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Article- Teaching Writers ABOUT Writer's Workshop

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Article- Teaching Writers ABOUT Writer's Workshop

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Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop

I love a good agenda. When I attend a meeting, be it a pre-preschool meeting for my son or a conference day for teachers, I want to know what to expect. Knowing what's coming next and how far along we are in the session gives me a great deal of comfort (and, I admit, helps appease my constant desire to feel in control). Conversely, not having an agenda or a sense of when a meeting will end fills me with great anxiety. I don't think I'm the only one to feel this way. I think most kids and adults alike find comfort in predictability and structure.

One of the many beautiful aspects of writing workshops is just that, its predictable structure. Each day, the same thing happens. There is a minilesson where students and teacher meet in a meeting area. Then, there is an independent writing time where students write and the teacher confers. Then, there is time at the end for students to share their work with each other. We teachers know the workshop's structure by heart. Over time, through observation and repetition, hopefully students come to know the workshop's structure as well as we do. But what if rather than wait for students to catch on, we let them know right from the start what to expect? Starting the year by filling them in on the daily structure for writing workshop, the agenda of sorts, will help to build their independence and confidence quickly.

To take this one step further, you can teach your students what you will do and what you expect of them during each part of the workshop. You can even include bits of age-appropriate rationale to explain why the structure of each part is important. As an added bonus, teaching this as a minilesson can have a powerful impact and is really, really easy to plan.

Connection

As a connection for this minilesson, you might call up an image of an artists' workshop. Here's an example: "My brother is a painter. His paintings are abstract, filled with wild colors and scattered patterns. To look at his paintings, you might think the way he works is also wild and scattered. But my brother is actually very organized. In his studio, his paints are lined up perfectly, his paint brushes are all categorized by size, and his space is very clean. He says he has to keep things easy to find and predictable so that he doesn't have to waste time trying to find things in the midst of his creative process.

My brother's story made me think of writing workshop. In writing workshop, a lot of things are predictable so that we don't have to spend precious time trying to figure them out. Today I want to teach (or remind) you how writing workshop typically goes, so that we won't have to waste a single moment not knowing what to do."

Then, teach students about each part of the writing workshop in ways that are appropriate for your age group. You certainly don't have to give them the level of detail provided in, say, a teacher's guide, but many students will benefit from knowing the basic parts of each part.

When teaching students about the minilesson, you might explain that you'll give them a tip or two to help their writing, then you'll show them how to do it, then you'll give them a chance to practice. Their job is to listen carefully and think about how they might use the tip or strategy in their own writing. You might tell them that you plan to keep to minilessons short, about 10 minutes long, to give them plenty of time for writing. As long as they promise to do their best to pay attention to the strategy or tip you give them during the minilesson, you promise give them plenty of time to write.

For older writers, you could share the names of each part of the minilesson, as well as your expectations for them during each part. For younger writers, this level of detail is unnecessary. You could keep your explanation general, teaching them during the minilesson, you will teach them about a way they might make their writing better, then you'll give them a chance to practice. Their job is to listen carefully, and then to give what they learned a try.

Then, explain to your students that they will get a certain number of minutes to write each day (really talk this part up, as having plenty of time to write is a gift to students). Their job during this part will be work on making their writing better, and to keep going on their own, even if things get tough. Promise them you'll be meeting with them to help them as they write, but let them know that sometimes they have to be patient because you can't meet with everyone all at once. Stress that unless there is an emergency, it's not okay to interrupt a conference.

Finally, let them know that they'll have time to share some of their work at the end of the workshop, either with a partner, a small group, or with the whole class.

Active Engagement

During the active engagement portion of this minilesson, you might give students a chance to practice transitioning from the meeting area to their writing spots and back. Time them, then invite them to transition again to see if they can beat their first time. Explain that in writing workshop, every minute is precious, so moving back and forth between the meeting area and writing spots quickly is crucial.

End the minilesson by letting students know that as long as they are in a writing workshop class, they'll know exactly what to expect. You might even harken back to the story from the connection, and explain that structure and predictability are important for any creative endeavor.

Here's a chart that you might keep posted for a while, until you are certain that students have the parts of a writing workshop and the reasons for them in their bones.

Wishing you a great launch into a year of writing workshop.

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I love a good agenda. When I attend a meeting, be it a pre-preschool meeting for my son or a conference day for teachers, I want to know what to expect. Knowing what's coming next and how far along we are in the session gives me a great deal of comfort (and, I admit, helps appease my constant desire to feel in control).

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Author

Sharing in writing workshop is a powerhouse for producing energy, excitement, and new learning to sustain writers. I've always pressed teachers to tap into a variety of share sessions to keep energy levels high for writing. Routines are important to writers so they can establish predictability and efficiency. The routine of sharing at the end of each workshop time is non-negotiable. However, it's important to vary the kind of share sessions students experience in writing workshops.

Old Favorites

Author Chair: In this traditional share session, students sit in the author chair and share their writing with the community. After reading, classmates offer questions or compliments to support and encourage the writer. Some teachers give the reader a choice of a cheer at the end of their sharing time. Often young writers enjoy celebrating with a marshmallow clap or a "round" of applause. Many teachers enjoy adding fancy author chairs to their classrooms.

Partner Share: This is a go-to share when you'd like every child to have an opportunity to share. It's also the ideal share when you are short on time. In a partner share, students share their writing or learning with a partner. Giving a specific focus to the share often makes it valuable. For example, ask students to share their revisions or leads. You could also ask students to share how they used their writing notebooks or to reflect on whether they stayed focused as a writer during work time.

Learning Share: In this share, students share their learning instead of their writing. For example, kindergartners may share how they learned to draw different expressions on characters in their illustrations. Different writers may share a mad expression, scared expression, or happy expression. A third grader may share how she determined how to end her personal essay. Another student might share how he experimented with line breaks in his poem. A learning share is another opportunity for teaching to occur in writing workshops. Sometimes it is the most powerful instruction, since the teaching is coming from students.

New Ideas

In addition to old favorites, I've discovered some new ideas for fresh share sessions.

