Robert Young

It’s a new school year and another chapter of your teaching journey has begun. You have your students writing from the very first day of school (good job!) and, being aware of the importance of communicating with parents, you want to send that writing home.

Don’t do it! DO NOT SEND THAT WRITING HOME!! At least, not yet. You need to do something first. You need to send a letter to the parents. In that letter you can explain your writing program if you want. But what you really MUST do is tell them what to do to support their child as a writer. Here’s a couple suggestions:

Have your child read the writing to you. (This way, parents won’t be distracted by the penmanship or conventions of the writing, which often leads to comments of a critical nature. These comments are usually non-productive).

Comment on the message of the writing. (The reason we write is to communicate, so this should be the primary focus of the feedback. It is appropriate to ask questions about the content of the writing).

Look at the writing and find three things your child did correctly. (This depends on the grade level, but you can encourage parents to make suggestions such as, “Focus on capital letters at the start of sentences” or “Be on the lookout for similes and metaphors.”)

Let parents know that learning to write is a ongoing process, that it takes a great deal of practice, and that students will be spending a lot of time and energy in class editing and revising their work. You could even remind them the difference between a draft and a final copy, and that they will be seeing both come home (some teachers choose to stamp “draft” on unfinished pieces). If you want parents to edit their child’s work, provide them with an overview (i.e. Editing is not about finding fault; it’s about helping) and specific guidelines.

Encourage parents to become part of your “writing community” in which people talk about writing, share their own writing, and support each other as they communicate with written words. Everyone will benefit.

Fern Ridge District’s elementary teachers, a curious, enthusiastic bunch, are well on their way to including faction (nonfiction) and argument writing into their classrooms. The collective genius of the group produced many good ideas that others might use. Remember, you are the most important variable in student success. I hope you will incorporate your interests, curiosities, and passions into your classrooms, and I’d love to hear what you do.

Make it a great year!

Say what you will about the Common Core Standards, but they do shine the light on nonfiction in general and on argument writing in particular. Those are good things, in my opinion. After all, most of what people read and write in the real-world is nonfiction. And argument? Heck, that’s what our country was founded on, and the skills of developing and responding to arguments are essential to an active and enlightened citizenry.

Let it begin early, I say, and it does – in kindergarten with opinions. The standard increases in complexity over the years, adding reasons, facts, and evidence. I am encouraged about this and what effect it may have on all of our lives, especially in the realm of politics and elections. Maybe there will be more thinking – real thinking – in the future, and with it, more informed dialogue and decision-making.

The word “argument” does have some negative connotations, though, perpetuated through the many talk shows in which the host or guests shout, berate, or talk over people with opposing viewpoints. That appears to be the norm these days: verbal violence. Not everywhere, thankfully. I watched a segment on the News Hour last night about the issue of voting rights in North Carolina. Two men argued their views and both made good points, based on evidence as well as opinion. The dialogue was passionate, but it was civilized. This is what I hope will be the result of a systemic focus on argument: informed and civilized debate.

The Common Core tells us the what but not the how. This is a good thing also. Teachers are smart as well as creative, and I am confident they will find the best ways to address the standards while meeting the needs of their students. This is not a time for scripted, “teacher-proof” materials to fill the instruction gap left by the C.C. This is a time for teachers to collaborate and showcase their teaching expertise.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with some dedicated local teachers at the Oregon Writing Project in Eugene. We talked about the Common Core, explored argument writing, and shared mentor texts. I left, excited at the prospects of these educators teaching argument writing in their classrooms and impressed to have witnessed teachers – especially veteran teachers – taking personal time to improve their skills. Good job, all, and good job Peggy Marconi of the Oregon Writing Project for making the opportunity available.

Who wants to just “sit and get” at a workshop? Not me! It’s much better to be actively engaged in the learning. There’s lots of ways of doing this, including collaboration. In this class, participants worked in small groups to create posters, kinesthetic symbols, and activities related to the language of writing. They then shared it with the entire group.

Providing handouts or lecturing on this topic would save time and be more efficient, but it wouldn’t be as effective.

This is the first of three blog posts that will focus on sharing resources fro teaching writing. The activities posted as comments come from participants in the Writing Rocks! class that took place on June 17 at the Lane Education Service District in Eugene, Oregon. These activities are Six Trait related. Here’s an example:

Trait: Ideas/Content
Focus: Clear and focused writing

Book/Author: The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisniewski

Publisher: Harper Trophy
ISBN: 0-06-443753-1

Summary: This creative book takes simple rules that adults make up such as “Eat your vegetables,” “Comb your hair,” and “Don’t play with your food” and provides imaginative, humorous explanations.

What you need: Paper, pencils, file folders or large construction paper to make folders

What you do: Read a couple of entries from the book. Then, as a class, identify a school rule (e.g No running in the halls) and write the “Official Reason.” Next, brainstorm a list of possible “Real Reasons” for this rule using the book as a model. Choose one of the reasons and show how this could be written as a short, focused narrative. Have students think of a rule (school, home, community) and go through the process themselves. Use folders to display finished copy: “Rule #” on the tab, “Official Reason” on the outside, and “The Truth” on the inside. Share compled folders then display outside the classroom for others to see.