Independent Writing Who: All students Why: Students will improve in writing in direct measure to the time they engage in their own solo writing. When: Daily – the largest amount of your writers’ workshop time should be devoted to students’ independent writing [For example, 10 – 20+ minutes in the primary/infant grades and 20 – 40 minutes in the intermediate/junior grades.] How/Support Systems:
Shared reading Interactive writing To demonstrate literacy processes; to engage all students’ participation at current level of ability Big books, chart writing or poems, texts on overhead; personal copies of text Independent reading and writing To read texts independently To select, browse, and read texts of interest To capture ideas; to contribute to thinking Texts of interest Books at “just right” level Additional Engagements
When time is really tight, consider utilizing block type scheduling during this fragmented or “too full” period – but not always [e.g., Readers’ Workshop for 2-3 weeks and, then, Writer’s Workshop for 2-3 weeks OR Monday – Wednesday = Readers’ Workshop and Thursday – Friday = Writers’ Workshop]. Daily practice is important. Reflect On Your Own Schedule Every decision is important. Thinking about time, I ask myself: What be most helpful in helping my students grow right now?
sense of new information before, during, & after reading from the text and use fix up strategies when they get ideas and deeper understanding “This reminds me of…” “This is like…” “I wonder…” “Why did they…?” “I bet…” “I am guessing that ____ because…” “I think…” “I know…” “I don’t get it. I’d better read that again…” “I learned…” “This really important because…” “Putting all this information together, I now know that…”
“This is like ___ but not like ____ because…” “I am connecting ____ to ____ because…” “I am curious about…” “What…? How…? Where…? When…? Who…? Why?” “I predict…” “It seems like ___ and, so, I think that…” “I infer…” “This was about…” “I am confused…” “I know that I know…” “A big idea I am taking from this text is…” “The author wants me to consider...” “In the beginning…and at the end…” “Now I realize that…” “I feel that ____ because…So, now I will…”
Monitoring understanding by employing some or all of the following thinking strategies (Question, Infer, etc.) Stopping to self talk Rereading as needed Selecting “just right” texts Monitoring readers’ understanding (audience) by employing some or all of the following thinking strategies (Question, Summarize, etc.) Stopping to self talk for considerations such as clarity, organization and flow/ sequence, language, focus toward intentions/message, punctuation, voice, etc.
Writers share their work informally through discussion and more formally through publication. Readers share their understanding with others through verbal, written, or artistic responses. Writers appreciate the work of other writers. Readers appreciate the insights and understandings of others. Writers compose whole pieces of text. Readers draw understandings across texts.
Start Small (or, at least, Smaller) If you are new to Continuums, focus your learning and implementations by using them to monitor and evaluate a few students/a small handful of students (rather than your whole class “right now.”). And/or, try narrowing the number of descriptors so that you are focusing on just one or a few descriptors for a period of time. For example, I would often put one or two Continuum descriptors at the top of my clipboard (my conference record notes) [from one stage when I was brand new to Continuums and, later, from several stages]. As I engaged in learning with students, I focused on and looked for evidence of my students’
Emerging Developing Beginning Expanding Reading Tools Conference Notes Reading Conference Notes Observation Survey Benchmark Books Garfield Survey Post a Page Reading Tools Conference Notes DRA Writing Samples Running Records Post a Page Reading Tools Conference Notes DRA Writing Samples Running Records Benchmark Books Reading Tools Conference Notes DRA Writing Samples Running Records Post a Page
Bridging Fluent Proficient Connecting Independent Reading Tools Conference Notes DRA Writing Samples Benchmark Books Reading Tools Conference DRA Writing Samples Benchmark Books Reading Tools Conference Notes DRA Writing Samples Benchmark Books Reading Tools Conference Notes Writing Samples Benchmark Books Reading Tools Conference Notes Writing Samples Benchmark Books Writing Tools Writing Tools Writing Tools Writing Tools Writing Tools
Conference Notes Mail Call Writing Rubric- created with students Conference Notes Writing Samples Pick your best piece and record why this is your best (on sticky note) Writer’s Notebook Mail Call Conference Notes Writing Samples Writer’s Notebook Mail Call Conference Notes Writing Samples Writer’s Notebook Mail Call Earlier Draft Redraft/Fix It Conference Notes Writing Samples
content from title & illustrations; Ask why? August 5 Mon. Inferring: Noticing inferring in our lives (making connections to “out of text” and “in text” inferring); Continue inferring from introductory information When have you heard yourself say I bet…? Infer content of (Little Dog Poems)
have for students will not be realized unless every instructional minute is purposeful and designed to increase student responsibility.” Nancy and Fisher, Douglas. (2009). “The Release of Learning.” Principal Leadership. (Vol. 9, #6, p. 18-22).