High-Five Share: A spin-off of a partner share, students put their hands up and find someone to high-five. After high-fiving, students share their writing or learning from writing workshop. After sharing, students put their hands in the air, looking for someone else to high-five. It's a great opportunity for students to see a variety of ideas in a short amount of time. The high-five share prevents students from being idle, which leads to an effective share session.

Photo Share: By taking photos of students' work, you can swiftly upload them into an iMovie or set them to play as a slide show. This is especially useful when the share session is split from the rest of workshop. In one classroom, writing workshop happened before lunch and the share session happened after lunch. We were able to capitalize on this break, as well as the transition from recess to the classroom, by using a photo share. Students highlighted their favorite line in their writing and we photographed it. We added a little music and played the video as students returned from recess. The iMovie app makes this a sleek and simple share for teachers to facilitate with their smartphones or tablets.

Photo shares make it convenient to share student work with parents via social media. We are able to turn attention to a specific process, craft, or convention teaching point. For example, we can take pictures of first graders' illustrations and ask viewers to notice the setting and how writers added details to show either an indoor or outdoor setting.

The photo share captures students' writing and makes formative assessment easier to obtain. There is lasting evidence of student work, and teachers are able to spend time in assessment, noting what students know and need.

Leave a Note Share: This share was discovered by serendipity. A grade-level team swapped their students throughout the day. One day, our workshop time was cut a little short. Instead of skipping the share time, we asked kids to write a note to the student who shared a seat. They included in their notes the thing they are most proud of as writers. We were surprised how much students enjoyed receiving and responding to the notes. The notes facilitated discussions as writers, helping students to support one another and learn from one another. Another benefit of this kind of share is the written evidence we gathered. It lends itself well to formative assessment. Since the notes are written, teachers have time to process what their students are able to intentionally do as writers.

In the end, the share session is a non-negotiable component of writing workshops. As we continue to provide opportunity for students to talk and reflect on their writing, we will continue to find new formats for children to share their learning.

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Author Sharing in writing workshop is a powerhouse for producing energy, excitement, and new learning to sustain writers. I've always pressed teachers to tap into a variety of share sessions to keep energy levels high for writing. Routines are important to writers so they can establish predictability and efficiency.

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A Danielson Observation of a TCRWP Fourth Grade Writing Workshop in an Integrated Co-Teaching Class - An Observation of a Writing Minilesson

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Article - Teaching Writers About Writing Workshop

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Article - Teaching Writers About Writing Workshop

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Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop

I love a good agenda. When I attend a meeting, be it a pre-preschool meeting for my son or a conference day for teachers, I want to know what to expect. Knowing what's coming next and how far along we are in the session gives me a great deal of comfort (and, I admit, helps appease my constant desire to feel in control). Conversely, not having an agenda or a sense of when a meeting will end fills me with great anxiety. I don't think I'm the only one to feel this way. I think most kids and adults alike find comfort in predictability and structure.

One of the many beautiful aspects of writing workshops is just that, its predictable structure. Each day, the same thing happens. There is a minilesson where students and teacher meet in a meeting area. Then, there is an independent writing time where students write and the teacher confers. Then, there is time at the end for students to share their work with each other. We teachers know the workshop's structure by heart. Over time, through observation and repetition, hopefully students come to know the workshop's structure as well as we do. But what if rather than wait for students to catch on, we let them know right from the start what to expect? Starting the year by filling them in on the daily structure for writing workshop, the agenda of sorts, will help to build their independence and confidence quickly.

To take this one step further, you can teach your students what you will do and what you expect of them during each part of the workshop. You can even include bits of age-appropriate rationale to explain why the structure of each part is important. As an added bonus, teaching this as a minilesson can have a powerful impact and is really, really easy to plan.

Connection

As a connection for this minilesson, you might call up an image of an artists' workshop. Here's an example: "My brother is a painter. His paintings are abstract, filled with wild colors and scattered patterns. To look at his paintings, you might think the way he works is also wild and scattered. But my brother is actually very organized. In his studio, his paints are lined up perfectly, his paint brushes are all categorized by size, and his space is very clean. He says he has to keep things easy to find and predictable so that he doesn't have to waste time trying to find things in the midst of his creative process.

My brother's story made me think of writing workshop. In writing workshop, a lot of things are predictable so that we don't have to spend precious time trying to figure them out. Today I want to teach (or remind) you how writing workshop typically goes, so that we won't have to waste a single moment not knowing what to do."

Then, teach students about each part of the writing workshop in ways that are appropriate for your age group. You certainly don't have to give them the level of detail provided in, say, a teacher's guide, but many students will benefit from knowing the basic parts of each part.

When teaching students about the minilesson, you might explain that you'll give them a tip or two to help their writing, then you'll show them how to do it, then you'll give them a chance to practice. Their job is to listen carefully and think about how they might use the tip or strategy in their own writing. You might tell them that you plan to keep to minilessons short, about 10 minutes long, to give them plenty of time for writing. As long as they promise to do their best to pay attention to the strategy or tip you give them during the minilesson, you promise give them plenty of time to write.

For older writers, you could share the names of each part of the minilesson, as well as your expectations for them during each part. For younger writers, this level of detail is unnecessary. You could keep your explanation general, teaching them during the minilesson, you will teach them about a way they might make their writing better, then you'll give them a chance to practice. Their job is to listen carefully, and then to give what they learned a try.

Then, explain to your students that they will get a certain number of minutes to write each day (really talk this part up, as having plenty of time to write is a gift to students). Their job during this part will be work on making their writing better, and to keep going on their own, even if things get tough. Promise them you'll be meeting with them to help them as they write, but let them know that sometimes they have to be patient because you can't meet with everyone all at once. Stress that unless there is an emergency, it's not okay to interrupt a conference.

Finally, let them know that they'll have time to share some of their work at the end of the workshop, either with a partner, a small group, or with the whole class.

Active Engagement

During the active engagement portion of this minilesson, you might give students a chance to practice transitioning from the meeting area to their writing spots and back. Time them, then invite them to transition again to see if they can beat their first time. Explain that in writing workshop, every minute is precious, so moving back and forth between the meeting area and writing spots quickly is crucial.

