Writing for Everyone – Strategies for Diverse Kids & Teachers

@ Reading for the Love of It

Feb. 11 & 12, 2010 Faye Brownlie

fayebrownlie@shaw.ca

Learning Intentions

•  I will uncover ways to remember the joy of writing

•  I will add new strategies to my repertoire that include all students in writing

•  I acknowledge the power of oral language, modeling, building criteria, practice, engagement and sharing in building writers

Managing the Workshop •  Work with large chunks of time •  Build criteria with students •  Teach one/two specific criteria at a time, over

time •  Model, model, model •  Practice, practice, practice •  Focus on pre-writing and oral language •  Establish clear expectations for writing •  Coach students as they are writing •  Goal-set with students

Model Guided practice Independent practice Independent application  

Pearson  &  Gallagher  (1983)  

Quick Writes •  Give a word to students •  Give 15 seconds to think about the word, then 3

minutes to free write, using the word •  Students reread (mumble) their writing •  Students choose a phrase, sentence, powerful

word to share – if they choose •  Share the ‘treasures’ •  Describe ‘what works’ •  Repeat the process

Building Criteria

•  Whip around •  What struck you? What worked? •  Categorize •  Choose a focus criteria •  Model •  Practice •  Highlight and seek advice

Response Journals

  double-entry journals

  initially, written in class, together   develop criteria for powerful responses

Double-Entry Journal

•  An event My thinking about the event

•  A quotation My thinking/interpretation

Found Poems •  Read a text to the students •  Students listen for phrases that they love –

powerful phrases – phrases they want to remember

•  By birthdays, students stand and say their ‘found poem’

•  Mix the order to hear different variations of the poem

•  Students write their own ‘found poem’

Clustering from Text •  Read a passage to the students •  Students cluster phrases/words that strike

them during the reading •  Each student adds a word/phrase to a class

cluster, indicating where on the cluster it should be placed - ‘because’

•  Reorder/reconnect the phrases to deepen understanding, develop vocabulary

•  Students write in response to the passage

Canada  was  freedom  long  ago.    That  was  something  that  Julily  and  many  other  slaves  in  the  USA  did  not  have.    Masa  Ross  from  Canada  came  to  the  Riley  PlantaGon  to  free  some  of  the  slaves.    The  ones  that  went  were  Julily,  Liza,  Adam  and  Lester.    Lester  was  the  leader  of  the  group  and  when  they  went  for    meeGngs  at  night  he  would  weave  between  the  trees  so  that  the  bloodhounds  would  have  a  harder  Gme  to  find  the  slaves.    The  group  knew  to  go  when  they  heard  the  call  of  a  whiporwill  3  Gmes    The  call  was  sort  of  like  a  password  for  the  secaret  meaGngs.    The  blood  hounds  were  scary  for  the  runaways  because  as  soon  as  Masa  Riley  found  out  that  his  slaves  were  gone  he  would  send  the  dogs  to  find  them.    When  the  group  of  slaves  leP  for  freedom  the  girls  had  their  hair  cut  and  wore  boys  clothes  so  that  if  people  saw  them  they  would  not  think  they  were  the  runaways.    Julilly  and  Liza  were  real  friends  and  promised  that  no  maQer  what  they  would  always  sGck  together.    Liza  thought  that  ‘this  Gme  she  had  the  lord  on  her  side’.  –  by  Chloe  

When  M.  Simes  whipes  it’s  scary.    The  bloodhounds  are  waiGng  for  something  to  track.    Liza  and  Julily  will  allway  sGck  together.    Julily  got  taken  away  from  M.  Sally.    Liza  thinks  the  Lord  is  on  her  side.    Liza,  Julily  and  Lester  are  running  away  from  the  bloodhounds.    They  have  to  go  threw  twists  and  turns  in  the  forest  fast  so  they  could  get  to  Canada.    They  also  need  to  follow  the  North  Star.    Julily,  Liza  and  Lester  are  Gred  because  they  have  been  running  a  lot.    M.  Ross  is  helping  Lester,  Julily  and  Liza  to  get  to  Canada  and  to  be  free.    Lester  is  leading  Julily  and  Liza  to  Canada  nad  he  is  really  proud.    There  is  lot  of  pressure  on  Julily  and  Liza.  

By  David  

Escaping  Running  Faster  and  faster  Bloodhounds  fierce  and  fearful  They’re  tracking  me  down.  

Huge,  dark  and  gloomy  forest  Wind  howling  like  a  wolf  Faster  and  faster  The  bloodhounds  are  coming  

And  I’m  running….  

By  David  

Squiggles

•  Draw a line on the board •  Encourage students to transform this into a

picture, talking as they do so •  Have several students demonstrate •  Students draw the same squiggle in their

writers’ notebook and write in response to the squiggle

•  Ideas are meant to be shared!

•  As  the  sun  dropped  behind  the  mountains,  they  turned  their  steps  toward  home.    Their  day  of  peace  and  tranquility  glowed  in  their  hearts.  

•  Samantha,  grade  7  

Online  literacy  videos  

•  www.sd72.bc.ca  Literacy  Videos  •  Clustering  from  Text  

•  Squiggles  •  It’s  All  in  the  Bag  

References  

•  Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses –  Brownlie  (2005).    Portage  and  Main  Press.  

•  Student Diversity, 2nd ed (2006)  –  Brownlie  and  Schnellert.    Pembroke  Publishers  

•  It’s All about Thinking – Humanities, Social Studies and English (2009)  –  Brownlie  and  Schnellert.    Portage  and  Main  Press.