This section focused on using true words and putting voice on the page. It also talks about giving students reading buddies to help support the idea that it is not only important for teachers to be able to read student work, but peers should be able to also. Here are a couple of ideas/questions to start the conversation:
1.Lucy focuses on students using more descriptive words in their writing. She introduces this concept by reading two stories about the same thing, but one using basic boring words and the other is more exciting because it includes descriptive words. What are ways that you encourage your students to incorporate descriptive words in their writing? What are some other fun ways to introduce this concept to the class?
2.This is the first time I have read about giving students two different partners each with a specific role: one as support for writing and a different one as a tool for checking the readability of their work. What are your experiences with students have reading and writing partners? How do you assign the partners? How do you make sure that they follow their specific roles?
3.Lucy frequently has the students look back on previous work for a variety of reasons. What are your experiences with: storing student work and/or the process of having students sort their own work?
4.The quote “writing with courage” really stood out to me in this section. Lucy said it meaning having students use more word variety. It hit home to me as motivation for all writing in Kindergarten since it is their first time writing and just putting anything on paper is taking risks and being brave! Were there any inspiring quotes or concepts for you in this section? (or feel free to use this same one!)
I love teaching descriptive words! The kids have fun coming up with "funny" and unique descriptive words together. I try to point out descriptive language during shared reading or read alouds to show students how authors use the writing technique to make the stories "come to life" or "paint a picture in our minds." During share circle time in Writer's Workshop, when I choose a student that did a great job incorporating descriptive words, I have the students close their eyes and listen to the person read their writing. We talk about how the descriptive words helped us "paint a picture in our minds" and what parts could be improved.
I have not assigned separate reading and writing partners last year. I am interested in hearing about how other teachers monitor students during partner times.
As for having students look back on their previous work, I tried a few different methods last year, but writing folders worked best for me. (Thanks, Alissa!) I tried to keep the work in their folders for the entire unit. I would give the students reminders that I would be taking their folders home to read their finished work every couple weeks. They knew that once I read their finished work, they could take it home. The students worked hard to get their pieces finished for me to read and take home. I am interested in hearing how others manage the amount of student work that is produced and what/when you send it home.
In the past I have used minilesson time to brainstorm with the class other words to use instead of "said" "like", etc. then it was posted in the room. When I taught higher grades we called them RIP words and literally posted them on a poster in the shape of a headstone. Today that would probably offend someone so it may no longer be a good idea. But at the time it was engaging to that age level. I like that Lucy uses actual stories to compare which is more descriptive, but other ways to introduce this concept to younger students might be to compare it to a pizza with only cheese and another with all the toppings, or a cupcake (my favorite) without frosting...what fun is that...with one that has all kinds of goodies. Food is much more motivating to this age.
I was also intrigued by the two different sets of partners she introduced. I have not tried this, but I can see how it would make sense later on in Kindergarten. I think is would take a ton of practice and modeling to manage and as far as students following their specific roles, I appreciate how Lucy understands that writer's workshop is not going to look perfect at all times. Especially when children are trying out new skills and they over-apply them. Like when we switch from learning short vowels to long vowels and all of a sudden every word is blended with a long vowel sounds. Anyway, I think she knows some kids will need more explicit teaching of these roles than others and it is ok to take the time to do that.
Storing all work can get pretty crazy, especially if they are attempting to write a story a day! Periodically I have actually used conferencing time to help a few children organize their "finished" and "work in progress" sides of their folders. Some need more help because they don't yet see what can still be made better.
I appreciated her quote, or maybe more of a saying since I don't have my book right in front of me to actually quote it, but it was along the lines of "quality feedback makes the biggest difference". For me, this is always an area I can do better at. During Writer's workshop I sometimes feel rushed to get to everyone or make sure that everyone is being productive, and the quality feedback during conferencing time isn't always as much quality as I'd like it to be. This statement was a reminder of how important the conferencing and even some of her examples of mid-workshop teaching needs to be.