End the minilesson by letting students know that as long as they are in a writing workshop class, they'll know exactly what to expect. You might even harken back to the story from the connection, and explain that structure and predictability are important for any creative endeavor.

Here's a chart that you might keep posted for a while, until you are certain that students have the parts of a writing workshop and the reasons for them in their bones.

Wishing you a great launch into a year of writing workshop.

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I love a good agenda. When I attend a meeting, be it a pre-preschool meeting for my son or a conference day for teachers, I want to know what to expect. Knowing what's coming next and how far along we are in the session gives me a great deal of comfort (and, I admit, helps appease my constant desire to feel in control).

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“When students know what to expect during the minilesson, they become less dependent on teacher reminders”

I like this quote from the Routines and Structures of Writing Workshop article. Consistency and routine are very important in the classroom, especially when it comes to workshops.

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Teachers can often be over-burdened by having to care for every question in their class! One of the good things about establishing partners, especially for writing workshops, is it gives students the option to ask their partner for help before going to the teacher. Additionally, the partners will already be helping each other out, so less questions will come up as is! I know this article was specifically talking about partners for writing workshops, but I think that partnerships could be great for many things! I love the idea of students helping each other out before they come to the teacher for help.

I made a connection from this concept to my own time in running start, here at college. In geology, we all had partners! And, the same partner the whole quarter which meant we got pretty comfortable with each other. Because we would discuss the content with each other, we would both end up having way less questions for the teacher!

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“Keeping students with the same partner for a period of time helps them develop a working relationship annd trust.” I really liked this quote from the article, Routines and Structures of Writing Workshop. I think it is a great idea to keep students with the same partners instead of randomly pairing students together for every activity. Keeping the same partners everytime allows students to get to know each other and build that relationship. This way sharing will not seem like a burden or have students nervous and dreading the writing portion of the day.

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'Predictability and consistency make it possible for students to stop worrying about what might happen next, so they can concentrate on more important things–like what to write about today and how to bring their stories to life. Consistency also allows students to operate independently in writing workshop, rather than waiting for the teacher to oversee every step." I really like this quote from the Routine and Structures of Writing Workshop article. It emphasizes the importance of both routine and consistency in the classroom and how it can help the students. This being said I think that kids should have consistent partners and not have them re-picked all the time. This will allow students to feel safe and more willing to share. It would allow them to be more independent and build their confidence.

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At about minute twenty-one during the podcast, they begin discussing the importance of uninterrupted time while writing and support from administration for instructional blocks. They shared the analogy of having students begin their writing assignment, then leave for fifteen minutes to run around at recess, and then come back and resume their writing. Oftentimes, students are going to return disengaged or having completely forgotten the rhythm of their writing. I work at an elementary school, and we had to re-do our master schedule three months into the school year because the instruction blocks in the master schedule did not work for most of the students and teachers. At a lower level (ie, paras, support staff, sometimes teachers), we often discussed how the schedule did not meet the needs of our students and teachers. We had kindergarteners going to specialist in the morning and trying to learn how to write in the afternoons. It was not until we were able to get admin support that the schedule was collaboratively changed to better fit the needs of our school. We prioritized uninterrupted blocks for instruction and plugged in support staff in their stronger subject areas. If it wasn't for the constant nagging at our principal to alter the schedule, the needs of our school would still be unmet. This is a great reminder to advocate for student learning in all forms. I thought of this similar to a conversation. I'm the type of person who, if I start a story or conversation and get interrupted, I completely lose what I was saying. This is reflected in teaching. If we start reading a passage before music and then try and finish it after, I can guarantee that not many will recall what was read before music. It's the same reason why we try to urge students to use the restroom before or after an activity. If they leave during the instructional block, their learning tends to get lost in the bathroom with them. With that being said, having a proper amount of allocated time for each subject is paramount to the success of students in the class. That will be where I start as a new teacher, ensuring that students have an adequate amount of uninterrupted time to learn, practice their learning, and reflect.

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In the article it talks about  creating predictable routines within the Writer's Workshop. The article also highlighted how establishing clear structures frees students from worrying about what to do next and allows them to focus on the actual writing process. One quote that stood out to me from the article is when it said, “Consistency is key. Think about how nervous you feel sometimes about sharing your writing–especially if it is somebody you don’t know very well. Keeping students with the same partner for a period of time helps them develop a working relationship and some trust so that they can think less about “who is this person” and more about “how can I improve my writing.” I plan to implement partnerships during writing workshops in my classroom.

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Article - Benefits of Student Created Graphic Novels

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Article - Benefits of Student Created Graphic Novels

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Sponsored by Learners Edge

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There is no shortage of ways we all can benefit from teaching graphic novels. They engage reluctant or struggling readers, they are gateway texts for more complex literature, they build necessary background knowledge, and they develop visual literacy skills.

But another important reason to teach students to read, analyze, and create a graphic novel is that the form invites them to express hard truths about themselves and their experiences in a way that is different from what they can do with pure prose.

And perhaps a more surprising reason is for the impact it can have on a teacher's relationship with students. Teaching the graphic novel to my high school English students wasa way for me to see that there was pain in my classroom and the role I might be playing in students' difficult experiences.

How the Graphic Novel Form Inspires Deeply Personal Storytelling

I taught my first unit on the graphic novel in my high school World Literature classes. We read Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis, in which a young Marji describes her experience growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. For their culminating project, students created their own graphic memoirs about a significant experience in their lives, using Persepolis as their mentor text.

As I turned page after page of each student's story, I discovered that this unit had accomplished a goal I never intended. I didn't expect so many students to delve into deeply personal, often traumatic, experiences from their past. I had read engaging personal narratives from students before, but this was different. Some used the project to announce an aspect of their identity they had kept secret. Others revealed the reasons behind certain challenging behaviors they exhibited in class. They created stories that would be healing for them and, in some cases, for their relationships with me.

What is it about the graphic novel form that made this possible?

