Hello Friends! I am
coming to you from Cambridge, MA this week as I am spending the week at Lesley
University. As a Literacy Collaborative
Coordinator, I head to Boston for a week of professional development in
literacy every year.
I’m planning a Top 10 blog post about my new thinking at the
end of each day. We are talking about
literacy instruction this week, specifically on guided reading and genre
studies in writing. There is also a lot
of talk about the Common Core State Standards as well.
end of each day. We are talking about
literacy instruction this week, specifically on guided reading and genre
studies in writing. There is also a lot
of talk about the Common Core State Standards as well.
Here are my TOP 10 things I am thinking about tonight:
1. This idea comes from Carl Anderson’s work in Assessing
Writers. Let’s stop calling the time
before a rough draft ‘prewriting.’ Our
students are in fact writing. Let’s call
it ‘rehearsing’ instead.
Writers. Let’s stop calling the time
before a rough draft ‘prewriting.’ Our
students are in fact writing. Let’s call
it ‘rehearsing’ instead.
2. What do we, as teachers, understand about writing? And what do we teach our students about
writing?
writing?
3. What does an effective writing process look like?
4. Let’s take some time to watch students writing and assess
what they do. Are they rereading their
work? Do they spend some time rehearsing
or do they jump right into a rough draft?
How is their writing stamina?
These are just a few of the questions we can answer about our students
as writers when we observe the process.
what they do. Are they rereading their
work? Do they spend some time rehearsing
or do they jump right into a rough draft?
How is their writing stamina?
These are just a few of the questions we can answer about our students
as writers when we observe the process.
5. The most important thing we can teach our young learners
is to see themselves as writers…real writers who have something important to
say that matters to this world!
is to see themselves as writers…real writers who have something important to
say that matters to this world!
6. As teachers, we need to accept that writing can get
messy. We have to be okay with lots of
marks, fixes, corrections, do-overs.
messy. We have to be okay with lots of
marks, fixes, corrections, do-overs.
7. Just like students learn math differently, they all have
their own approach to the writing process.
We need to teach different ways writers write and give students the
options to try what works for them as writers.
their own approach to the writing process.
We need to teach different ways writers write and give students the
options to try what works for them as writers.
8. To have an effective writing process, kids need
flexibility. They need to be able to try
new approaches to their writing.
flexibility. They need to be able to try
new approaches to their writing.
9. Our young writers MUST have a strong sense of audience
and purpose so that they can see their writing as not just another assignment,
but rather as something of great value not only for themselves but for their future
audience.
and purpose so that they can see their writing as not just another assignment,
but rather as something of great value not only for themselves but for their future
audience.
10. Teachers NEED to be writers in order to teach writing!
That’s my TOP 10 for today…let me know your thoughts. Hopefully there is at least one idea in here
for you to think about. Happy Monday!
for you to think about. Happy Monday!
