OWP06

Writing for Readers: Teaching Skills and Strategies

Writing for Readers: Teaching Skills and Strategies
By Lucy Caulkins and Natalie Louis
Review by: Connie Early

Third in the Primary Units of writing series, this book breaks down writing lessons into developmental mini lessons. It begins by teaching students the vocabulary associated with writing a story about one ‘isolated’ incident. The author uses the term small, or tiny moment stories to help the students comprehend the difference between writing about, ‘what I did on my summer vacation’, from a thorough reflection on just one moment in time.

The book encourages students to write a three part story, with a beginning, a problem and a solution. As students progress through the writing process, mini lessons are introduced that cover both content and conventions. At the beginning of the year, it recommends assessing student writing on what students do not know (evaluating prior knowledge) and then beginning lessons by building on what they already know. Spelling and sight words should be built into mini lessons. In spelling students will begin by hearing phonemes and then moving to hearing chunk words. When teaching sight words, they should exist on a word wall that students use for reference but not to copy. The teacher needs to help students understand the difference between a sight word read in a snap, and a ‘stretched out’ word where students sound out each part. We want to develop for them the skills to ‘picture in their mind’ and recall sight words easily. As students memorize more and more sight words, then the teacher moves them to learning word families to increase their vocabulary development.

Mini lessons are taught in penmanship and in how to make the transition to an easy to read paper; one that has ‘finger size’ spaces, is neat and has lots of letters in each word. Students are taught editing strategies like crossing or adding slashes for spaces. Mini lessons on wipe boards can be used to teach identification strategies of beginning and ending sounds. Students will need instruction on how to know when a word ends and needs a space, as well as when a sentence ends and needs a period.

Lessons on readability include modeling for students what it means to be able to read a piece of their work as a teacher, later teaching them to divide their work into readable and non-readable papers, and later by building in peer editing. At this point you have developed a class community and can begin teaching students how to work together. Teaching them skills in working with others and being careful with others feelings, will be lessons they carry for a lifetime!

Teaching Beginning Reading and Writing with the Picture Word Induction Model

Teaching Beginning Reading and Writing with the Picture Word Inductive Model
Book by Emily Calhoun
Review By: Connie Early

We hear more and more about how kids are to construct their own learning.  One of the writing books I talked about in my presentation on visuals called Teaching Beginning Reading and Writing with the Picture Word Inductive model is an example of how to teach reading and writing skills while making the students responsible for their own learning.

The Picture Word Inductive Method you will hear me refer to as PWIM. The teacher creates a Picture using familiar scenes or photos of everyday objects and the children ‘shake’ words out. The students read and spell the words. The teacher then puts labels on the sub pictures, and puts them onto word cards for the students. The students use these word cards to develop phonetic and structural analysis. Also…
* From this picture the children learn to associate pictures with words.
* They learn that the picture can be used as an illustrated dictionary or reference.
* They learn to classify words. (Looking for patterns in words, decoding strategies, similarity in endings). We can ask students to reclassify words several times, (developing their skills of inquiry, and then develop additional teaching lessons.)
* They learn to classify sentences, as well as to distinguish two syllable words and use lessons to add adjectives (descriptors to words..Ex color)
* They learn to create titles, topic sentences, and paragraphs. We can ask questions of the students to facilitate deeper thinking.

This program allows students to be successful quickly, the more words a child adds to their sight vocabulary the quicker they can start making connections that will lead to reading. When a student has developed a vocabulary of about 450 words many picture storybooks are available to them. For comparison, The Eastman story “Go Dog Go” lists about 100 simple sight words. At 50 sight words phonics skills are facilitated.  By learning about structural analysis we can predict meanings of words.

This program integrates skills in reading, writing and speaking in an attempt to make more comprehensive learners.  This program is student centered but teacher led. It is designed to increase metacognition thought processes and discussion, and includes the use of the multiple intelligences. It is designed as a way for children to become detectives and “crack the code” on language. PWIM engages students in using all aspects of language, including skills in phonics, whole language and prior knowledge. A major goal Of PWIM is to help the students make a speaking-writing-reading connection.