Cartoons Invite Empathy

Anyone who has opened a comic or graphic novel before would immediately recognize that cartoon drawings are a defining feature of the medium. While a photograph or portrait tends towards realistic depiction, a cartoon leans more toward an abstract, iconic representation of a person, object, place, or idea. (Think of how a circle with two dots and a curve for a smile represents a happy person.)

In Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud explains that when drawings of characters in graphic novels are less realistic and more iconic, readers can more easily put themselves in the situations of the characters. The cartoon image "is a vacuum into which our [the reader's] identity and awareness are pulled" (36). A detailed drawing of a face with specific features would be harder for readers to identify with than a simplistic cartoon face. According to McCloud, if we are less focused on the specific details of the character's drawing, then we are freer to enter the world of the character and participate in their experiences.

Graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier even explains that the creative team at Graphix "had the good intuition to use something more iconic" (20) for the cover image of her memoir Smile. Instead of using a full-body drawing of the main character, they opted for something even more simplistically drawn: an emoji with braces. One can imagine that a more specific cover image of the book's protagonist might not have instantly connected with as many book browsers as the abstracted emoji did.

So, if iconic images help readers empathize with characters' experiences, then a graphic novelist who has traumatic events or complicated emotions to narrate can do so knowing that an empathetic readership awaits.

Cartoons Allow for Distance

And while the iconic images unique to comics and graphic novels allow readers to connect with characters (and, by proxy, the writers), the abstraction also allows the writer some distance from their emotional story. With very realistic drawings, or with prose narrative alone, sharing the experience might feel too revealing. The writer is less vulnerable, however, if their experience is portrayed with some abstraction. This didn't happen to me specifically. This happens to lots of people. This is a universal experience.

It makes sense to me, then, that a student of mine would use the most abstracted icons-stick figures-to share something especially private with our class in his own graphic novel, Spoken of One.

This student-I'll call him Louis-was selectively mute all through high school. Sitting in the back row, completing all assigned written work but never raising his hand or contributing to partner interactions, Louis frustrated me. I had 36 students in my class, and I didn't have the expertise to find ways to draw him out. It was easier to assign his partner to someone else, to simply not expect that Louis would participate since apparently he never had before.

For the graphic novel project, Louis chose to communicate that he was making an effort to speak, but encountered debilitating obstacles like stigmatizing labels from peers and teachers.

With the anonymity offered by iconic representation, Louis perhaps felt safer in telling his story than he might have if he were asked to write a personal narrative. There is a comforting distance between his own identity and that of the universally drawn protagonist in his story. Maybe knowing that the reader could see the story more universally made it possible for him to share something so private.

Readers are Reflected in the Story

Louis knew that I would be reading these panels, but he also knew his classmates would read them during peer feedback. Perhaps the ease with which readers can identify with universal abstract icons might mean that his classmates and teacher would reflect on their own complicit actions in labeling him with declarations like "He doesn't talk." The simplicity of the nameless, faceless, abstract peers and teachers in this student's panels invite my students and me to see ourselves.

When we move away from realistic representations and towards abstraction, McCloud explains, "we're not so much eliminating details as we are focusing on specific details " (30). Louis draws teachers with such abstraction that the only distinguishing features are a simple square (representing a briefcase?), their position within a given panel (at a distance from students), and an absence of any facial markings (dots or lines for eyes, nose, mouth). Without being explicitly told what to see, readers can imagine their own rich details.

As a teacher, I could vividly see my own impatience with certain behaviors and the emotional weight that impatience had on my students. I thought my sighs were inaudible, my nonverbals (standing at a distance, unsympathetic facial expressions) unnoticeable. Maybe Louis wasn't addressing me specifically in his panels, but that's irrelevant. The iconic representation of people and events works like the "vacuum" McCloud describes, inviting me to reflect on my own complicity in Louis' experience.

In another panel, the hallways of the school are stripped to the bare essentials: a white vacant floor on which to sulk. The specificity is so absent that a reader could "fill up" this iconic form with almost any other setting. The actual place, person, object, or idea being represented matters little.

Readers Must Help Tell the Story

Compelling texts are often ripe with ambiguity. Graphic novels, by their very design, contain "gaps" that readers must fill as they connect one panel to the next. By making connections and drawing conclusions in the gutters-the empty spaces between panels-the reader can help tell a story the writer can't tell alone.

McCloud describes this reader participation as "committing closure," and some transitions ask more of the reader than others. Many comics rely heavily on simple moment-to-moment and action-to-action transitions that require less participation (picture a person lifting a cup in one panel and drinking from it in the next). Others make powerful use of aspect-to-aspect and subject-to-subject transitions. These require readers to connect different experiences, time periods, and perspectives from one panel to the next. (Imagine a person lifting a cup in one panel and the next panel shows a different scene five years later).

In their own graphic novels, students generally struggle to create transitions that leave space for the reader to participate, but I think Louis found the gutter a helpful tool to tell his story without having to say too much.

What happens after the teacher prompts Louis to speak? How long does he pause before the next panel shows him defeated on the ground? How did his peers react? When I look at these two panels, I fill out the story: I hear his peers snickering, I see them rolling their eyes, my hands get sweaty thinking of how long the silence must have felt for this student compared to how brief it probably was to everyone else in the room.

It's not that graphic novelists are off the hook from having to explain and narrate difficult moments. It's that they are able to be selective with what they do show so that more readers can participate in ways that are personally relevant. And, I think that first learning about how gutters and transitions work in Persepolis, especially at certain difficult points in Marji's story, encouraged students to include their own hard-to-describe experiences in their work. I don't have to find words for every moment. I don't have to show kids rolling their eyes. That can be for the reader to imagine in the gutter.

No Story is Too Complex

Thecombination of words and pictures helps writers communicate hard stuff-no story is too complex to tell with this medium. Comics have a long history of teaching complex subject matter. There are graphic novels that discuss scientific phenomena, race, gender, cancer, and mental health. Satrapi catches us up on thousands of years of Persian history through carefully composed panels. Some of my students were able to portray subtle racial and gender-based microaggressions they experienced without even needing to know the term "microaggression." Others described complex learning disabilities and mental health issues without using a clinical vocabulary.

