained stored within a cabinet, only a few children were given the opportunity to publish their stories. It was inconvenient and time-consuming to take a child to choose his cover paper and other special publishing supplies. A writing center would enhance my writing program.
This year I aspire to create and maintain a center for writing with the intent that it will serve to inspire students to experiment with written communication in new and varied ways. My plan is to organize the writing shelves and give lessons on the proper use of the materials that will be available during writer’s workshop and independent work time. The area will be supplied with blank booklets, differently ruled and different colored writing papers, pencils, colored pencils and markers, colored pens, fancy paper for book covers, examples of handmade books, forms for thank you notes and letters, word choice lists, stickers, stationary, invitations, blank note cards, materials for character puppets, dioramas and research, etc. All set up by the start of the new school year.
My expectation is that in addition to the preparation of the student and teacher, a well equipped, thoughtfully organized and developmentally appropriate physical environment will contribute significantly to my kindergarten students’ growth in writing.
I hope you will check out the Kid Writing handout that I included. I have seen, and participated in, this program and it was amazing!
Writing Program
I teach kindergarten and in terms of writing, this means I teach at the very basic level. Basic, however, does not mean uninspired, boring writing.
My vision for my kinder classroom is to create a Kinder Word Park, a large wall devoted to assisting kinders develop writing techniques as well as encouraging engaging writing. This wall would include our ongoing learned set of high frequency words, sight words they learn throughout the year, as well as other favorite student generated words they like to use regularly in their writing. Here’s what the year would look like:
Beginning of the Year –
We begin with proper letter formation practice. Lots of this! All writers need to be able to properly form letters, and some kinders are just learning this.
Simultaneously, we tackle letter names and sounds. Again, a solid foundation is necessary to begin learning letter combinations.
Even though we are still laying out letter formation and sound foundation, I do begin to introduce them to writing short, one line sentences dictated, and modeled by teacher in small group settings. (I have found that small groups, 4-6 for highly skilled kids and 2-3 kids per group with those needing more scaffolding to be ideal.) This could include anything from, “My name is _____, to I am ________.” I always like to have kinders use paper that allows for illustrations, as often times it allows them to express what they cannot yet express with words. I always try to help spell out words with my kinders at the beginning of the year as they are not quite ready for guess and go spelling yet.
I always begin the year off with always mentioning a period convention. I do introduce the explanation point and the question mark usually by December.
Mid-Year –
By now, students are quite comfortable writing short sentences, usually dictated by the teacher in a small group setting and emphasizing the sight words of the week.
Students now have a good grasp on beginning sounds and simple CVC words and are required to add CVC words of their own to their writing. This could be “The cat is ___ and ___, to The dog ____.” I would encourage them to begin guess and go spelling at this point, but try and aid them in sounding out and hearing the letter sounds in words.
In most groups, the writing has now progressed to at least 2 sentences with illustrations.
We also share our work in small group. This not only gives students a chance to “show off” and take pride in their writing accomplishment, it allows ideas to flow for others.
Last Half of Year –
This is truly the fun time. Now we focus on great word choice adding to our sight word and high frequency word wall all those favorite kinder words such as gross, humongous, shrimpy, and the ever popular slimy. Kinders love adjectives and I try to encourage them to use them liberally.
Their writing is no longer teacher dictated, but topics are either chosen by teacher or brainstormed as a group first. I have found that they are not quite ready for free reign writing at this point and topics are necessary. Some are ready to write up to 6-7 sentences with a beginning, middle, and ending, while others still need more structure and assistance. All are using creative word choice to add details to their writing and are able to compose sentences using proper conventions, a capital letter and punctuation. Advanced groups will even delve into personification writing, something I have found they really love to do.
End of Year –
At the end of they year, all are loving their ability to write their thoughts out creatively. They have solid phonemic foundations to sound out words, have the confidence to use descriptive words to paint images and are familiar with and use guess and go spelling to get their thoughts down on paper. They are proud of their skills and enjoy writing and illustrating and look forward to sharing their creations.
My main goal, or vision, is to get kids excited and comfortable with writing for a variety of uses, including a class newsletter, pen pals, instructional writing, stories, etc. I want to create a safe and fun atmosphere for them to write. I will have a bulletin board dedicated to writing with the traits in sight at all times. We’ll start with ideas & content, and then work on fluency, organization, word choice, voice, and the conventions.