I had a 6th grade teacher that did something similar to the RIP words...and now I still have a hard time using the word "got"!!! I love the pizza and cupcake ideas and I can picture each student having a topping with a fun word and putting them all together. I agree that Lucy really seems to have a pretty realistic idea of what writer's workshop will be and makes teachers realize that it's okay to have times that it is not ideal!
Last year Kelly E and I were supposed to work on accountable talk and kids having better and more meaningful conversations, which leads to better writing, as I'm sure you know. I tried to really work on having the kids say "because" often and Lucy reminds us of that in conversation. They do actually write it once they are used to using it in conversation! I had even my lowest writers using because in their writing. It was a great accomplishment! I like how she encourages kids to "pretend to be the bee" and that really engages the whole class in the drama of pretending. It's also great how she reminds kids that the teacher or peers are there to help make their writing easier to read, not "fix a problem." I also just found out this week that one of the district's focus point this year will be "descriptive feedback," which goes along with what Lucy and Kim DeCoste have said about the importance of what we are saying to kids while conferencing. I use Learning Target buddies a lot, so I will be having a "Writer's Workshop" buddy which can be for reading or writing. I love Kim's idea of the cupcake or pizza...food is very exciting for kids (and adults!)
I too love that she does not refer to it as "fixing a problem" when having student make their work easier to read. It is a much more positive approach to helping students.
For the sake of consistency, I have used the same partners for writing and reading during Writers’ Workshop. I post the list of Partner 1 and Partner 2, so I can reference it when having students take turns with who gets to go first. When I decide upon pairings I try to factor in who would work well together behavior-wise. After reading Lucy’s rationale for having reading partners be more closely matched academically, I will consider having different sets of partners.
I also use writing folders to store student work! They have their green sticker side for pieces they’re still going on and their red sticker side for pieces that are done. I usually try to have them clear out their folders at the end of the bend or unit depending on how productive they’ve been. During this process, they sit with their partner and read through each piece. If they feel strongly about continuing to work on a piece, they can put it back in their folder. Everything else goes into their mailbox. I’ve also had them choose their best piece and explain why.
A concept I am feeling inspired to use is the “Story Language Words” chart on page 85. I haven’t noticed it before, and I think it would be such a great resource for kids who struggle to move from “teaching” books to telling stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
During the writing workshop mini-lesson or shared read alouds, I may point out descriptive words that the author used to help create a picture in our imaginations. Upon a subsequent read aloud of the same story, I have had students use highlight tape to draw attention to key descriptive words used. Similarly, I have also shared students’ examples that I noticed used descriptive words to bring writing to life.
I never have assigned two different partners each with a specific role before. In the past, when I have assigned student partners, the partners helped each other with both writing and checking readability. I took into account both behaviors/personalities and writing strengths/areas in need of improvement when pairing students. When students are working together in pairs, whether on the rug or at their seats, I try to walk among as many pairs as possible to check in and see if they are on task. Often, I need to sit down with a group or two to help redirect them or provide support.
I have my students store their writing in their “writing workshop” folders. Each folder has one pocket with a star on in it for finished, and the other side is for work in progress. Periodically, throughout the year, as we complete each unit, I have the students clean out their folders and take their papers home. I also save some pieces for each child, from the beginning of the year. Later in the year, I have the students look back at the saved early writing samples to compare what they can currently write. They are usually very excited to see all the growth they have made.
I love teaching writing with descriptive words. Like Lucy, I read two stories, one that is boring and one with descriptive words to make it more exciting. On the following day, I start with a boring story and have the kids help me through shared writing to make it more exciting. I also point out descriptive words in read alouds. One activity that Sue, Jess, and I do with the class is an I-Spy game using adjectives. We do it with the whole class first on the Smart Board, having kids use three describing words as their clue while the class looks around the room and guesses accordingly. The kids then play in pairs, writing their three describing words or “clues” and having their buddy guess. At the end, they’re able to use these words in writing sentences. It really helps the kids picture what things look like and better grasp the idea of describing words. Plus it’s a game, so it’s fun! I love Kim’s cupcake idea!!