And because of the ability to "control time" (as comics expert Will Eisner puts it), the stories we tell in graphic novels are open to a wider readership. Young or inexperienced readers can make meaning from panels without necessarily drawing sophisticated conclusions from the gutters. As Gene Luen Yang explains (via McCloud), "Time within a comic book progresses only as quickly as the reader moves her eyes across the page. The pace at which information is transmitted is completely determined by the reader ... this 'visual permanence' firmly places control over the pace of education in the hands (and eyes) of the student."

Since readers of all ages and backgrounds can participate in reading graphic novels, my student writers could share sensitive stories with a variety of people in their lives, not just their teacher.

How I Taught This

To initially learn about the form of graphic novels, I read McCloud's Understanding Comics, which provides a thorough explanation of the variety of elements and devices at work in a comic or graphic novel. Over the years, I also studied Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative.

To choose a mentor text for my 11th grade World Literature classes, I considered what would be grade-level appropriate and rich enough in terms of the devices I had learned about. What will connect with students' experiences but also expose them to new ideas or challenge their understanding about certain concepts? Satrapi's Persepolis jumped out as the perfect option: teenage Marji narrates her experiences navigating religious, political, and social conflicts during a tumultuous time in Iran's history. When choosing your own text, you might also consider connections to social studies or science content students have learned. Or you might choose an adaptation of a text you've already read or to connect to a theme or genre you are teaching.

The Launch

Determine Prior Knowledge
I distribute a page from a graphic novel, not necessarily from the one I will teach, and ask, What is happening? How do you know? Students' written responses show me how familiar they are with noticing the subtle devices at work to communicate meaning in a visual text. With this information, I can partner students more effectively during upcoming lessons and keep their starting point in mind as I consider the unit instruction, tasks, and outcomes. Students also see for themselves how well or ill-equipped they are to do this type of reading, which for some students makes them curious to learn how.

What do students want to know?
After attempting a close read of a graphic novel page, many students discover they either don't have a lot to say or they know more than they thought. Then, they complete a KWL chart (Know-Want to Know-Learned) about graphic novels and Persepolis. My students have wondered, "How do you choose what to put in each box," "Does the order you read matter," and "Why is it called 'Persepolis,'" The most exciting part of the chart is, of course, the "Learned" column that students complete at the end of the unit.

Personal Goals
At the beginning of the unit, students indicate "Where I started" and "Where I want to be." I provide options of end objectives that students choose from. This tool is revisited at the end of the unit and students complete the "Where I am" and "Where I want to go next" columns as part of the assessment process (scroll down to "Assessing the Results" for an image of the chart). Because students articulate their own learning goals, ones that make sense given their starting point and the relevance of the topic to their lives, they are more invested in reaching those goals. And they often exceed them.

Reading The Mentor Text

We read the novel mostly in class, with students working together to reread for deeper meaning. Before we discuss what we've read in class, students spend five minutes independently free-writing everything they notice from one page of Persepolis. I ask: What happened? How do you know? What have you learned about characters? With less time, students simply record one question they have about the assigned reading. In partners or small groups, they share their observations and questions and develop some consensus around how the page is working. Then they report their conclusions to the whole class.

In whole class discussion, I introduce the terms and devices only after students have had the opportunity to express them in their own language. When they report that they know Marji feels weak because she's drawn smaller than usual and she's in a really small box, they learn to incorporate terms like "scale" and "frame." When they notice a page has no panels, and the drawing fills up the entire page, they learn the term "splash." When they notice one panel's scene does not seem to connect to the one before and after, they learn to describe a variety of panel transitions with phrases like "action-to-action" and "subject-to-subject."

For an example of how to model close reading of a graphic novel, watch me discuss page 6 of Persepolis with another reader in the video below. Reference this handout if you'd like to use the video as a teaching tool in your classroom.

Students are routinely asked to choose a panel to closely read and analyze in writing. I collect these as formative assessments that tell me if a device or specific page from the text needs review and if students are reading beyond the surface. Sometimes I provide a specific prompt, like "What do you think the author is communicating with the different uses of black and white in chapter 10?" or "Describe the significance of varying shapes and sizes of panels in chapter 1." Other times, I solicit prompts from students or invite them to write about any discoveries they have made about the story and characters, supporting their observations with references to the techniques involved. For models of written close readings, I use previous students' work, book reviews of graphic novels, and excerpts from Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art.

Two examples of students' written responses to close reading.

When student observations show me that a particular panel or page is challenging to understand, I post a copy of the pages on chart papers. Groups circulate and add their theories, questions, predictions, and interpretations. Meaning becomes evident through multiple reads of the page and collaborative discussion.

I use frequent but brief exercises that get students thinking about how the devices work in a graphic novel. For example, "If you had to show the emotion of fear with only lines, how would you draw them?" Or I might provide students with a sequence of panels with pictures but no captions and ask them to write the captions. Another day, I give them panels with only text and ask them to add the pictures. The key is to give the same panels to multiple students so they see the variety of ways they each interpreted specific text or visuals.

One student chose this specific panel's techniques to try in his own panel. He connected Marji's experience to his experience attending a new high school. The towering building, drawn with the same repetition as Satrapi's trees, dwarfs my student, who changed schools also for access to a better education and preparation for some unknown future.

These "micro-writing" assignments help students learn the devices, but they also serve as early drafts of their final graphic novel projects and begin to convince even the most reluctant students that what we are learning is valuable.

The Culminating Project

In the past, we have agreed that their stories would provoke thinking-more specifically, they would challenge assumptions, initiate a conversation, connect deeply with readers, and nudge them to act. To accomplish such worthy goals, they would need to skillfully use at least three devices, their words (captions and speech bubbles) would work interdependently with their pictures to communicate more than what either could accomplish alone, and some panel-to-panel transitions would move beyond moment-to-moment or action-to-action.

Drafting
To decide on a topic, students reference their "micro-writing" assignments, create brainstorming lists of potential experiences, and free-write about each one. Students examine their most promising free-write and tease out a rising action, a climax, and resolution.

Then, students create a visual outline of each page, mapping out their ideas in a panel layout, describing what they plan to illustrate and why. They consider how they will distinguish their characters. They identify the emotions and moods they want to communicate for specific scenes and note devices that could help accomplish this.

