Writing Conference

As I reflect on the writing conference, I realize that I have two parts to mine: Research and Teach. I figure out what is the writer doing and what can I teach this writer.

While researching, the teacher is noticing these strengths about the writing:

Content/Ideas
This writer knows to stay on topic (several things she [...]

Writing: Do your students know your teaching point?

When I plan my writing lessons I make sure that I include several key parts to my writing minilessons: student engagement, one explicit teaching point, an emotional hook through story telling, and repetition and rehearsal.
Student EngagementStudents learn quicker and more effectively if they are engaged. I find that students need to participate in my minilesson. [...]

Five Senses

This is a webpage that has links to five videos with resources for teaching the five senses. I combine this with several read-alouds.
link to five videos of the five senses

Mem Fox Reading Aloud

When I read Reading Magic, I realized that this is a MUST READ for parents. I include several quotes in my presentations about self-selected or independent reading. I believe that children are entitled to books. They deserve the chance to read books that they pick. They deserve to have books read outloud to them. [...]

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for? Our holiday tradition is to go around the table and say, “I am thankful for…” It might sound trite, but I am thankful for family, health, and work.

Demonstration in Writing

Donald Graves states, “When you demonstrate what you do when you write, you not only show children how to write, you show them how to use their time” (116).“Conditions for Effective Writing Workshop” and “Begin to Organize Your Classroom”.
My experience is that it is essential to demonstrate writing in front of students. I think [...]

Strategic Writing Conferences Carl on Camera

This is the description from Heinemann’s site:

Although conferences appear to be informal conversations, they are in fact highly principled teaching interactions designed to move writers along learning pathways. Used strategically, conferences can be powerful interventions that address individual writing needs. Carl Anderson’s Strategic Writing Conferences is a curriculum resource and diagnostic guide for writing [...]

We should listen to Michael Pressley, Comprehension Matters!

Mike Pressley knows what he is talking about!
Michael Pressley International Reading Association link 1
http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part2.html
http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part3.html
http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part4.html
I miss his wisdom. The world lost this wise man too early!

Persuasive Writing

Stacey wrote about hearing a wonderful presentation at NCTE yesterday.Stacey’s I Can post It reminds me of the book, Teaching Persuasive Writing by Sarah Picard Taylor. This book is one of the little $8.00 from the Workshop Help Desk, K-2 of the First Hand Heinemann site:
link to heinemann site
She presented at NCTE on Monday. [...]

Shared Reading Books

Books that use repetition
Brown Bear (series)
I went walking (Sue Williams)
Good Night Moon
Books that use cumulative sequence
The Napping House
Books that have known sequence
Cookie’s Week (Cindy Ward)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
The Grouchy Ladybug (Eric Carle)
Today is Monday (Eric Carle)
Shoes from Grandpa is a sequence book, but not a known sequence book