Ready or not, Common Core and lots of writing opportunities are headed our way!! I love it, but also realize there are many out there that don’t see the need for all the hoopla surrounding writing. After looking at the latest research I am including here, maybe there will be more believers.
I won’t really discuss the research per se, but I will list it and the authors as food for thought for the readers. It is my hope that we will embrace it and make the necessary changes to our curriculum and instruction to ensure success for our students. As we implement Common Core, let’s base all that we do on the research, best practices, and the standards.
National Commission on Writing, 2004, 2005
Writing directly affects hiring and promotion decisions.
NAEP, 2002
Many adolescents need interventions to help them become better writers–some require more help than others.
Saddler & Graham, 2005 ;Anderson, 1997
Traditional grammar instruction is unlikely to help improve the quality of students’ writing. In fact, it can have a negative affect.
Judy Willis, doctor and teacher
Writing can help the brain develop the logical functions required for sucessful math and science learning. When writing is embedded throughout the curriculum, it boosts long-term memory and can be a source of conceptual development.
Nancie Atwell
Writers learn mechanics in context. Writers need response to their writing, conferencing used as formative guidance. Writers need to read.
Dan Kirby in Inside Out
“When developing writers are required to focus on forms, they learn to plug lifeless words and mundane ideas into the formula…”
CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING REFERENCES FOR MORE INFO:
Effective Literacy Instruction: Building Successful Reading and Writing Programs by J.A. Langer
Inside Out by D. Kirby
Guiding Readers and Writers by Fountas and Pinnell
National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges
http://www.ncte.org/prog/writing/
Graham and Perin, 2007
Effective Programs for Students at Risk by Slavin, Madden, and Karweit
MORE TO COME…
Guess what? With Common Core Standards rolling out, all teachers are going to be held accountable for implementing writing-across-the-curriculum. Whew! That is really something to think about. We have talked about it all these years and many systems have begun, but to say that the entire country will have all teachers responsible for some aspect of writing has been a long time coming. Since writing and reading are skills to help us reach success in all subjects, it only makes sense that we all take some responsibility. With that said, I do want to discuss what I see as the language arts teacher’s role in the big picture because that sits in contast to the role of other teachers. Once we understand the language arts role, I will attempt to outline some ideas for other curriculum areas as we begin this new journey together. I especially want to look at persuasive writing, a huge part of the Common Core Standards.
Language arts teachers will still carry the burden (or the blessing , depending on your paradigm) of teaching the parts of an essay: thesis, evidence, and the commentary. They will also need to work with students on organization, style/word choice, how to write a hook and a conclusion, and what transitions are and how to use them. With that behind them, students should be held accountable in ALL classes to a high standard of persuasive writing.
All teachers, and I mean ALL, should look for and expect a thesis in any persuasive papers students are assigned and they should look for hard evidence( statisitics, quotes, etc.) to support the argument.
The main change we should see in writing is the distribution of it throughout all classes. Language arts teachers need to provide professional learning in persuasive writing to other teachers so that they are comfortable in holding all students accountable in all classes. This will take support and planning from administrators, but it can be done. We really have no choice any longer.
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has powerpoints about formulaic writing for 5, 8, and high school. I am including here the link to the fifth grade one.
C onventions occur within context.
O rganization is paramount.
N ever give up on success for all.
T each the writing process.
E xpand ideas and vocabulary and engage the audience.
e X amine own writing to improve.
T echnology is used as a tool.
We can no longer rely on a quick fix to teach student writing any more than we can use the excuse that we are poorly trained to keep us from teaching it. Students must be taught how to write and teacher ed programs have got to rise to the occasion to make sure all teachers are aware of what the teaching of writing entails.
Many of us were taught to write by using the five-paragraph essay: introduction, 3 body paragraphs and the conclusion that many times restated the introduction. This formula did offer a framework and some structure and was easy for the teacher to grade since it basically departmentalized the information. Was there a thesis? Were there topic sentences? I suppose formulaic writing did and does, as it is still alive today, help students who struggled , but it didn’t give students any help in knowing what an essay looks like or how to actually put one together without the five-paragraph method. Also, students do not like to move away from this and writing becomes stagnant. In the real world, students must learn how to make choices about genre, content, structure, organization, and style (Mark Wiley 2000) so formulaic writing does hinder this process.
