1. Jennifer Evans
Assistant Director ELA
St.Clair County RESA
Evans.jennifer@sccresa.org
http://www.protopage.com/evans.jennifer#Untitled/Home
2. “Assigning writing
is easy. Teaching
writing is really
hard.”
“We need to teach our
students to read like
writers and write like
readers.”
Kelly Gallagher, Author and Teacher
http://www.kellygallagher.org/index.html
3. The most effective strategy to improve writing…
Increase the amount
and quality of writing.
4. Increase writing
proficiency for life
endeavors
Increase test scores
Create a unified
writing program K-12
Coordinate and
refine writing
instruction
Increase use of
research-based
instructional
practices during
writing instruction
6. How Often
• Everyday
• Everyday
• Everyday
How Long
• KDG – 45
minutes
• 1st Grade –
45 minutes
extending
to 60
minutes
• 2nd – 12th
Grades – 60
minutes
When
Management
Why
• Beginning
the first day
of school
• Same
format used
everyday
• Consistency
• Consistency
• Consistency
• A single
block of
time at the
same time
everyday
• Same rules
and
procedures
used
everyday
• Keep it
simple
7.
Grades 2-5
K-1 staple small unit booklets for their
notebook
Specific notebooking directions for grades 25 first unit of study in WriteWell
Write everyday on mini-lesson topic or other
notebooking ideas
12. 30-40 Minutes
Students work independently while the teacher
meets with small groups or individual students
• Conferring Talking Cards
Possible mid-workshop teaching point
• Occur naturally when the teacher notices something that
needs clarification or further explanation to help students as
they write
13. Research
Decide
Compliment
Teach
•Ask “What are
you working on
as a writer?”
•Have the
student read
aloud his/her
work
• Synthesize what
is learned
• Decide what to
compliment:
“What has this
child done that I
can name and
make a fuss
over?”
• Decide what to
teach: “What
does this child use
but misuse? or
“What is nearly
there in his or her
writing that I can
help them with
right now?”
•Point out
writing
strategies the
child used well
•Say “I like how
you…”(give
specific
example)
•Teach only one
thing
•Teach to the
compliment
•Teach to
today’s
teaching point
•Negotiate a
strategy
When choosing your teaching point think: Of all the options I have, what can I teach
that will make the biggest difference for this writer?
14. 5-10 Minutes
Notice
Question
Personal Connection
Compliment and Suggestion (glow & grow)
Small
Group
Partner
Whole
Group
16. Grammar Units
Pre/Post Tests
Updates – see grade level
representative
Information/Explanatory;
Opinion; ReadWell units
developed last summer
Video Lessons
Rubrics
17. Aligned to CCSS
Weekly concepts
taught
approximately five
minutes a day
Follows Jeff
Anderson’s format
PowerPoint to match
each weekly lesson
18.
19. Same Assessment to
be given at the
beginning of the year
and the end of the year
See Sample
Use to show
growth
20.
21.
Video Library
◦ All grade levels
◦ Various lessons
Kindergarten
2nd grade
10th grade
24. Log In and Select Your Grade
Review the Table of Contents
Skim & Scan the Units
Notes de l'éditeur
Assign and assess writing does not teach students the knowledge and skills needed to become better writersWriteWell is designed around the format of Writer’s Workshop where teachers teach students minilessons as well as teach them to read like writers and write like readers.
Model/coach students to elevate their writingRead lots of mentor texts in the genre – have them look at the text with the thought “What did the writer do that I could do?”Turn & talk about the “how” Show them by writing in front of students – write in front of the class and think aloud during the process, modeling about 5-7 minutes at a timeWriteWell is about quality vs. quantity
Structure similar to 90-minute reading block – whole group, small group, independent work
Note – WriteWell does not dictate topic, but does dictate genre – students are more willing to write when they have choice – they can write what they know about, care about, and can tell stories aboutUnits of study related to the genre of test prep – is its own genre with rules
Show an example of a finished PowerPoint after this slide
Provide Introduction to Language Minilessons handout with this slide
Provide handout of pre/post assessments for each grade level with this slide.
Participants spend some time online exploring the units for their grade level