I have not been brave enough to try two different partners, although I do switch the assigned partners at times during the year. I think it might be a lot to manage, but could be beneficial as well!
Like many of you, I use writing folders. Some children need some assistance keeping them organized, but I find that overall, they do really well. (I’m a little OCD, so the kids quickly learn they need to put their papers in neatly and on the proper side! Lol.) I use a date stamp earlier in the year and then have the kids write the date themselves as the year progresses. I find that kids are super reflective when looking through their work, especially with proper modeling and scaffolding during mini lessons. I love hearing the conversations they have with their buddies on how to make their writing more interesting and higher quality.
Lisa, I also love the "writing with courage" quote! It's such a great way to describe what these kiddos are doing! Think of how hard it is for us, as adults, to do something outside of our comfort zone, and yet we ask this off the kids all the time.
This is the first time I have read about using two different partners as well. Personally, I thought it might be slightly confusing for students to work with their reading partners during writing time. This is not to say that reading partners are not a good idea, just maybe to save those partners for during reading time.
Like many have said, I too use folders to store my students’ work. I have a finished side and a need to finish/work in progress side. For the most part my students did a good job keeping their work sorted, especially because they were so proud of the work that they finished and did not usually like to have too much work build up in their work in progress side. For the future, I like the idea of sending home student work after each unit. I think that some of my students’ folders became so full since they did so much writing, that they became somewhat messy.
An inspiring concept that Lucy mentioned in this section was too never underestimate the power of a compliment. I think this is all too true. Kindergarteners especially thrive off of praise and acknowledgement so anywhere you can find something to compliment them on is beneficial. Whether it be for one student who starts to consistently remember to use punctuation or another student who is writing multiple sentences, a compliment can go a long ways to making students feel special and proud of their work.
Emily touched on some of the things that we do with the kids. It works really well and they love it! It would be fun to incorporate an additional "descriptive words" game into writing workshop so the students definitely make the connection that these words can be used in both settings.
Similar to what Kylie and Emily had said, I keep the same writing and reading partners throughout the year. I created the partners with the idea that they would help encourage one another to make themselves better writers. Most of the time, this would mean that they would be at or around the same reading and/or writing level. I always found that if they were similar in their reading and writing ability, then they would be able to help guide each other better if there was a problem. With that being said, I felt it was more convenient to keep the same ones. I'm wondering if this is the most effective way?
I also use writing folders with a green and red dot on either side of their folder for the students to organize their work based on whether they are done or not done working on a piece. I keep all of their work in their folder until the book or bend is done. Like Emily said, I find that the kids really reflect nicely on their "older" pieces of a unit. I like for them to go back and read their work to see where they were and how far they have come. It's really inspiring for them (and me!)
I agree with Laura that a compliment goes a long way. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that my writing partners always give their peers one compliment about their writing piece (used periods, spaces, wrote more than one sentence, good detail) and they also give one suggestion to make their writing better. They love getting the compliment and it makes them feel proud. It also combines both roles of the partners Lucy is talking about. I think having 2 separate ones can be confusing and a lot to manage. The cupcake idea that Kim mentioned is a great visual way for students to see the difference. Having this on the wall and referring to it might be helpful. I did this activity once where I read a mini-story to the students but left out any describing words. So then when I went to draw my picture, I pretended I didn't know what to draw. I had to think about that detail such as the ball was green or the boy was tall. And as I drew those details, I went back to add those descriptive words to my writing. We discussed how it gives the readers a better picture in their head of what happened. I also agree with Lindsay that looking back at their writing can be rewarding for them to see their growth. I will pull random pieces they have written and hang on to them and at different times take them out and put alongside a current piece they are writing to show the class how much they have grown and what they are able to do now. It's funny because I had one student who told me "I never wrote that" and I said yes you did but it was awhile ago. And she insisted she never wrote it. She said "I would never write like that!" Her name WAS on the top :)
This section focused on using true words and putting voice on the page. It also talks about giving students reading buddies to help support the idea that it is not only important for teachers to be able to read student work, but peers should be able to also. Here are a couple of ideas/questions to start the conversation:
ReplyDelete1.Lucy focuses on students using more descriptive words in their writing. She introduces this concept by reading two stories about the same thing, but one using basic boring words and the other is more exciting because it includes descriptive words. What are ways that you encourage your students to incorporate descriptive words in their writing? What are some other fun ways to introduce this concept to the class?