I model this process at the start of class by attempting my own project, one panel at a time, in front of the class, thinking aloud and soliciting their help. A bonus is that my clear lack of artistic skills shows students that beautiful artwork is not necessary for this project. While sketching, I narrate, "I want to show this character feels bold and confident. I think I will remove the frame altogether (create a "splash"), or I could keep the frame and draw the character so large she goes beyond the border (a "bleed")." At this point I ask for students' input-which technique would be more effective and why.

Workshops
During the drafting process, students sign up to attend mini lessons, facilitated either by me or a peer, on topics like "creating captions and speech bubbles," and "showing emotions with facial features and gestures." I schedule two 20-minute mini lessons per workshop day. When students aren't in the mini-lesson, they work on their panels independently, with support resources I provide (from Eisner, McCloud, and Barbara Slate). Topics for new mini-lessons are created in response to the challenges and needs students pose.

I don't want to force students to share their personal stories with their classmates for peer review, so I ask them to choose at least one completed panel to share for feedback. Sometimes, I collect one panel from each student and anonymously re-distribute them to the class for feedback. As reviewers, students ask themselves, "What is happening? How do I know? What assumptions am I being asked to challenge? How I am I connecting with this story?" Their comments help the creator understand how readers are responding to their narrative and design choices.

Sometimes, students volunteer to share their pages with the whole class for feedback. I project the pages and we perform a close read like we have done so many times with the pages of Persepolis. Students who do not seize this opportunity to get such thorough feedback on their work still benefit from providing and listening to the feedback given for a peer's work.

Assessing the Results

In the past, when I had scored these projects with As, I felt like I was sending a message that the learning was done. That their few-page attempts could just not be any better. But the goal is not that a student becomes a master at incorporating graphic elements into their own memoir after a few weeks of practice. The goal is that they have discovered a new form to explore with rigor beyond our classroom and have some creative independence with a new set of tools to tell all kinds of stories.

Instead of a four-point rubric that shows tiers of success leading up to the end goal of an A, 100, or "meets standards," I decided to create a single-point rubric and define an "A" by listing what we agreed the project had to contain in order to demonstrate the student was ready to continue on their learning trajectory A utonomously. That means they would be prepared to independently and critically read graphic novels of different genres. They could start experimenting with devices, and maybe create their own, to communicate a range of experiences. They could research the work of other comics and comics movements, and learn the history of the form. They could connect with the larger world of graphic novelists by joining the conversation online.

The success criteria we established as a class allows students to focus primarily on their ability to use the graphic elements they studied to portray a significant event in their lives (not writing conventions or artistry). We do discuss how grammatical errors can really confuse the reader and how a hastily sketched image can ruin the effect of the device. The grammar and drawing expectations are in service of the larger goal and don't need to be assessed with their own categories on the rubric. The focused criteria also help me avoid pitfalls of the past while providing feedback on students' graphic novels, such as correcting grammar errors that didn't actually impede understanding and praising artwork that didn't actually develop the story.

Finally, students complete the "Learned" column of their KWL charts, proudly listing the discoveries they made about how to tell stories in a different way. They also reference their rubric feedback to respond to the last two columns on their Personal Goals form: "Where I am" and "Where I want to go next." If students are not yet ready to pursue this work autonomously, what additional practice is needed? What resources can help? If they are ready for continued independent learning and practice, what books, websites, and writers can they explore? Students also have the option to continue working and resubmit their project for additional feedback later in the year.

Compared to my first attempt at assessment, this revised model communicated to students that the learning didn't stop for anyone, even those with an A.

Why Teach Students How to Create a Graphic Novel?

After my first foray into teaching the graphic novel, I discovered that the benefits went beyond teaching literacy skills. Though the initial objective was for students to hone their close reading skills, it turned out that I also learned to read my students more closely, especially the ones I perceived as disengaged learners.

Without access to students' stories, educators are likely to interpret certain behaviors as challenging. As Sarah MacLaughlin describes in an article about trauma-informed teaching, behaviors that have developed in response to a difficult home environment or experience can be interpreted as defiance in a class setting: "Trauma can manifest in so many behaviors! Hypervigilance can masquerade as hyperactivity... Fear can look like aggression: flight, freeze, or fight," or in Louis' case, selective mutism.

While reading my first class set of student-created graphic novels, I started to reconsider everything from my assessment practices to my nonverbal signals. I didn't change into an enlightened, empathetic teacher overnight, but I started to approach interactions with students with the understanding that there were stories inside them that I wanted to hear, that I could make instructional decisions that would decrease cortisol and build relationships.

I know that without this project I would have continued to overlook Louis' mutism. How would I have had such intimate access to a mute student's perspective without his graphic novel? Louis put it so simply but elegantly on the first page, despite the grammatical error: "Why am I talking now? Well, your [sic] in my head and your just reading my mind."

Teaching students to create graphic novels gives you the power to read their minds, which can change everything about the way you teach. More importantly, it gives them the power of voice-a superpower that can change their worlds. ♦️

Read the Book!!

Since writing this post, Shveta Miller has written a full-length book on this topic: Hacking Graphic Novels: 8 Ways to Teach Higher-Level Thinking with Comics and Visual Storytelling. If you're ready to really dig into this process, the book will tell you everything you need to know!

Come back for more.
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The Surprising Benefits of Student-Created Graphic Novels

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Sponsored by Learners Edge This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. There is no shortage of ways we all can benefit from teaching graphic novels.

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Article- Tapping Into the Power of Mentor Texts

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Article- Tapping Into the Power of Mentor Texts

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Tapping Into the Power of Some New Mentor Texts

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Mentor texts are important co-teachers in the writing workshop! Here’s an in-depth look at the mentor texts I talked about in a recent podcast. After you finish reading, be sure to leave a co…

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Video - A Room of Writers (Writer's Workshop example with Mentor Text)

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Video - A Room of Writers (Writer's Workshop example with Mentor Text)

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How do you use mentor texts to teach writing well?