The ways PWIM is designed to develop and support student growth in several ways:
* Reading identifying sight words and performing phonetic analysis, structural analysis, contextual analysis, literal and inferential comprehension;
* Writing recognizing the relationship between oral language and writing, sharing common meaning through words; composing sentences and paragraphs that convey ideas for ourselves and others, spelling punctuation; letter formation; grammar and usage
* Listening including comprehension identifying and discriminating detail, gathering and organizing information and as an expression of respect for others.
* Oral Language development sharing ideas clearly, responding orally to the ideas of others and blending ideas together, Publishing orally.
* Mechanics correctly forming and identifying the begging and ending of words sentences, paragraphs (and determining paragraph content).

PWIM needs to be developed in the classroom as a routine. The picture may be put up a day in advance to allow students to study it. The process should take approx 20-30mins for students up to 2nd grade. It is recommended that teachers use approx 12 picture representations for K-2. If the program continues to be used in 3rd grade this number should increase to 15-20. The teacher wants to select pictures with multiple items and pictures students can relate to.  Often a teacher doesn’t know which lesson she will be teaching until she sees what words the kids shake out of the picture. (Examples of lessons that may get shaken out; lots of words that start with the same letter, same endings, double letter in the middle, two syllables vs.-one rhyming words etc)  This book is designed to introduce concepts but is not a curriculum resource book on how to teach specific structural analysis. As a home connection to the use of PWIM in the classroom, is to encourage students to find pictures in magazines and create their own charts at home.

The skills that children will learn using the PWIM method can be used across many academic areas. They include skills in gathering, organizing, summarizing and interpreting. Other skills that are developed by students using this method of instruction are observational and research skills. Many studies support that having a large vocabulary increases a Childs success in school. Being an ESL teacher I like this book because it supports the way second language students learn and the strategies taught using GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Device).

Brave

Brave
By Connie Early

Here we sit a class of many different women, from many different towns but with a common goal-to learn new writing strategies which we will share with our students.  The syllabus was clear; we would be writing papers, doing reviews of books and websites all pertaining to writing. We are guided by our fearless Chief Nate and  Karen a master teacher, who possesses strong literary magic.  Then there is Nelson, our Shaman of technology, the expert on the ‘new ways’. These wise leaders, deities of sorts, would guide us through our misgivings about seeing ourselves as writers, and pass down the tried and true rituals of our teaching heritage.  They share with us their knowledge.  With knowledge comes power.  Power does not, however come without a price.

As teachers we ask children to create their own learning. We found out that as students this concept applied to us as well. We would each take a turn teaching a lesson in writing, sharing one of our writing successes with the class.  Although I’ve volunteered and worked in education for a number of years, this was my first year of being a ‘real’ teacher. Initially, I felt panic at the thought of what ‘I’ could possibly teach a room full of teachers who surely had many more years of teaching experience.  But I gathered courage from remembering that my life experience and years of exposure to the educational setting really didn’t make me such a novice. My breathing returned to a normal rate as I was forced to see this task through different eyes.

Each of us brought different gifts/offerings to the pow-wow’s that we would have each day.  When we got the schedule I noticed that I didn’t have to present until the third week, I was in some ways relieved and in another way disappointed that I couldn’t put it behind me. You see, I’ve never really enjoyed presenting, interviewing or speaking in front of my peers. I’ve never gotten past my fear that I would make a fool out of myself or somehow be judged as inadequate. Another part of this internal conflict is my struggle with perfectionism. I prefer to think of myself as a recovering perfectionist; since I’m well aware of this affliction and challenge myself to not only recognize but also to avoid old behavior patterns. I work hard to create a safe classroom, where students feel comfortable when speaking. I realize I must also be a role model and grow beyond my fears.

When my turn came to present, I still wasn’t feeling very brave.  I was introducing the use of visual prompts. In addition to our presentation we also took turns bringing snacks. I signed up to bring the snacks on the same day of my presentation, which some thought odd, but actually it was a part of my plan.  I figured if they did not like my presentation, then at least they would like the food. I got that kind of logic from teaching elementary students.  When you try a new lesson with them and it includes food-well, you just can’t go wrong.  Besides don’t all important rituals and celebrations incorporate food somewhere? Day after day, each of us continued to offer up our gifts of literacy and food during our daily morning pow-wow. 