2.This is the first time I have read about giving students two different partners each with a specific role: one as support for writing and a different one as a tool for checking the readability of their work. What are your experiences with students have reading and writing partners? How do you assign the partners? How do you make sure that they follow their specific roles?
3.Lucy frequently has the students look back on previous work for a variety of reasons. What are your experiences with: storing student work and/or the process of having students sort their own work?
4.The quote “writing with courage” really stood out to me in this section. Lucy said it meaning having students use more word variety. It hit home to me as motivation for all writing in Kindergarten since it is their first time writing and just putting anything on paper is taking risks and being brave! Were there any inspiring quotes or concepts for you in this section? (or feel free to use this same one!)
I love teaching descriptive words! The kids have fun coming up with "funny" and unique descriptive words together. I try to point out descriptive language during shared reading or read alouds to show students how authors use the writing technique to make the stories "come to life" or "paint a picture in our minds." During share circle time in Writer's Workshop, when I choose a student that did a great job incorporating descriptive words, I have the students close their eyes and listen to the person read their writing. We talk about how the descriptive words helped us "paint a picture in our minds" and what parts could be improved.
ReplyDeleteI have not assigned separate reading and writing partners last year. I am interested in hearing about how other teachers monitor students during partner times.
As for having students look back on their previous work, I tried a few different methods last year, but writing folders worked best for me. (Thanks, Alissa!) I tried to keep the work in their folders for the entire unit. I would give the students reminders that I would be taking their folders home to read their finished work every couple weeks. They knew that once I read their finished work, they could take it home. The students worked hard to get their pieces finished for me to read and take home. I am interested in hearing how others manage the amount of student work that is produced and what/when you send it home.
Love the idea of the class closing their eyes while another reads to paint pictures in their minds!!!
DeleteIn the past I have used minilesson time to brainstorm with the class other words to use instead of "said" "like", etc. then it was posted in the room. When I taught higher grades we called them RIP words and literally posted them on a poster in the shape of a headstone. Today that would probably offend someone so it may no longer be a good idea. But at the time it was engaging to that age level. I like that Lucy uses actual stories to compare which is more descriptive, but other ways to introduce this concept to younger students might be to compare it to a pizza with only cheese and another with all the toppings, or a cupcake (my favorite) without frosting...what fun is that...with one that has all kinds of goodies. Food is much more motivating to this age.
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by the two different sets of partners she introduced. I have not tried this, but I can see how it would make sense later on in Kindergarten. I think is would take a ton of practice and modeling to manage and as far as students following their specific roles, I appreciate how Lucy understands that writer's workshop is not going to look perfect at all times. Especially when children are trying out new skills and they over-apply them. Like when we switch from learning short vowels to long vowels and all of a sudden every word is blended with a long vowel sounds. Anyway, I think she knows some kids will need more explicit teaching of these roles than others and it is ok to take the time to do that.
Storing all work can get pretty crazy, especially if they are attempting to write a story a day! Periodically I have actually used conferencing time to help a few children organize their "finished" and "work in progress" sides of their folders. Some need more help because they don't yet see what can still be made better.
I appreciated her quote, or maybe more of a saying since I don't have my book right in front of me to actually quote it, but it was along the lines of "quality feedback makes the biggest difference". For me, this is always an area I can do better at. During Writer's workshop I sometimes feel rushed to get to everyone or make sure that everyone is being productive, and the quality feedback during conferencing time isn't always as much quality as I'd like it to be. This statement was a reminder of how important the conferencing and even some of her examples of mid-workshop teaching needs to be.
I had a 6th grade teacher that did something similar to the RIP words...and now I still have a hard time using the word "got"!!!