First, know what you can teach with mentor texts.
Mentor texts are great tools for teaching two kinds of lessons:

1. Craft lessons, which teach students how to write compelling drafts. These lessons include how to write leads and endings, write with detail, create voice, and much more.
2. Convention lessons, which include how to punctuate sentences, paragraph, and use grammar.

Second, understand why mentor texts help children learn craft techniques and conventions they might not easily grasp otherwise.

Experienced writers are in the habit of noticing what other writers do, a special kind of reading we call reading like a writer (Smith, 1983; Ray, 1999). When they compose, they envision how their writing could go by drawing upon all they've learned from this reading. When students are learning how to write, studying mentor texts likewise helps them envision how they can use new craft techniques and conventions, and make these moves part of their writing repertoires.

Third, learn to draw on mentor texts to talk descriptively about craft techniques and conventions.

Traditionally, teachers have talked about writing prescriptively. That is, they've told students how to write in ways that are too general to be of use, by saying, for example, "Be sure to draw in your reader with a good lead," or "Be sure to use commas correctly."

When you use mentor texts in your teaching, you have at your fingertips concrete examples of craft techniques and conventions to refer to during your mini-lessons, small group lessons and writing conferences in order to describe precisely the writing moves you want students to try. And you can show them exactly what you mean!

Let's say you want to teach students to define words in their nonfiction writing that may be unfamiliar to readers. Instead of just telling them to do so, show them an example from a mentor text that demonstrates exactly how an author defines terms. For example, let's say you show them this excerpt from a feature article about Kenyan animals that I wrote:

Hyenas are carnivorous. That means they are meat eaters.

During the lesson, as you show students this example, you can say something like this:

Notice that Carl used a word in the first sentence - carnivorous -that he thought readers might not know. So, he then defined the word.

The technique Carl used to do this was to start a brand-new sentence with the phrase "That means," and then write the definition.

Notice in this video of a small-group lesson that I did with fourth graders how I used the feature article Surprising Saturn by Liz Hyuck to teach students to define words in their own feature articles - and showed them how Hyuck does it. I described the writing technique mentioned above, as well as two other techniques. As you watch the first few minutes of the lesson, notice how I use the mentor text to teach the students descriptively - and invite them to describe some of the techniques, as well.

To teach with mentor texts, you need to feel comfortable describing what writers do when they use craft moves or conventions, and this may seem daunting at first. That's not surprising, since you probably didn't get much experience with reading like a writer in school yourself! You also may feel unsure when you teach a new craft technique for the first time, even if you're confident describing craft techniques and conventions you've taught before.

To describe a craft move or convention precisely, try these strategies:

1. Reread the excerpt of the text that contains it, and ask yourself, "What exactly do I see the writer doing here?"

2. Then try to describe what you see as best you can.

3. You may need to reread the text several times as you think about how to describe what the writer is doing.

As you teach the craft move or convention again and again, you'll find you get better and better at describing it! You'll also get better by discussing mentor texts with colleagues, and hearing how they talk about them.

And fourth, the final step to teaching well with mentor texts is to know the "moves" that writing teachers make when they use mentor texts in mini-lessons, small group lessons, or writing conferences. When you teach with mentor texts:

Name the craft technique or convention you're teaching

Explain its importance

Show the craft technique or convention in a mentor text, naming the author

Read aloud the passage in which the author uses that technique

Describe how the author uses the technique or convention

Explain a strategy for using the technique or convention

Notice in the video of a mini-lesson I did with primary students how I used the mentor text Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall to teach them to weave together character actions, thoughts and dialogue as they write a narrative scene - and showed them how Cornwall does it. As you watch the lesson, you'll see that each of the teaching moves are annotated for you:

As you integrate these teaching moves into your classroom practice, they may feel clunky at first. Over time, the moves will feel more natural, and teaching with mentor texts will become a powerful and effective way to strengthen your students' writing.

Works Cited
Cornwall, Gaia. 2017. Jabari Jumps. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Huyck, Liz. 2019. "Surprising Saturn." Ask 18(8): pp. 6-11.
Ray, Katie Wood. 1999. Wondrous Words. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Smith, Frank. 1983. "Reading Like a Writer." Language Arts 26 (5): 558-67.

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Four Steps to Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing

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When you use mentor texts in your teaching, you have at your fingertips concrete examples of craft techniques and conventions to refer to during your mini-lessons, small group lessons and writing conferences.

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Penny Kittle shares a lesson plan that uses very short mentor texts to foster students' love of writing and confidence in their work.

Jens Magnusson / Ikon Images

In many classrooms, students labor over writing. They groan when we give assignments. They procrastinate. They lack confidence. Where's the joy? We know it matters. Joy suspends time. When students have it, they will work past the bell.
What is this author doing to make this book so good? I can't stop reading it! How can I replicate those craft moves to give my writing this kind of life and power? Does the author do this in all his books?
We teachers have the power to ignite joy as a regular practice through the study of authors' craft moves. Students will discover the potential of intentionally arranging sentences (in a list, perhaps), or in shaping an image (to show a creepy setting or define a character), or in creating authentic dialogue. Studying passages from great books not only hones writing skills but also generates curiosity.

The answer to these questions lies in the frequent study and imitation of micro mentor texts.

A micro mentor text is a few sentences, a paragraph, or a scene. It is short enough to analyze with students in a mini-lesson but packed with writer's craft that we can teach students how to identify and imitate. The power of this practice lies in its simplicity and its infinite variations. It's a simple idea that I've used with great success in my teaching and literacy coaching, grade two to college, for decades. My students, however, do most of the work, collecting passages to study during independent reading and book clubs. When we unite our students' reading with the study of the writer's craft, we save time and inspire wise young writers.

There is never enough time in teaching, but one important and lasting understanding is that books hold lessons for writers. Let's help our students learn how to discover them.

A few tools and techniques can change your entire approach to teaching writing. I'll share a sample micro mentor text lesson.