When I broach this subject, I see the nervousness in teachers’ faces and hear the concern in their voices as they ask why it matters because that was how they were taught and they have done ok. Could that be why we are many times reluctant as writers ourselves? Could we and our own teachers have been so consumed with structure that we failed to have any sustenance to our writing? It is afterall about the content which is what we have to say and what we are thinking.
Mark Wiley says that “formulaic writing short-circuits the discovery process” for students. It is our job to teach students different strategies that can be an arsenal of information for them as they choose their purpose for writing and the audience to whom they are writing. Students need to know when to use certain strategies in different writing situations not just rely on the five-paragraph quick fix. Relying on this approach stifles ideas, organization, style and conventions, as it limits the variety seen in effective writing. Students are not able to display their understanding of transitions and organization when they are limited to the five-paragraph essay.
I am not saying to never use this approach. It might be what some struggling students need for structure, but they have to be given the chance to advance beyond this. We owe all students more than the teaching of the five-paragraph essay.
Next: Formulaic Writing: Take 2
How many of you have ever taught persuasive and expository writing just to have students confuse the two? Join the crowd. I hope to clear up any confusion by sharing the definitions of both modes that are provided by the GaDoe (Georgia Department of Education). Students need to know the definitions and the characteristics of each if they are to effectively compose them.
Persuasive writing has as its purpose convincing others to accept the writer’s position as valid, adopt a certain point of view, or take some action. It clearly establishes a position on a topic. The argument should be defended with specific details and examples. The evidence should be appropriate for the audience. This writing uses specific facts, personal experience and knowledge, and/or statistics to support the author’s position. It contains an organizational structure appropriate for persuasion.
It is NOT copying words or information from the writing topic, nor is it formulaic writing that repeats the position and supporting reasons. It is not a list of facts, a story, or any other personal anecdote that is unrelated to the writer’s position. It is not a chance for the writer to vent about a topic.
Expository/Informational writing enhances the reader’s understanding of a topic by instructing, explaining, clarifying, describing, or examining a subject or concept. It provides facts, statistics, descriptive details, comparison, contrast, analysis, evaluation, definition, humor and personal anecdotes that are related. It contains an appropriate organizational strategy for the purpose of explanation, description, comparison/contrast, or problem and solution. It is information that is presented in the logical order. It is NOT an encyclopedic coverage of facts or an abundance of facts that are unrelated to the topic.
Informational writing is meant to give information. It is nonfiction/factual.
Key words: First, after, next, then, last, finally
Avoid first person pronouns. (I, we, us, me)
Informational writing should not give an opinion.
Examples: driving directions, instructions, newspapers, biographies, almanacs, research papers, business reports, letters, guidebooks, how-to writing, pamphlets
Some strategies to engage: anecdote, facts, statistics, quotes, vivid word choice, mood, real-life connections, descriptions, narration
Strategies to inform: facts, statistics, quotes that lend credibility, descriptions, and explanations
Expository structures: description (for example…characteristics are…), explanation , compare/contrast(different, alike, same), problem/solution (problem is…question…answer), cause-effect (reasons why, because, if)
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR PROMPTS:
Students must have practice with prompt analysis and initial planning.
Students must understand the terms persuasive and expository/informational.
Students must be aware of the different structures that expository prompts might ask for: description, explanation, c/c, problem/solution, and cause/effect.
Examples of informational topics:
1. Describe the causes and effects of pollution on the environment. Narrow your topic to one form of pollution.
2. Compare and contrast two different types of transportation. Consider issues such as speed, comfort, enjoyment and expense.
3. Compare and contrast an insect to an arachnid.
4. For primary, write, draw, or dictate to your class about what you will bring to Show and Tell. Tell what you know about this object.
5. Discuss and then write your own Bill of Rights.
6. Write a letter that gives next year’s class specific advice on what they really need to know before they enter your grade. Tell what teachers will expect and how to succeed as a student.