Inferring Early Learning Learning Inferences are the information readers supply. Proficient readers go beyond the author’s explicit information; they make use of implicit information. Proficient readers infer by tapping into the vast store of knowledge gained from their Model, name, & explain inferring out of text first; move to easy texts next Inferring Self Talk “I bet…” “I bet…I knew it…” “I predict…I was Inferring “beyond the text” Pronoun references Reading to confirm predictions; proving confirmations Inferring Fiction:
reading and inferences are never explicitly stated in text (Lusche, 2003). As we read text of any genre, we must negotiate the meaning of the words. Sometimes the meanings are veiled with smoke or clouds. At other times, the words give us only part of the meaning like having sixteen Infer with text supports & features: +title +pictures/graphics +organization/format +font [bold print, italics, etc.] +repeated language/ideas Survey text to infer +message +language +lines, stanzas +organization/structure/format Punctuation clues/cues Drawing conclusions Cause & effect
Launching Phase of Study *Day 1 – 10 for Primary Grade Students *Day 1 – 5 for Intermediate Grade and Secondary Students Read aloud voicing your inferential thinking. “I bet the dog will find the buried treasure…” “I think Kylie is feeling sad because the book says she bit her lip and walked away…Now, it says she is crying. It seems like she is feeling really sad and worried about being left out of the game…”
Focus of student Intensity learning of learning and teaching Supporting meaningful and joyful/purposeful transfer of learning into student’s independent and collaborative reading and writing Practice-based learning; authentic assignments and activities to each student support & challenge Graduated, scaffolded instruction for ALL students ~“dosaged” individually and responsively student’s need(individual academic need) & students’ need = 3 hours of literacy learning and instruction; indep. Practice = +Student choice texts +Guided choice of texts to engage student in which promote before r/w/l tasks priming understanding modeling and demonstrating r/w/t/l to reveal why & how to use
(common academic need); data-based decisions 90 mins. reading; 45-75+ mins. writing understanding/being understood +Short & spirited texts +Necessity of easy texts, especially first practice texts; As child grows, practice moves to more challenging texts over time. individual &/or strategy/ skill/content; thinking aloud standards flexible and responsive time frames of learning +Book brothers/text sets; themed collections [texts clustered by common topic – author, genre, skill/ during r/w/l tasks processing understanding practicing collaboratively w/ varied grouping fellowships
strategy focus, theme, content area, etc.] +Book club texts texts clustered by common topic – author, genre, strategy focus, theme, content area concept, etc. individual and/or *teacher & students; peer groups; partners; student initiated groups; home support curriculum; units of study; content area themes/units frequency of instruction & support diverse genres, cultures, & authors 50 – 50 Rule: 50% of students’ reading is after r/w/l tasks retaining understanding practicing independently; independent practice supported and guided
nonfiction (including poetry) and 50% is fiction; Mirror & Window texts individual &/or with teacher conferring for feedback and monitoring as well as agendas, checklists, tiered activities centers, learning stations, etc. students’ passions & questions student use reading and writing out of school; texts authored by students, children, and teachers student selected or innovated tasks student(s) as teacher & tutor
poetry, story picture books, essays, etc. spirited texts independent level reading texts Read Alouds; Brain Show & Tell; Interactive Read Alouds; Shared ; Talking Circles Small Group Fellowships/Guided Reading; Shared Reading; Book Club Conversations; Word Work Study/Problem Solving New Words Independent ; Reading Conferences; Buddy Reading; Writing to Understand; Word Work
identify the think pieces from books…like the last line of Brooke’s The Moves Make the Man: “There are no moves you truly make alone.” [p. 111] Read & ~ “Read just a sentence or two or maybe an opening chapter from several books. The idea is to give students a sense of what is in store for them should they choose to read one of these books.” [p. 109] You are your students’ hero! Immerse them in Read alouds that invite students to join the literacy club:
Cole, Ardith Knee to Knee, Eye to Eye: Circling In On Comprehension. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Collins, Kathy. (2004). Growing Readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Corgill, A.M. (2008). Of Primary Importance: What’s essential in teaching young writers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Danielson, Charlotte. (2007). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching, 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Delpit, Lisa. 1995. Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York, NY: New Press.