Fostering the Love of Writing: Writer’s Workshoprrcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Writers-Workshop_Present… · Contrived Engagement Compliance. Writers Workshop Structure

Fostering the Love of Writing: Writer’s Workshop

Joe Stouffer, B.A., B.Ed., ARCT, M.Ed., ChPC, PhD

Assistant Professor Brandon University Faculty of Education

www.joestoufferliteracy.com

Knowledge Beliefs

Procedures Language

What teachers!know or understand

What teachers!do

What teachers!say

What teachers!attach importance to

= Personal theory of literacy instruction

(Stouffer, 2016)

Research-based characteristics of Exemplary Primary Literacy Teachers [EPLTs] (Stouffer, 2016)

Knowledge Beliefs

Procedures Language

What teachers!know or understand

What teachers!do

What teachers!say

What teachers!attach importance to

= Personal theory of literacy instruction(Stouffer, 2016)

Teacher!Beliefs Teacher!

Knowledge

Teacher!Procedures

Primary Classrooms

EPLTs practice:!!•Balancing whole texts and isolated skills!•Connecting literacy skills across curriculum!•Differentiating teaching purposeful literacy and “tools”!•Managing classrooms effectively!•Encouraging self-regulation!•Providing engaging activities!•Instructing reading and writing explicitly!•Arranging for extensive student reading and writing!•Modelling extensively!•Applying formative assessment!•Asking higher-level questions!•Integrating reading and writing!•Maintaining instructional density!•Matching texts to reading ability!•Scaffolding varying levels of support!•Stressing the creation of meaning in literacy!•Varying group sizes!•Applying a variety of instructional methods!•Offering a variety of texts

EPLTs place importance on:!!•Encouraging all students, having positive attitudes!•Holding high expectations for all students!•Having personal interest in continuing their own education!•Reflecting on their own teaching!

EPLTs know or understand:!!•Puposes behind their teaching actions!•Literacy development theory!•Literacy instructional methods!•Awareness of their literacy theoretical orientation!•Diagnostic viewpoints!•English phonology/phonics!•English grammar!•A wide scope of children’s literature!•Curriculum/content expections

Review of research

describing exemplary

primary literacy teachers [EPLTs]

!

(Stouffer, 2016)

“Writing is a message-sending, problem-solving activity, which

increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced, and it is complex because within the directional constraints of written

language, attention to verbal and perceptual behaviors is purposefully directed in some integrated way to the problem of producing a sequence of cues

as a text to represent a meaningful and specific communication.

Clay, 2001

What is Writing?

Message

Composing Transcribing(Revising) (Editing)

Task Environment

Writing Processes

Writer’s Knowledge, Creativity &

Memory

Audience, purpose, and urgency

Composing, transcribing, revising & editing.

Writer’s ideas and writing skills.

Flowers & Hayes (1981)

The Reading & Writing Connection

• Reading and writing both represent oral language written down. They are as close as two hands, the left hand assisting the right hand and both able to work together.

• The teacher must make clear to the child that what he already knows in writing can be of use to him in reading and vice versa.

(Clay, 2005, p. 121)

Talking

Reading Writing

Example Susan Hick’s

Rich Learning

Experience

What is Writer’s Workshop?

Classroom framework for writing

Students receive both group and individual writing instruction

Students are writing independently of one another, with their own goals and are given time to plan, write, revise, and conference with the teacher

Balanced Literacy

Open Closed

Authentic

Contrived

Engagement

Compliance

Writers Workshop Structure(Daily)

Students Move Between Teacher Moves Between

Planning, Composing, Drafting One-on-One Conferences with

students Assessing students’ draftsOne-on-One conference with

teacher

Revising, Editing Demonstration and shared writing

Illustrating, Publishing Teaching mini-lessons to whole class or small groups

Whole Class Sharing and Celebrating

Two Big Planning Questions

• Where do I want to go with these students?

• How will I keep track of what & how they’re doing?

Create a smooth running engine....

How long of a writing period do you have? Everyday?

What supplies will the students need?

What will the students do when they are waiting to conference?

What will students do when they finish a piece of writing?

What pieces will be published?

Where are students writing rough drafts?

How will you keep track of what everyone is doing:

check-in/checklist teacher/student ran

Where are students storing works in progress?

Who will see this piece?

Can I tie writing into another content area?