7. Compare and contrast healthy individuals to unhealthy.
8. Tell what happened when…
9. Write a report about…
10. Explain how…
11. Describe how to …
Students need specific information and instructions if they are to understand persuasive and informational writing. Let’s help them succeed.
Periodically, I will be sharing books that I have read that might be of encouragement to you. Some of these will deal with writing instruction and others may be about best practices for all teachers. It is very rewarding to me to lead or participate in book studies about current educational issues and research, so I think it will be beneficial for me to introduce these books to you all.
1. Teach Like your Hair’s On Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith
Rafe is a trail-blazing, fast-talking, fifth grade teacher who works at a Los Angeles public school. Ninety-two percent of the students in the school live below the poverty level. Regardless, his students tackle Algebra, philosophy, and Shakespeare. He says this book is like a cookbook for teaching in an urban classroom. The main two rules he operates by are “Work Hard” and “Be Nice.” The title of the book comes from an incident while he was helping a student in class with a chemistry experiment.
2. Writing Strategies for All Primary Students:K-3
This is a model for incorporating writing-strategy instruction. If you have ever wondered how to incorporate mini-lessons into any writing program, this is the book for you.
3. Day One and Beyond by Rick Wormeli: geared to middle and high school teachers
This book has practical ways of setting up your grade book, classroom management, what to do if you have only one computer, how to give homework, how to understand this age student and many other relevant topics. Wormeli is known worldwide in the educational community and was one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America. He is a master of differentiation.
Publishing student work does not have to be a complicated matter and does not have to happen after all writing. It actually doesn’t have to come at the end of the process but can occur throughout it. Probably most of you have thought about this as a major undertaking with a lot of time wasted as all students share every word they have written. This doesn’t have to be the case.
Student writing can be shared informally or formally depending on your purpose and time allowed. To begin, let’s look at the informal publishing. Throughout the process, students may share exciting vocabulary, a well-written sentence, or maybe even an entire introduction or conclusion as these are being revised. Classrooms may have Writing in Progress bulletin boards where students share bits and pieces of what they have written. Writing is read aloud in conferences which is actually publishing unfinished works to teachers and other students. But there comes a time when students may be asked to share or publish their finished writing in a formal way.
Today’s technology gives us endless means to publishing. We have blogs, class websites, digital books and the tried -and- true class anthologies and books using word processors. Scholastic offers publication choices. Sometimes just having the teacher read and evaluate is a type of publishing. Our son’s seventh grade language arts teacher always had an Authors’ Day where students read aloud entire pieces and enjoyed brownies that the teacher had baked for the young writers. That gave them a purpose for the revision. All the students felt special while sitting in the author’s chair upfront while their peers encouraged them as writers.
I am including some sites that may be helpful to you and your students as you publish student writing. Remember some writing may not be for publishing (journals, for instance) but you and your students will figure out what works well for you. Having you publish your own writing by sharing it with your students is also a great motivator.
http://storyjumper.com
http://www.kidsbookshelf.com
http://writingfix.com
http://www.bookhooks.com
The final copy is a copy of the writing once all the changes have been made through revision and proofreading. Please remember that not all writing has to be taken to the final copy . Sometimes students just need the practice in revision and proofreading and will put aside the writing at that step of the process. For those writing assignments that will make it to the final copies, I am including some tips that should make writing them less of a pain for you and your students.
1. Have available to students fun writing supplies like colored pens and pencils and bright-colored paper. One of the best final copies I ever got was a research paper that I had students write on brown paper bags. They punched holes around the edges and tied yarn to make a small rug. We published them on a bulletin board entitled “Research Rugs.” Be creative and encourage creativity in your students.
2. Students should use the format that is appropriate to the writing purpose and audience. If they are learning to write thank you notes, have them use actual thank you cards and write them by hand. If they are learning to write memos, use a memo pad that you can purchase for a dollar at many stores. If they are practicing for the state writing test, they need to follow the specific instructions provided.
3. This is the time to pretty-up the writing. Not all final copies have to be typed, but students do need access to word processors. If copies are not typed, students need to be reminded to use their best penmanship.
4. Most importantly, students need to realize that a final copy is NOT a recopying of their rough draft before changes.
Come back next for ideas for publishing your students’ writing.