I liked the idea of starting with Poetry for a few reasons. It’s structured, but flexible. I plan on using the senses to teach several of the types of poetry, with piano music from George Winston, chocolate to taste, candles (unlit), a bag filled with different textured items (sand paper pieces, silk, terry cloth, goop, etc.), and pictures from calendars. I’ll have a notebook for the kids to put their finished/published poems into. Poetry is also a good option to leave for a sub to work with, once you have the kids in the groove of trust and understanding the process. I will have a joke/riddle board that will change on a daily basis. Humor is a great teacher, and shows the kids another reason to be clear with your writing – to entertain!
I will have a reading center in the corner of the room, with this huge branch I cut out of a tree in my yard. With the tree, I plan on setting up the units that I have for the kids to work on, and use the tree with its possibilities as an idea factory. In the fall, I plan on having them write stories for the leaves on the branches. I have centers for including Plaid, Stripes, Jungle (monkeys swinging in the branches), Snakes (wound through above their heads), Bats (flying), Horses, Love, Frogs (including the stages of their metamorphosis), Egypt/Mummies, Bunnies, Bears, Wolves, and of course Dragons! I am still adding to my centers, so may have to have two table set up for these. I hope to keep the kid’s stories in a book there, so they can share their final product and be proud of them. There will be a huge amount of books in the classroom as I believe reading and writing go hand in hand. By reading, there is an excitement built, and lessons learned that can only be taught by experiencing. I have spent the last several weeks book hunting, and have been lucky enough to find a lot of great books. I even found one by a certain local author that told us it was his first book!
I was impressed with the ideas about peer editing and plan on incorporating that, also. In subbing around our district, I was happy with the number of kids that were interested and excited to share their work after doing a writing assignment. The teachers must be doing a good job of creating an atmosphere of acceptance. That’s something I really want to have, a safe place for the kids to read, write, and learn. I want them to be excited to get their ideas down on paper, and to share them with others. I want them to be creative with their ideas, clear with their thoughts and communicating them to others, and have them use enough of the conventions to make them understandable to others. 😉 I hope to use fun ways to get the conventions across. I’ve seen pictures on the internet with the use of commas that are really funny. If you can get the kids to understand that how you punctuate can change the whole meaning of a sentence, they will be more interested in making sure their communications are clear. (“Let’s eat Grandma!” vs “Let’s eat, Grandma!”) Humor gets through sometimes where just structure is ignored. I have also been gathering some of the Mad Libs to use, and have tried that with one of the classes that I subbed in a couple of months ago. The kids were excited to volunteer the different kinds of words, and coming up with a group story was fun.
I hope to integrate these ideas and more into my classroom, and bring an excitement about both reading and writing into my room. I want the kids to love it as much as I do!
They will, Holly, for sure. I love the “tree” idea! There’s so many ways to branch out from there.
VISION FOR NANCY AMES
My vision for a classroom is to have all the students become excited about writing and be proud of the progress they make throughout the year. I would like writing to become a natural task for them instead of something they resist. There are many genres of writing that students can experiment with and “try on.” These include letter writing, poetry, greeting cards, brochures, messages through a school mailbox, and even more. They can journal daily with or without prompts, depending on their progress. I will seize opportunities across the curriculum for writing practice. I will teach mini-lessons on a regular basis so students can practice their skills immediately. I will teach the six traits through examples and non-examples.
The classroom should have an inviting environment for the students to work. The most decorative settings I’ve been in have soft table lamps and couches for students to read and write. There is often an area rug that covers the institutional white flooring. In this type of atmosphere, students can relax and feel like they are in a close-to-home setting. Behavior management will need to be a part of this design. The teacher that I worked with would tap kids on the shoulder if they earned the right to sit on the couch. Expectations should be made clear, and the teacher should try to include all of the students at one time or another.
With technology becoming such a big part of our society, I will make use of Internet resources for quality writing instruction. I will use sites like Dave’s ESL Cafe to teach idioms and specific writing lessons. I will teach students how to use the word processor, especially ESL students and struggling writers. Students will need lessons in keyboarding if they are to become proficient word processors. I would incorporate lessons as much as possible throughout the year to set the students up for success.
I will be specific with the students about the desired outcome of a lesson. I will be flexible to allow students to become involved in filling out a rubric at the beginning of a lesson with guided instruction. I will involve students in readers theater to vocalize their writing pieces. I will have a sharing time for students that may wish to read a story from their journal. I will allow illustrations to accompany their writing pieces. Many times I will allow students to write from their own schema or background. I will spend time to demonstrate the proper ways to combine sentences. I will teach grammar through focused writing activities.
