Grammar Focus, Mentor Texts, Narrative Focus, and Developing Powerful Partnerships
Here are some takeaways from today that I hope you can learn from, reflect on, and implement in your classroom with your students to support student learning.
Mary Ehrenworth - Grammar
- When teaching grammar - it can be easier to use our own writing compared to finding the perfect mentor text
- Remember, punctuation can change the tone of the writing
- Grammar is rethinking and paying attention so that we making writing better - we are being more purposeful and thoughtful instead of viewing Grammar as a right or wrong thing we need to do to writing
- Something Mary did was when she read aloud her pieces, she also read aloud the punctuation to make it stand out to us - great to do with Ss - they see and hear the punctuation being used
Ralph Fletcher - How Mentor Texts Lift Student Writing
- All Writers are Readers!
- Have rich literature in the classroom
- Mentor Texts build vision
- Suggested Mentor Texts for Craft
- The Scarecrow - Cynthia Rylant
- Fox - Margaret Wild
- When using mentor texts - Students take away even things we we are unaware of
- Mentor Texts can inspire writers - they have that story/poem in them and they are affected by the piece
10 Tips for Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing
- Read what we love ourselves
- Take advantage of “micro-texts” that can be read in one sitting (Picture Books, Poems, Paragraphs)
- Talk about the author behind the book - what made them write the story?
- Try not to interrupt the first reading of a text - (I need to work on this!!)
- Leave time for natural response
- Reread for craft (Reread books often but don't kill it)
- Design a spiral of Mini-Lessons that cycle back to teach Craft
- Use the Share to reinforce the craft lesson you did in the Teach Point - showing students in the class who did the craft move in their writing
- Invite students to experiment with Craft element
- Be patient
- Find the Balance
- Guiding and Naming a Craft Element
- BUT
- Leave room for students to make their own discoveries - What do they notice?
Carl Anderson - Mentor Texts and Content Focus: Narrative Writing
- Mentor Texts - Remember
- We have to like the mentor texts - use what you love
- Ss need connections to the mentor texts as well
- Show them text that Ss can do - so show Kinder level work to Kinders, and 1st Grader level work to First Graders
- Also, remember, use mentor texts that are more complex to get writers to stretch their writing for those writers who are ready for that challenge (conferring time)
- Narrative Content Focus Today
- Meaning
- Writer has something to say - what point do you want to make as a writer
- We craft our writing to get meaning across
- Structure
- How parts go together to get meaning across
- It helps us understand the meaning of the writing
- K/1 writers, writing across the pages teaches Ss structure
- Scenes are basic components of narrative
- A scene can stretch across a few pages - that is complex writing - can be done at 2ndG and with 1stG writers who are ready
- Illustrations shows key pieces of scenes
- If scene stretches across a couple of pages - illustrations do as well
- Chronologically
and sometimes in K-2, endings can flashforward (Night of the Veggie Monster ending)
- Writers need to decide which scenes to include and which not to include (ending of Snowy Day - breakfast just happens “After breakfast…”)
- Leads may provide background for reader, tension/set up problem
- Endings may be where the tension/problem is solved
- Transitions move reader from one scene to another
- It can be as simple as
- Turning a page
- Time change
- Setting changes
- Can be as simple as stating the setting (At home….)
- Events are made up of scenes
- A scene is a small moment
- Scenes happen when
- New characters get introduced
- Time change
- Setting change
- Reflecting on the above - for upper grades those three things get writers to start new paragraphs in narrative writing
Lindsay Mann
Developing Powerful Partnerships
- Things to consider:
- Who? - Consider Who is going to motivate who?
- Do not need to pair kids by “level”
- Want Ss to be motivated or excited to share their stories with their partner
- Best Friend may be the best fit especially for a S who is reluctant
- Personality matters - make a match
- Vary Strengths - opposites attract (different from reading, yes)
- Pair S with no structure with the S who has the beginning, middle, end
- Triads - kids need models (especially ELLs)
- Ss need the modeling
- Develop specific roles
- Establishing Routines
- When? - vary time, mix-up structures
- Ex: Sometimes you have partners meet at the beginning - story tell it, talking rehearsal
- Where? - create a “partner place”
- Have Ss sit at a space with partners
- Create a partner place when partners are not there and they go there to see who needs to join another partner or match up with another whose partner is not there
- What? - plans, menus
- Be specific of what you want partners to do/try
- Provide Models
- How are you modeling collaborative work across the day
- How can I support partner talk throughout the day - RW - coach into those partnerships
- Videotape
- Video partners
- Have Ss video themselves
- Day, to video the partnership - T can see work, use as an example/models - this can deepen the work of partnerships
- Have Ss watch it and ask them “What do you notice this partnership if doing well?”
- Fishbowl
- Model good examples and not-so good examples
- This can be challenging and she suggests Videotaping
- Padlet
- Great place to post their goals, a clip of their video, their work they did together during a partnership
- Use iPhone to record the talk with the audio - just listen to the partnership
- Stay Flexible
- Partnerships involve relationships
- Make some time/days to allow them to just talk so they can build those relationships as this will support their writing work (at least at the beginning of the year)
- She shared that they did research and teachers noticed it took many partnerships 7 minutes before getting into their writing work
- Focus on Goals of Writers
- Be aware of their own goals and their partner’s goals
- Share! - What am I trying to get better at as a writer?
- Check!
- Suggest! Partner can suggest
- Partners go beyond the Active Engagement time and Share - Can get them to think more deeply about their writing with Goal Setting
- Possible Progression
- Read together and talking about what they wrote - great way to start (put one piece of writing in the middle)
- Share goals and responding to the goals
- It goes beyond T and S goal setting - my partner is helping me reach my goal
- Focus on purpose and plans
- Give them the choice to set a time to meet with partner
She suggested switching up partners for every unit
Sonic Pics App - Take a picture of their work and voice-over what they want to say about it.
Virtual Share - used Google to share to do that with at fifth grade - could do this across schools or outside district or family member
Today was a wonderful day and I am excited for Day Three - but for now, off to Yankee game.
~Candace Whites
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