The Writer’s NotebookUse scribbler(s), coil bound or plain, or a binder with three sections, Number pages, or use sticky flags or dividers to delineate sections.

Toolkit Lists of Ideas Drafting Space

Teacher-provided pages to assist writinganchor chartschecklistsgeneral assessment criteriaremindersgraphic organizer models

Student-created pages to assist writingwriting goalspersonal spelling lists

Collection of topics that students could write about. Have the students generate at least three ideas.

E.g., Things I Can’t Live Without1) Diet Coke2) My iPhone3) Sunshine

Space for students to draft pieces.

Insist students write drafts double-spaced. (Write a line, leave a line).

If using scribblers, consider having a separate book for the drafting space. Will students refer to their toolkit/list of ideas if they start a new drafting book?

Writers Workshop Structure(Month)

Month

Writer’s Notebook What are the options students have to write independently?

Genre Focus What genre(s) will I focus on with the whole class?

Can I tie this writing into another subject area?Suggestions for grade-appropriate genres in Fountas & Pinnell’s Literacy Continuum (2017)

Instruction Mini-lessons geared to genre focus and class’ needs seen in conferences

One-on-one coaching in conferencesSmall group mini-lessons as needed

Assessment Conversation - Observation - Products

Mainly from conferences Be careful: At what point in drafting is your assessment no longer reliable?

COP

Optimal Learning Model Across the Curriculum

To Learners With Learners By LearnersI D O I T W E D O I T

Demonstration Shared Demonstration

teacher teacher

• initiates • demonstrates• models • leads• explains • negotiates• thinks aloud • suggests• shows how to “do it” • supports

• explains• responds• acknowledges

student student

• listens • listens• observes • interacts• may participate on • questions

a limited basis • collaborates• responds• tries out• approximates• participates as best

he can

instructional instructionalcontext context

• thinking aloud • shared reading• reading and writing

• interactive reading • direct explanation

• shared read aloud• scaffolded

conversations

W E D O I T Y O U D O I T

Guided Practice Independent Practice

student student

• applies learning • initiates• takes charge • self-monitors• practices • self-directs• problem solves • applies learning• approximates • problem solves• self-corrects • confirms

• self-evaluates

teacher teacher

• scaffolds • affirms• validates • assists as needed• teaches as • responds

necessary • acknowledges• evaluates • coaches• observes • evaluates• encourages • sets goals• clarifies• confirms

instructional instructionalcontext context

• guided reading and • independent writing experiences reading and writing

• partner reading • informal conferencesand writing

• reciprocal teaching• literature conversations • homework and

assignments

Ongoing Assessment & Celebration

Who Holds Book/Pen Degree of Explicitness/Support

Teacher/Student DemonstrationTeacher/Student Shared Demonstration

Student/Teacher Guided PracticeStudent/Teacher Independent Practice

gradual handover of responsibility

Ongoing Assessment & Celebration

ha

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Some Big Essentials

• Celebrate strengths.

• Value all students’ language and culture.

• Set clear and high expectations (reading, writing, content, behaviors) for all learners.

• Seek to develop independent, self-directed learners.

• Plan with the end in mind.

• Use a whole-part-whole teaching approach.

• Strive to make everything you teach for an authentic purpose and genuine audience.

• Demonstrate your own thinking process; share yourself as a reader and writer; be explicit.

• Teach it first; label it later.

• Have more scaffolded conversations with students, and give more time to guided, meaningful conversations—peer, small group, whole class.

• Check for understanding before, during, and after instruction.

• Provide sufficient background (through immersion, turn-and-talk).

• Speak to and behave toward students respectfully (employ more oral language and storytelling; encourage risk taking).

• Be efficient with your time.

• Teach for high-level comprehension, right from the start.

• Make joy central to teaching and learning.

See Contents for full listing of essentials.

• partner readingand writing

aloudand writing

and writing

DEPENDENCE INDEPENDENCE

Teaching Essentials by Regie Routman (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH); © 2008 Teaching Essentials by Regie Routman (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH); © 2008

I DO IT I DO IT YOU DO IT YOU DO IT

YOU WATCH YOU HELP I HELP I WATCH

Be Explicit - Show Students How

• Show examples of a particular genre

• Establish criteria for excellent writing

• Compare successful and unsuccessful pieces of writing

• Discuss and note what makes a piece of writing “work”

• Evaluate a piece of writing

Using Morning Message as to Demo and Teach

• Cathy Samson’s Morning Message

• One morning shared reading

• Next morning shared writing

No More “Teacher How Do You Spell…?”