I will incorporate peer-editing and teacher conferences. I will have a folder for each child to track their writing progress. Students can switch peer-editors every 5-8 minutes. They will have a list of 5 “appointments” on their desk so that they can circulate to all of these editors by the time they are through. I observed this system in a classroom where I was a permanent substitute.
The best way to carry this plan out is to organize the classroom from the start. I will need proper supplies like folders, journals, sharpened pencils, posters that delineate the six traits, peer assignment list for each student, a timer, a prompt list, and several mini-lessons. I will create a giant word wall in the classroom and have plenty of dictionaries and thesaurus.
One of the main things I would like to do is appreciate different writing styles. I do not want to be the kind of teacher that puts everyone in a “box” where only one type of writing style is accepted. I agree with the idea of teaching the six traits and having high expectations for student outcomes. I just think it is so important to be flexible and respectful of different writing styles! We have many different authors, with various talented styles. Poetry may be one person’s gift, whereas another person’s gift could be writing short stories. Everyone has their own individual style!
I would like to carry this vision out beginning with the first day of school! Students should begin to write on the very first day of class, even if it’s about procedures and guidelines for the classroom. A teacher can never start too soon!
Students come to class with different abilities and backgrounds, and they should be built upon and practiced every single day!
Sounds like a good, balanced plan, Nancy. I like the peer “appointment” idea and trust that it won’t disrupt working writers.
A Vision & Plan for Teaching 6-Traits Writing
Envision this…
Soft music playing when entering the 3rd Grade Classroom. Welcoming areas throughout the room encourage reading, writing, and math. The writing center is created with 3rd graders in mind. A year long bulletin board looks bare except for a writing theme (find ideas at http://www.smekenseducation.com/yearlong-6-traits-bulletin-boards.html). The children will add to the bulletin board as the traits are introduced. A list of student-created procedures is posted near the writing center. Use the list to remind students what behaviors they expect of themselves when visiting the writing center. As parents, colleagues, and visitors come through the classroom, they will see the children empowered, engaged and encouraged to write!
Make it happen…
Well-labeled hanging file bins help organize the writing workshop resources. Create student-friendly categories using the 6-Trait writing vocabulary. Make the center visually appealing by choosing colorful bins. Bins contain: the writing plan (web diagrams, venn diagrams…), rough draft (first copy, skip lines to make room for editing and revision), and final draft (put it together with the editing and revisions) paper; editing materials: adjective, adverb, and synonym lists, dictionaries and thesauruses. Consolidate books, newspapers, and magazines that enhance the trait being taught. Reading these materials is a meaningful extension activity for those students waiting for editing, or those who finish first.
A year-long bulletin board, located near the writing center, begins with a theme created specifically for the 6-Trait writing process. Elements and characteristics of the trait being explored will be added, by the students, throughout the year. Student-created lists are generated and posted to the bulletin board. Ideas include meaningful 6-Traits vocabulary that both writers and editors use in the classroom, or perhaps a list of sentence starters to enhance sentence fluency. Designate an area that identifies students and guides them in charting their progress throughout the writing process.
Introduce 6-Traits one trait at a time, beginning with Ideas & Content. Incorporate an area for exploring pictures (without words), magazines, and prompts located near the center. Items without words encourage each child to formulate individual ideas. Additional traits are taught by exploring and discovering the trait: teach introductions by exploring introductions, teach examples of bad writing by reading bad writing aloud. Using picture books are only one way. Explore a variety of library books, magazines, and newspaper articles. Create “trait bins” of reading material. The bins continue to gather reading material as the children discover material demonstrating the trait. An extension activity might include a search for trait related material outside the classroom (an authentic homework assignment). Find ways to discover and highlight the trait being taught throughout the school day. Incorporate brain gym during transition times to help keep the students energized and focused. Model, model, model and practice, practice, practice on one trait before introducing the next!
Build upon each trait while integrating the convention trait. Grammar lessons are no longer isolated but bridged with the trait being explored. Read aloud and reading activities are times to explore the traits. Science and Social Studies give the children more opportunities to discover the 6-Traits. Use the trait writing concepts during sharing time, for conflict resolution, and journal writing. Use a variety of reading materials, make connections, and keep it meaningful for the children.
Get started…
Begin gathering resources over the summer. Local second-hand stores are inexpensive ways to purchase items for setting up the writing center and also for purchasing literature. A 3-ring binder easily stores a collection of resources. Include the 6-Trait vocabulary, lesson materials, and handout masters. The binder is a convenient “how to” tool when teaching yourself how to incorporate the 6-Traits writing process throughout the day.