DeleteI love the pizza and cupcake ideas and I can picture each student having a topping with a fun word and putting them all together.
I agree that Lucy really seems to have a pretty realistic idea of what writer's workshop will be and makes teachers realize that it's okay to have times that it is not ideal!
Last year Kelly E and I were supposed to work on accountable talk and kids having better and more meaningful conversations, which leads to better writing, as I'm sure you know. I tried to really work on having the kids say "because" often and Lucy reminds us of that in conversation. They do actually write it once they are used to using it in conversation! I had even my lowest writers using because in their writing. It was a great accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteI like how she encourages kids to "pretend to be the bee" and that really engages the whole class in the drama of pretending.
It's also great how she reminds kids that the teacher or peers are there to help make their writing easier to read, not "fix a problem."
I also just found out this week that one of the district's focus point this year will be "descriptive feedback," which goes along with what Lucy and Kim DeCoste have said about the importance of what we are saying to kids while conferencing.
I use Learning Target buddies a lot, so I will be having a "Writer's Workshop" buddy which can be for reading or writing.
I love Kim's idea of the cupcake or pizza...food is very exciting for kids (and adults!)
I too love that she does not refer to it as "fixing a problem" when having student make their work easier to read. It is a much more positive approach to helping students.
DeleteFor the sake of consistency, I have used the same partners for writing and reading during Writers’ Workshop. I post the list of Partner 1 and Partner 2, so I can reference it when having students take turns with who gets to go first. When I decide upon pairings I try to factor in who would work well together behavior-wise. After reading Lucy’s rationale for having reading partners be more closely matched academically, I will consider having different sets of partners.
ReplyDeleteI also use writing folders to store student work! They have their green sticker side for pieces they’re still going on and their red sticker side for pieces that are done. I usually try to have them clear out their folders at the end of the bend or unit depending on how productive they’ve been. During this process, they sit with their partner and read through each piece. If they feel strongly about continuing to work on a piece, they can put it back in their folder. Everything else goes into their mailbox. I’ve also had them choose their best piece and explain why.
A concept I am feeling inspired to use is the “Story Language Words” chart on page 85. I haven’t noticed it before, and I think it would be such a great resource for kids who struggle to move from “teaching” books to telling stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
During the writing workshop mini-lesson or shared read alouds, I may point out descriptive words that the author used to help create a picture in our imaginations. Upon a subsequent read aloud of the same story, I have had students use highlight tape to draw attention to key descriptive words used. Similarly, I have also shared students’ examples that I noticed used descriptive words to bring writing to life.
ReplyDeleteI never have assigned two different partners each with a specific role before. In the past, when I have assigned student partners, the partners helped each other with both writing and checking readability. I took into account both behaviors/personalities and writing strengths/areas in need of improvement when pairing students. When students are working together in pairs, whether on the rug or at their seats, I try to walk among as many pairs as possible to check in and see if they are on task. Often, I need to sit down with a group or two to help redirect them or provide support.
I have my students store their writing in their “writing workshop” folders. Each folder has one pocket with a star on in it for finished, and the other side is for work in progress. Periodically, throughout the year, as we complete each unit, I have the students clean out their folders and take their papers home. I also save some pieces for each child, from the beginning of the year. Later in the year, I have the students look back at the saved early writing samples to compare what they can currently write. They are usually very excited to see all the growth they have made.
I love teaching writing with descriptive words. Like Lucy, I read two stories, one that is boring and one with descriptive words to make it more exciting. On the following day, I start with a boring story and have the kids help me through shared writing to make it more exciting. I also point out descriptive words in read alouds. One activity that Sue, Jess, and I do with the class is an I-Spy game using adjectives. We do it with the whole class first on the Smart Board, having kids use three describing words as their clue while the class looks around the room and guesses accordingly. The kids then play in pairs, writing their three describing words or “clues” and having their buddy guess. At the end, they’re able to use these words in writing sentences. It really helps the kids picture what things look like and better grasp the idea of describing words. Plus it’s a game, so it’s fun! I love Kim’s cupcake idea!!