• In shared writing model Hearing and Recording sounds in words

• Ask “What are my options”

• Which one probably?

• In independent writing have to “say it, squiggle it” for words you’re not sure about

6 + 1 TRAITS OF WRITING

Ideas

Sentence Fluency

Organization

Word choice

Voice

Conventions

PresentationRuth Culham (2005)

Text Genres (Fountas & Pinell, 2017)

FunctionalTexts

NarrativeTexts

Informational Texts

Persuasive Texts

Poetic Texts

HybridTexts

Has a personal or professional

purposeTells a story Reports, describes,

or tells how toStates or

encourages an opinion

Plays with language to convey meaning,

evoke images or emotion

Combines two or more

genres

Friendly letters• notes • cards • invitations • email • personal letters

Formal letters• business letters • editorials

Lists

Procedures• how-to texts • recipes • directions

Test writing

Writing about reading

Fiction (short stories & novels) Mystery Crime Survival Adventure Horror Humorous Animal Sports Western Family Friends School Romance Satire Contemporary realistic fictionHistorical FictionTraditional Fantasy Folktales Fairy tales Fables Legends Epics Ballads Myths Modern Fantasy Animal Fantasy Low & High Fantasy Science Fiction

MemoirBiographyAutobiography

Narrative nonfiction

Expository texts

Speeches

Feature articles

Reports

Essays

Persuasion

Argument

Traditional rhymes

Songs & verses

Free verse

Lyric poetry

Narrative poetry

Limericks

Cinquains

Concrete poetry

Haiku

Found poetry

List & formula poems

Peha’s The Five Big Questions

•W

hat makes this writing good?

•W

hat would make this writing better?

•W

hat’s the one most important thing you want your audience to know?

•W

hy did you write this?

•W

hat does your audience need to know?

Writing Conferences

(Fountas & Pinnell, 2001)

Classroom rules

Joe’s Trick to Persuasive Writing - 3 H’s

Head - make a logical argument

Heart - appeal to emotions or use flattery

Handshake - make a deal to get what you want

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Estimation and bringing abstract ideas into real life terms

� !�What are the key elements of attributes or things in your students’ lives?

E.g., Being a friendBeing in your classroom/grade (for next year’s class)

�

Retelling a story/part of a story as a newspaper article, help wanted ads, obituaries, letter to the editor

Both of these books to look into the future

�

�

�

Different points of view

Who are you from other perspectives?

The secret life of….studentteacherprincipalsomeone else…

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ReferencesClay,M.M.(2001).Changeover+meinchildren’sliteracydevelopment.Auckland,NZ:Heinemann.

Clay,M.M.(2005).Literacylessonsdesignedforindividualsparttwo:Teachingprocedures.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Culham,R.(2005).6+1traitsofwri+ng:Thecompleteguidefortheprimarygrades.NewYork:ScholasFc.

Flowers,L.,&Hayes,J.R.(1981).AcogniFveprocesstheoryofwriFng.CollegeComposi+onandCommunica+on,32(4),365-387.

Fountas,I.,&Pinnell,G.S.(2001).Guidingreadersandwriters:Teachingcomprehension,genre,andcontentliteracy.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Fountas,I.,&Pinnell,G.S.(2017).TheFountas&Pinnellliteracycon+nuum:Atoolforassessment,planning,andteaching,expandededi+on.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Gallagher,K.(2011).Writelikethis:Teachingreal-worldwri+ngthroughmodelling&mentortexts.Portland,ME:Stenhouse.

Peha,S.,&CarmichaelLester,M.(2016).BeabeNerwriter:Forschool,forfun,foranyoneages10-16.Carrboro,NC:TeachingthatMakesSense,Inc.

Routman,R.(2008).Teachingessen+als:Expec+ngthemostandgeQngthebestfromeverylearner,K-8.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Serravallo,J.(2017).Thewri+ngstrategiesbook:Youreverythingguidetodevelopingskilledwriters.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Stouffer,J.(2016).Apale]eofexcellence:ContextualizingthereportedbenefitsofReadingRecoverytrainingtoCanadianprimaryclassroomteachers.TheJournalofReadingRecovery,15(2),31-48.