Every afternoon we were divided up into smaller tribes of four for peer editing of our personal narrative papers. Chief Nate calls them response groups.  The group was responsible for helping the writer of the story get through the thick forests (sometimes our thick heads) and the perils of writers block, conventions, fluency, word choice and voice, all the while staying positive. It was similar to asking a group of women to go on a bear hunt: taking turns, one carries the bow, one the arrow and one using these tools to shoot the bear. We were like young Native Americans embarking on their rite of passage.  We have traveled (out of our comfort zone) to a foreign world to learn some important life lessons. 

What we learned was to work together, to be respectful of each other’s ideas, to seek and also to give clarification, and most importantly that we could share with one another and know that it was ok to be vulnerable. Spending the time on this trek together, we walked steadfastly alongside one another, celebrating our differences, and recognizing our individual strengths as well as shortcomings. By workshops end, we were stronger, wiser and braver; we have knowledge and have been empowered-we have one another.  We leave the class as Fearless Braves, to share our gifts-an offering to the next generation.

Writers Workshop

Lucy Caulkins Writers Workshop
Review By: Connie Early


I picked up this book for review as I prepare to take the information I learned last year about teaching Writers Workshop to intermediate students (3rd through 5th grades) to my new teaching assignment of teaching in a blended first and second grade classroom. Although Writers workshop is beneficial across all grades it is clear to me that the lessons focus and mini lessons will be quite different teaching primary students versus intermediate.   As I embark on a new grade level, my experience teaching intermediate subjects helps me to visualize where the students will be in a couple of short years, and to plan accordingly. So what does Lucy Caulkins want me to know about teaching a writers workshop to primary students?

Mini lessons should precede each writer’s workshop (10 to 15 minutes), which are brief and include appropriate literature starters and modeling. The modeling process includes; how writers write and how writers think. Teachers can model this by showing the students how they write and how they think aloud. Teacher modeled stories should be quick and easy to draw. Students may or may not use the mini lessons that day, but provide student examples at the end to reinforce the concept taught.

Writers write what they know, so we need to teach students to write from their knowledge base. Writers should be taught the process of thinking first, then drawing and last writing.  Unlike intermediate our initial focus is not on conventions or penmanship but rather on seeing pictures, then symbols or letters and later words as representations to convey meaning. The writing portion of the workshop should last 25 to 30 minutes, during this time the teacher (ideally) conferences with six to seven students. It is important to allow for start time, the teacher should read the room before settling in for conferences.

Workshop expectations and behaviors need to be taught, and continually reinforced. Allow student models of the expected behaviors. Include students in the process of establishing what they need to engage in a successful writing workshop. You can even model ‘bad’ behavior and have the students critique you!  Remind students who finish early when you’re done..you’ve only just begun!  Teach students pair-share, helping them verbalize their ideas before writing and also demonstrate how to organize a folder of finished and unfinished work.

Talk to students as if they are writers, talk about the purposes for writing, and celebrate student writing. Remind students, do your best and then keep going! Celebration should happen when students show engagement, willingness to take risks, resourcefulness and delight. Later celebrations will include published work!

First Grade Writers

First Grade Writers
By Stepahine Parsons
Book Review by: Connie Early

I was hired to teach kindergarten this year, but then ended up being changed to fourth grade. Next year I will be teaching a first/second blend. Although I did my student teaching in first grade and worked as a kindergarten assistant for many years, I found myself wondering what Fall would look like in my classroom. Would it be like riding a bicycle (you never forget even if you haven’t ridden for awhile) or would I need to think much differently about teaching to these emerging readers/writers?

This is why I chose the book, First Grade Writers. I needed to develop realistic expectations and criteria for my students next year. (As well as for myself!). What I didn’t realize when I began this book was how many useful pages I would find. Since I borrowed the book from OWP I couldn’t mark up the pages in my usual ways with high lighters so instead I used sticky notes. As I look at the book it has well over 30 pages with sticky notes! The Author is a big fan of Lucy Caulkins and builds on her series Primary Units of Writing.  (Fortunate for me since the district I will be working for next year uses this as their primary adoption for Early Childhood.)