ReplyDeleteI have not been brave enough to try two different partners, although I do switch the assigned partners at times during the year. I think it might be a lot to manage, but could be beneficial as well!
Like many of you, I use writing folders. Some children need some assistance keeping them organized, but I find that overall, they do really well. (I’m a little OCD, so the kids quickly learn they need to put their papers in neatly and on the proper side! Lol.) I use a date stamp earlier in the year and then have the kids write the date themselves as the year progresses. I find that kids are super reflective when looking through their work, especially with proper modeling and scaffolding during mini lessons. I love hearing the conversations they have with their buddies on how to make their writing more interesting and higher quality.
Lisa, I also love the "writing with courage" quote! It's such a great way to describe what these kiddos are doing! Think of how hard it is for us, as adults, to do something outside of our comfort zone, and yet we ask this off the kids all the time.
This is the first time I have read about using two different partners as well. Personally, I thought it might be slightly confusing for students to work with their reading partners during writing time. This is not to say that reading partners are not a good idea, just maybe to save those partners for during reading time.
ReplyDeleteLike many have said, I too use folders to store my students’ work. I have a finished side and a need to finish/work in progress side. For the most part my students did a good job keeping their work sorted, especially because they were so proud of the work that they finished and did not usually like to have too much work build up in their work in progress side. For the future, I like the idea of sending home student work after each unit. I think that some of my students’ folders became so full since they did so much writing, that they became somewhat messy.
An inspiring concept that Lucy mentioned in this section was too never underestimate the power of a compliment. I think this is all too true. Kindergarteners especially thrive off of praise and acknowledgement so anywhere you can find something to compliment them on is beneficial. Whether it be for one student who starts to consistently remember to use punctuation or another student who is writing multiple sentences, a compliment can go a long ways to making students feel special and proud of their work.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteEmily touched on some of the things that we do with the kids. It works really well and they love it! It would be fun to incorporate an additional "descriptive words" game into writing workshop so the students definitely make the connection that these words can be used in both settings.
Similar to what Kylie and Emily had said, I keep the same writing and reading partners throughout the year. I created the partners with the idea that they would help encourage one another to make themselves better writers. Most of the time, this would mean that they would be at or around the same reading and/or writing level. I always found that if they were similar in their reading and writing ability, then they would be able to help guide each other better if there was a problem. With that being said, I felt it was more convenient to keep the same ones. I'm wondering if this is the most effective way?
I also use writing folders with a green and red dot on either side of their folder for the students to organize their work based on whether they are done or not done working on a piece. I keep all of their work in their folder until the book or bend is done. Like Emily said, I find that the kids really reflect nicely on their "older" pieces of a unit. I like for them to go back and read their work to see where they were and how far they have come. It's really inspiring for them (and me!)
I agree with Laura that a compliment goes a long way. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that my writing partners always give their peers one compliment about their writing piece (used periods, spaces, wrote more than one sentence, good detail) and they also give one suggestion to make their writing better. They love getting the compliment and it makes them feel proud. It also combines both roles of the partners Lucy is talking about. I think having 2 separate ones can be confusing and a lot to manage. The cupcake idea that Kim mentioned is a great visual way for students to see the difference. Having this on the wall and referring to it might be helpful. I did this activity once where I read a mini-story to the students but left out any describing words. So then when I went to draw my picture, I pretended I didn't know what to draw. I had to think about that detail such as the ball was green or the boy was tall. And as I drew those details, I went back to add those descriptive words to my writing. We discussed how it gives the readers a better picture in their head of what happened. I also agree with Lindsay that looking back at their writing can be rewarding for them to see their growth. I will pull random pieces they have written and hang on to them and at different times take them out and put alongside a current piece they are writing to show the class how much they have grown and what they are able to do now. It's funny because I had one student who told me "I never wrote that" and I said yes you did but it was awhile ago. And she insisted she never wrote it. She said "I would never write like that!" Her name WAS on the top :)
ReplyDelete