Create the writing center space in August with materials you’ve gathered. The space will appear empty, but keeping it visually exciting will inspire the children to want to begin exploring the traits!
The following is an example of a scheduling plan for teaching 6-Traits. Give students about two months to explore and feel successful with each trait.
Scheduling example…
Ideas & Content: September. – October
Organization: November – December
Voice : January – February
Word Choice: March – April
Sentence Fluency: May – June
Conventions and Presentation are ongoing. Teaching conventions are guided and integrated into the trait being taught. Starting with the idea trait, you may want to review basic punctuation, nouns, and verbs in third grade. Explore the websites and shared resources to find teacher-tested lessons and ideas for teaching the traits. To get started, explore the http://www.realwriting.us for an abundant amount of printable writing resources.
Have fun and remember that “Writing Rocks!”
I wanna be in this class!
Just this morning I read an article in the Register Guard entitled, “What employers want in a worker.” One of the four skills that they emphasized was writing! The goal that I have for my future employees/second graders is to guide them to become both effective and joyful writers and communicators. At the ‘Writing Rocks’ workshop, I wrote the following vision: “My students love to write! They write with passion and energy and pay attention to the details of writing as they think about their audience. They are confident in writing across various subject areas.” Over my twelve years of teaching and approaching writing through a variety of authentic activities, I feel that my students have indeed grown to love writing. However, I am often surprised at the end of the year by the number of them who still don’t pay close attention to the details of writing. Therefore, my goal for the 2013/14 school year is to emphasize the writing traits more by using more mentor texts and accompanying lesson plans. I also plan to run more frequent writing ‘wordshops’ with meaningful minilessons and more frequent conferencing. Here are specific activities that I am planning to help achieve my goal:
September
• Writing Survey (I made a back-to-back copy of Robert’s template and typed ‘September’ on one side and ‘June’ on the other and students will keep this in their writing folder.)
• Introduce Writing Folders (Read Have You Written Anything Good Lately?; Follow up with a writing ‘abecedeary’)
• Introduce student journals (Read You Have to Write; Go over “My Journal Entries” which I have glued onto the journal’s inside front cover. Entry examples: What moves you? What do you wonder? What bothers you? What do you notice?); Journal writing expectations (date, positional start/stop reminders, caps, punctuation, neatness)
• Introduce Squiggle Books. (I use these primarily for ‘What Do I Do When I’m Done?’)
o Read It Looked Like Spilt Milk.
o Show students the first squiggle page and ask what they see.
o Have students draw their own picture and write about it. Share
• Introduce Writing ‘Wordshop’ (in stages of course)
o Minilessons
o Materials/Placement (Review Writing Folders (drafts on the left side, finished products on the right, handouts in the middle, and stored in a black crate); Where we write, collaborate, conference, share and display
o Conferencing Expectations (3 before me)
o Sharing Expectations (compliments, questions, suggestions)
o Dictionary games (first with personal word books and then with dictionaries)
• Introduce the Writing Process (poster and templates)
• Quick overview of the Writing Traits (Give each student a pre-made step booklet and have them write the traits while I give a very brief description of each. They will keep these in their writing folders and will add info as we address each trait individually.)
• Emphasizing Poetry, Ideas/Content, and Getting to Know Each Other I plan on the following writing activities (in addition to numerous free writes/reflections):
o Acrostic Name Poem
o Personal Alliteration Poem and Tongue Twister lesson plan
o I Remember Poem (about their summer)
o Our Important Book (class book)
o Robert’s blue mug descriptive writing idea, using student water bottles
o Why School is Important (class book)
October (Emphasizing Organization and Letter Writing)
• Letter to parents describing first month of school
• My Earrings lesson plan (class book)
• Zoom lesson plan
• Sweet Smell of Roses lesson plan (fall writing piece in a twig/rubber band book)
• Field trip thank you letter
• How to Blow a Bubble (writing and art piece)
• Our Favorite Kinds of Candy (class book)
November/December (Emphasizing Voice and Narratives)
• Read Sophie and Lou. “What are you passionate about? Write about it”
• Share my Favorite Teacher Narrative and follow-up activity
• We Are Thankful for Many Things (list writing/possibly a class book)
• Surprising Sharks lesson plan
• Straight to the Pole lesson plan
• Gingerbread Stories: alternative endings (candy cane/rubber band book?)