Here I will share a few resources that I found particularly helpful and plan to use as a guide next year in teaching my students to write.  As most of us know how important the reading and writing connection is, I will use a variety of literature. The book recommends teachers taking the time to sort through their libraries, labeling (with sticky notes) how they would like to use the book in their upcoming lessons. Throughout the book there are sections called Possible Teaching Points, which provide the larger picture in which to develop mini lessons. Information is provided about ways to stay positive, how to help the reluctant writer and perfectionist to be successful. I particularly found useful the section in each chapter called, Predictable Problems. A list of problems writers experience is listed along with possible solutions. The author provides the insight that a teacher might want to use for review when facing challenges. I have found that even when most of the students are ‘getting it’, it can be hard as a teacher to know what steps to take to help those who are still struggling. This book provides a possible sequence and timeline for teaching writing along with a clear assessment tool, for each section. As I read through the book I was able to see not only how to begin teaching writing to my first graders, but how to extend the lessons for my second graders and students who were ready to advance to the next level.

Best Practices-Website review

Website Review: Best Practices
By Connie Early

http://wblrd.sk.ca/~bestpractice/

Want some refreshing new input on teaching? Or are you curious about what does Best Practices in teaching mean? I initially stumbled onto the website while trying to look for a definition of Best Practices. This is a fantastic site for teachers who strive to integrate ‘best practices’ into their classes.  This site identifies/defines eight best practices, including a description of each practice, a process, examples, assessments and more. Eight of the Best Practices:

1. Teamwork
2. Workshops
3. Connections
4. Independent Study
5. Experiences
6. Direction
7. Presentations
8. Assessment

This is a Canadian website 500 pages long (if printed) full of helpful resources for teachers. It includes lessons which have all been used successfully in classrooms in Saskatchewan, and include teacher tips and tricks. (Since it is Canadian, teachers should be sure to double check the standards.) All the resources are printable with permission in PDF or HTML format.

The website helps teachers find activities that help students build supportive communicative skills in reading writing speaking and listening. It includes detailed information about integration of either Readers Workshop as well as Writers workshop.  It provides activities that demonstrate integration of content. This website offers helpful examples of assessment tools such as, portfolios, rubrics, exit cards and celebration of learning.  On this website the information you are looking for is easy to find and clearly organized.  This is a website a teacher can treasure, one that is literally filled with ‘golden nuggets’. 

The Magical Wig

The Magical Wig
By Connie Early

Raised in an era where children were to be seen and not heard.  I was a compliant child at home and a good student at school. However I was virtually invisible as an individual. I was the child in school who was never noticed, except by a few close friends who seemed to share the same formula as I did for invisibility.

Crash

Crash
By Connie Early

Although dressed in protective leather and a helmet, this does not protect my heart.  His back is to me as we head out for a ride. He can’t see me, does he ever see me?  Did he see me last night as I approached him dressed in silk and fragrant perfume? I want to say something to him, but the helmet creates another barrier to our communication.  I realize it’s been a very long time since I’ve really been heard. In fact I’m aware that I have even stopped trying, my body feels numb at times.  I put my trust in him once again, placing my hands firmly on his thighs and feeling the security that I’ve longed for.  My heart skips a beat when I imagine the feel of his skin beneath the leather underneath my fingers.

Soon we leave the chaos of the city for the tranquility of an ocean beach I feel a freedom when we ride. I find my defenses diminish and the sun shining on my face softens it into a warm glow. It feels as if I’ve somehow regained my innocence and I think back to my first Disney ride. As I look to my left I see it, the familiar blue/green water of the ocean crashing onto the shore. I look longingly at the sand, eager to walk hand in hand and place my foot prints next to his, as we rekindle the passion once shared on our journey through life.

He’s in the driver’s seat, I trust him, and I don’t notice the mountains crags on the opposite side or the road. Rough, jagged mountains stand in contrast to the awesome power and beauty of the ocean on the other side. As we round the bend, he speeds up. Then life takes a bad turn. He takes the corners too sharply. We swerve, and the bike lurches forward. I hold him tightly.  My arms wrap desperately around his waist, as if expecting a bumpy ride.  I don’t see what’s coming next. I am propelled away from him.  It’s as if an angel came to separate us.  Maybe God did what I could not have done.

