Writing

Buhler Fourth Grade Writing National Writing Project - one month writing for teachers, helps you become a better writing teacher. Best Practices in Teaching Writing http://www.learner.org/resources/series192.html

"Writing cements knowledge."

1) Establish a positive environment for writing, reading, learning. 2) Organize for writing 3) Arrange for meaningful-to-students reasons to write. 4) Arrange for students to read, respond to, and use a variety of materials written for a variety of purposes and audiences. 5) Write regularly across the curriculum and grade levels. 6) Arrange for students to have constructive response to their writing and to offer response to other writers 7) Provide opportunities for students to collaborate as writers, thinkers, learners. 8) Conduct mini-lessons on writing (about 15 minutes - no more than 30 minutes)
 * An inviting classroom: furniture, music, colorful room, collaboration
 * Writer's Workshop - read //Atwell, Nancie.// __//In the Middle//__//. 2. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 1998.//
 * Writer's Workshop: Involved in writing process, has many components and activities
 * Writer's Notebook: works in progress, quick write, polished pieces
 * A Meaningful approahc to writing : Many options and approaches that the teacher selects.
 * Students have ownership through choices and real-life purposes.
 * Their writing is share in some way.
 * Use a variety of reading materials, including student work, as examples to teach students to craft their own writing.
 * Student writers gain ownership and independence by working with classmates.
 * Let students talk ... let them collaborate.
 * Establish clear guidelines for students.
 * Response focuses on developing the writer, not on "fixing" the piece of writing
 * Response occurs during the writing process
 * Based on needs, not focusing solely on errors
 * Teachers model goo responses. Students need guidance in responding to each others' writing.
 * "We want to move the writer forward, not the writing."
 * "We want to grow writers."
 * In the morning get with a shoulder partner and say "This is what I want to get done today." At the end of the day get back with shoulder partner and share, "This is what I got done today."
 * Write to improve thinking and learning in all content areas.
 * Give opportunity to apply it.
 * Students need to share, what they have done, in the task, discuss it, and problem-solve.
 * Teachers keep a record to help them relfect on their practice and plan.
 * Mini-lessons can be on grammar. Ties grammar into writing.
 * Mini-lesson NOT maxi.

[|Types of Sentences] At the beginning of the school year, we usually discuss the different types of sentences found in text and used in writing. In this activity, students can read about types of sentences, see examples and then quiz themselves on what they learned. This is a great way to also talk about expression and how each sentence should sound as it is being read. In our classrooms, we could actually start with this activity as a whole class and then branch out to write our own sentences. Each student could present their sentence and the rest of the class would need to determine what type of sentence they wrote.