• Parent Coupon Books
January (Emphasizing Word Choice and Persuasive Writing)
• Chicken Little ‘Said is Dead’ lesson plan
• Crickwing lesson plan
• An Island Grows lesson plan
• Peace Is . . . (class book)
• Someday Poem
February (Emphasizing Sentence Fluency and Persuasive Writing)
• Love Similes
• George Washington’s Teeth lesson plan
• The World of Dick and Jane lesson plan
• People We Love (class book)
• If I Were President (class book)
• Read I Wanna Iguana (persuasive writing piece–topic of choice)
March/April (Emphasizing Conventions and Informational Writing)
• My Most Educational Toy (Read The Magic of A.C. Gilbert)
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves lesson plan
• Yo!Yes? lesson plan
• Poetry Form step book (refer to A Kick in the Head)
• Begin bird reports
May/June (or as time allows during the year. . .)
• Biographies (person book)
• Memoir piece during Patricia Polacco unit
• Private eye lessons and writing
• Memos/I Need to Say opportunities
• Magic Books (OBOB Magic books for TAG readers/Bird Magic Books for all)
• Haiku and acrostic bird poems
• A Deep and Complex Look at Cinderella Stories
• Remember ‘Sizzle’
I like the way you provide a solid foundation in September. That will be the key to your success.
A Vision & Plan for Teaching 6-Traits Writing
Envision this…
Soft music playing when entering the 3rd Grade Classroom. Welcoming areas throughout the room encourage reading, writing, and math. The writing center is created with 3rd graders in mind. A year long bulletin board looks bare except for a writing theme (find ideas at http://www.smekenseducation.com/yearlong-6-traits-bulletin-boards.html). The children will add to the bulletin board as the traits are introduced. A list of student-created procedures is posted near the writing center. Use the list to remind students what behaviors they expect of themselves when visiting the writing center. As parents, colleagues, and visitors come through the classroom, they will see the children empowered, engaged and encouraged to write!
Make it happen…
Well-labeled hanging file bins help organize the writing workshop resources. Create student-friendly categories using the 6-Trait writing vocabulary. Make the center visually appealing by choosing colorful bins. Bins contain: the writing plan (web diagrams, venn diagrams…), rough draft (first copy, skip lines to make room for editing and revision), and final draft (put it together with the editing and revisions) paper; editing materials: adjective, adverb, and synonym lists, dictionaries and thesauruses. Consolidate books, newspapers, and magazines that enhance the trait being taught. Reading these materials is a meaningful extension activity for those students waiting for editing, or those who finish first.
A year-long bulletin board, located near the writing center, begins with a theme created specifically for the 6-Trait writing process. Elements and characteristics of the trait being explored will be added, by the students, throughout the year. Student-created lists are generated and posted to the bulletin board. Ideas include meaningful 6-Traits vocabulary that both writers and editors use in the classroom, or perhaps a list of sentence starters to enhance sentence fluency. Designate an area that identifies students and guides them in charting their progress throughout the writing process.
Introduce 6-Traits one trait at a time, beginning with Ideas & Content. Incorporate an area for exploring pictures (without words), magazines, and prompts located near the center. Items without words encourage each child to formulate individual ideas. Additional traits are taught by exploring and discovering the trait: teach introductions by exploring introductions, teach examples of bad writing by reading bad writing aloud. Using picture books are only one way. Explore a variety of library books, magazines, and newspaper articles. Create “trait bins” of reading material. The bins continue to gather reading material as the children discover material demonstrating the trait. An extension activity might include a search for trait related material outside the classroom (an authentic homework assignment). Find ways to discover and highlight the trait being taught throughout the school day. Incorporate brain gym during transition times to help keep the students energized and focused. Model, model, model and practice, practice, practice on one trait before introducing the next!
Build upon each trait while integrating the convention trait. Grammar lessons are no longer isolated but bridged with the trait being explored. Read aloud and reading activities are times to explore the traits. Science and Social Studies give the children more opportunities to discover the 6-Traits. Use the trait writing concepts during sharing time, for conflict resolution, and journal writing. Use a variety of reading materials, make connections, and keep it meaningful for the children.
Get started…
Begin gathering resources over the summer. Local second-hand stores are inexpensive ways to purchase items for setting up the writing center and also for purchasing literature. A 3-ring binder easily stores a collection of resources. Include the 6-Trait vocabulary, lesson materials, and handout masters. The binder is a convenient “how to” tool when teaching yourself how to incorporate the 6-Traits writing process throughout the day.
Create the writing center space in August with materials you’ve gathered. The space will appear empty, but keeping it visually exciting will inspire the children to want to begin exploring the traits!