My hand, which had rested on his thigh, is now perched precariously near to my mouth as I lie on the ground. My body aches. I can’t see him any longer.  My vision of the sea, once so vibrant in my mind, is now replaced by the muted dark grays, browns and blacks of the mountains looming overhead. The colors resemble the murky mess left by a child who has over blended all the original bright rainbow colors. Inside I want to scream. I feel pain rip through me.  My finger finds its way to my mouth. I bite it, hoping the pain I create will make the pain inside of me dissipate somehow, and for a few moments I am rewarded in that way.  I feel alone for what seems like a life time. The feeling of aloneness seems familiar, except this time I’m okay with it. I don’t feel the hardness of the ground any longer, I only feel the sun beating down, rejuvenating my broken soul. The faces that appear before me look like angels. Rays of sunshine surround their concerned but welcoming faces.  Little did I know that they would become my saviors; carrying me when I could not walk. I’m reminded of the footprints poem given to me by a dear friend, and posted on my wall at home. Where there is only one set of footprints that is where I carried you. 

I see him, sitting with another paramedic, on the sand near the motorcycle. As if reading my mind, one of my paramedics assures me that he is ok, with only minor injuries. Why does it always seem that I am so broken, and he can walk away with only a scratch? As I’m quickly airlifted from the wreckage I feel the swirling of the propellers kicking up the sand on the nearby beach. Before the door of the helicopter closes, I notice the setting sun over the ocean and the incoming tide. My heart has a renewed sense of serenity and innocence, as I see the colors of the rainbow returning to the sky.  The footprints have all been washed away, returning the beach to its smooth and peaceful origin.

The Skate Board

The Skateboard
By Connie Early

Saturday morning: as the garage door opens I can't believe that the interior looks more like a morgue for old toys and broken, discarded household appliances then a safe place to park my car. Sighing, I maneuver my way across the floor, pausing to kick an empty box out of my way. Admittedly I'm a bit of a packrat, pieces of this and bits of that, thinking that things kept long enough will be able to be used in some kind of classroom project. As a beginning teacher, I’m always struggling to come up with ways to economize.  Salvaged remnants of discarded materials I’ve pulled from the trash at work stare at me from among the clutter. Grabbing a handful of left over felt and miscellaneous patterned pieces, I place them into the bag with my art supplies and drop it into a box marked with the words 'Art Class' scrawled on the outside.

I continue my search until I uncover my son’s discarded skateboard. Looking around to be sure no one is watching, I gingerly place one foot on its flat surface, then the other. Balancing carefully, I begin rocking gently back and forth. Suddenly, fond memories flood my mind, as if I am watching many movies simultaneously on fast-forward. I close my eyes, foccusing on just one single frame.

When I open them again, I feel a tingling sensation, which trails away as I step off the skateboard and feel the grit of a sandy surface between my toes. The sun is an orange ball straight overhead, telling me it’s almost lunchtime. The sloshing of the waves against the shore and the feeling of the warmth of the sun against my body brings visions of a ripening tomato. My children are playing on the beach, making sand castles, collecting water, and gathering other seashore treasures to complete their masts and moats. As I stroll closer, their laughter is the music, which draws me toward them. Seating myself nearby, I use my hands to carve two small holes in the beach, leaving mounds of sand, one on each side, like those left by a gopher. The deeper I dig the cooler the ground becomes, until water begins seeping in like a slow flowing spring. I put my feet into these cool reprieves from the heat of the day. Slowly and carefully, like a sculptor, I use the mounds of sand to bury them.

For hours, I sit watching my children at play, admiring their ingenuity and their innocence. Knowing things they do not yet know, like the fact that their hard work and creativity will be washed away by the next incoming tide. The sun is setting. I don’t know when the kids left but now I’m alone, and it’s time for me to return. Slowly I walk back to where I left the skateboard, but before I step on it to leave, I turn and smile at the magnificent castle lit only by the sunset. It’s time to go home.

The garage is silent and cold, and I’m reminded that there are no more little voices echoing from its walls, no more laughter. I wonder if this was all a dream? Then I spy the little sand pails and seashells in the corner, still surrounded by the remnants of the beach. I reach down and brush the sand from one of the shells, smiling because I realize that this was more then a dream. It was one of the many sweet memories of my children’s youth.