The following is an example of a scheduling plan for teaching 6-Traits. Give students about two months to explore and feel successful with each trait.
Scheduling example…
Ideas & Content: September. – October
Organization: November – December
Voice : January – February
Word Choice: March – April
Sentence Fluency: May – June
Conventions and Presentation are ongoing. Teaching conventions are guided and integrated into the trait being taught. Starting with the idea trait, you may want to review basic punctuation, nouns, and verbs in third grade. Explore the websites and shared resources to find teacher-tested lessons and ideas for teaching the traits. To get started, explore the http://www.realwriting.us for an abundant amount of printable writing resources.
Have fun and remember that “Writing Rocks!”
Denise Murray
dmurray@oakhillschool.net
Oak Hill School
Eugene, Oregon
Trait: Voice
Focus: Demonstrate how voice can drastically
influence writing.
Book: Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman; author and illustrator
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN# 0-590-30907-2
Grade Level: 3
Summary: This is a story of a girl who goes shopping with her mother, and spots a teddy bear for sale on the ground floor of a department store. Her mother says the bear is too expensive, and that the bear is missing a button, anyway. When the shoppers are gone at night, Corduroy (the bear) roams around the department store trying to find his button. He thinks he has found it and is quickly returned to his section in the store by a security guard. The girl comes the next day and buys the bear, happily taking it home.
Materials:
*color markers, thin and thick
*sentence strips
*16 quotes from the Corduroy book, written on
one side of the sentence strips (double for each one)
*writing directions on the back of each quote, telling the students
how to change the voice for NEW sentence strip
*student journals
*thumb tacks
What You Do:
You will write down all 16 quotes on the 16 sentence strips, then you will double these depending on the class size. On the back of each sentence strip, there will be a “direction” on how to form a new sentence. For example, one of the sentences read, “This must be a palace!” Coduroy gasped. I guess I’ve always wanted to live in a palace.” The direction on the back of the sentence strip says that the bear views the store as a haunted house. He is fearful and scared. The students will then form a new sentence based on that information. They will practice a new sentence in their journal and hopefully match up with the partner who received the same sentence strip. They will then practice together. I plan to have the reading buddies from the 5th grade turn into writing buddies for a session or two until all the sentences are done. When they are done editing, they will fill in a new sentence strip. The class will read the new Corduroy version when everyone is done. We will talk about voice and how it can change the content and other dynamics of the book. We will talk about which version they like the best! The directions on the back of the sentence strips are fairly uniform to create more of haunted house book. For supplies you can have the sentence strips arranged like an escalator which goes along with the book illustration. The kids will come up and take the quote that they like.
Trait: Voice
Focus: Demonstrate how voice can drastically
influence writing.
Book: Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman; author and illustrator
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN# 0-590-30907-2
Grade Level: 3
Summary: This is a story of a girl who goes shopping with her mother, and spots a teddy bear for sale on the ground floor of a department store. Her mother says the bear is too expensive, and that the bear is missing a button, anyway. When the shoppers are gone at night, Corduroy (the bear) roams around the department store trying to find his button. He thinks he has found it and is quickly returned to his section in the store by a security guard. The girl comes the next day and buys the bear, happily taking it home.
Materials:
*color markers, thin and thick
*sentence strips
*16 quotes from the Corduroy book, written on
one side of the sentence strips (double for each one)
*writing directions on the back of each quote, telling the students
how to change the voice for NEW sentence strip
*student journals
*thumb tacks
What You Do:
You will write down all 16 quotes on the 16 sentence strips, then you will double these depending on the class size. On the back of each sentence strip, there will be a “direction” on how to form a new sentence. For example, one of the sentences read, “This must be a palace!” Coduroy gasped. “I guess I’ve always wanted to live in a palace.” The direction on the back of the sentence strip says that the bear views the store as a haunted house. He is fearful and scared. The students will then form a new sentence based on that information. They will practice a new sentence in their journal and hopefully match up with the partner who received the same sentence strip. They will then practice together. I plan to have the reading buddies from the 5th grade turn into writing buddies for a session or two until all the sentences are done. When they are done editing, they will fill in a new sentence strip. The class will read the new Corduroy version when everyone is done. We will talk about voice and how it can change the content and other dynamics of the book. We will talk about which version they like the best! The directions on the back of the sentence strips are fairly uniform to create more of haunted house book. For supplies you can have the sentence strips arranged like an escalator which goes along with the book illustration. The kids will come up and take the quote that they like