BEGIN: Excite your students about the selected text
Three different kids. One mission in common: ESCAPE. Three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers-from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But for each of them, there is always hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprising connections will tie their stories together in the end.
I begin with a book talk, holding up Refugee, by Alan Gratz. I summarize the story in a few sentences from the author's website:

"This book," I tell students, "has won so many awards, I can't list them all. It not only was voted Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2018, but also became a New York Times best seller." I end this book talk, as I do all book talks, with these words: "If this sounds like a book you might want to read next, add it to your list at the back of your writer's notebook."

We must support the ongoing reading lives of all our students. Daily book talks remind students of all the great books available to them.

NOTICE: Passage study engages students through peer discussion
It was like they were invisible. Josef and his sister followed their mother through the crowd at the Lehrter Bahnhof, Berlin's main railway station. Josef and Ruth each carried a suitcase, and their mother carried two more-one for herself, and one for Josef's father. No porters rushed to help them with their bags. No station agents stopped to ask if they needed help finding their train. The bright yellow Star of David armbands the Landaus wore were like magical talismans that made them disappear. Yet no one bumped into them, Joseph noticed. All the station attendants and other passengers gave them a wide berth, flowing around them like water around a stone. The people chose not to see them.
In the following short passage from Refugee, Gratz establishes the setting with artful intention. I encourage students to talk with a partner, not only about what is happening here, but also about what Gratz is doing to create this moment, sentence by sentence.

The claim "like they were invisible" is supported by details of what that means.

The repetition of "no porters, no station agents" to show what was not happening but should have been happening.

The use of a simile ("like magical talismans... like water around a stone") to help the reader imagine what the crowd is seeing and how it is moving.

I wander the room and take notes on what students notice. Below are a few observations that I heard when conducting this passage study:

When we come back together as a class, I share students' observations and add them to an anchor chart (an ongoing, cumulative list) of craft moves we notice. Each book, we soon learn, is a treasure chest of craft moves.

IMITATE: Teacher modeling helps students visualize the use of craft moves in writing
The cement wall was cold against my head and neck and my legs crossed, uncrossed, stretched, and bunched up. I pulled my long blond hair back into a ponytail. I waited. I hated this part. More than the cold lima beans on my plate at dinner or scraping wax off of our hardwood floors at home, I hated this choosing teams thing. Just once, I wanted to be captain.
We pull out our writing notebooks, and I model how I might imitate Gratz's craft moves based on my own topic. My goal is to encourage students to use their observations as they write. I say, "I imagine myself at morning basketball practice in the gym of my middle school. There was only one team at the school, so my best friend and I tried out for the boys' team. I want to describe that setting for readers." I write a few sentences (either on the board or under a document camera, depending on what tools are available) and explain that I'm focusing on details that describe, inspired by Gratz's writing.

THEIR TURN: Drafting and sharing their own written work boosts students' confidence

I ask students to choose their own topics and try imitating Gratz as I continue writing. They do. Pencils fly. Some students go back to the passage to look at it more closely, and then continue writing. Other students read what I'm writing before continuing.
No girls were chosen to be captains in the morning scrimmage. No coach stepped up to make it fair.
I imitate a sentence pattern from the passage. I return to the passage and highlight the "no" sentences, and then I write my own sentences:

Students work in pairs, sharing their creations for a minute or two as I listen in. Sometimes we share our writing as a class. Student confidence blossoms. After all, they are standing next to the craft of expert authors, so they write with confidence. When students share, they discover the many ways that craft moves can be made across experiences and experiments from all the writers in the room. All things seem possible.

PRACTICE: Students learn How to read like writers independently

When students enter independent reading, I see 25 heads bent over 25 books. No matter the novel or nonfiction book each student has chosen, intentional craft moves are at work in it. We read like writers. As I confer with students, I hear what they've noticed.

In book clubs, students share passages they've collected to spur discussion. But they share more than passages. They share the joy of discovery. One student says to another, "Where did you find that?" and suddenly they begin to study the passage together.

This is teacher joy-when we watch students learning from each other. We need more of it. As Decoteau J. Irby says in The Blog of Harvard Education Publishing, "Joy at school and in learning is a foundation from which students gain the confidence that academic struggle is temporary and worthwhile." Let's bring joy back to the teaching of writing. It's there-right there-in the books we love.

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Teaching the Writer's Craft With Micro Mentor Texts

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Penny Kittle shares a lesson plan that uses very short mentor texts to foster students' love of writing and confidence in their work.

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The Best Mentor Text Books for Teaching Writing & Writer's Workshop

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Here is a list of my favorite books to use as mentor texts for teaching writing and writer's workshop for elementary school.

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Article/Podcast - Middle School Mentor Texts

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Article/Podcast - Middle School Mentor Texts

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Every writing unit should start with mentor texts. Students need many examples of the type of writing we expect them to do. In this article, I've compiled my favorite middle school mentor texts. Each mentor text includes grade levels, a summary of the text and skills you could teach.

Note: This article doesn't cover how to teach using mentor texts. Read how to use mentor texts here.

Help make this article a more powerful resource for teachers by sharing your favorite mentor texts in the comments at the end.

Personal narratives are short stories about one important event in a person's life. When I teach personal narrative, students often complain that their lives are boring, that nothing substantial or worth writing about has ever happened to them. I remind these students that narrative is just another word for story and give them permission to embellish and make parts up. Students breathe a sigh of relief when I tell them this. Mentor texts can also help students get ideas.

It's Rachel's eleventh birthday but she doesn't feel eleven. On this day she feels more like one. Her insensitive teacher wants to find the owner of a red sweater that's been sitting in the coatroom for a very, very long time. No one in Rachel's class wants to claim it. When Rachel is accused she doesn't speak up for herself. The following writing skills are beautifully done in this short story:

James finds a sick kitten in the woods and tells the kitten everything will be okay. He takes it home hoping his his family will help. His mother says, "we'll see...". His brother Paul, who works for Dr. Milk, comes home and knows what to do. They drive the sickly kitten over to the vet's office and the scenes that follow are heart wrenching. This story flows back and forth between the events of this day and memories involving James's family. These components of narrative writing stand out most in the story:

Will is in sixth grade and invited to Maggie's party. He and Maggie have been exchanging notes in class. She confessed she liked him better than two other boys. Will gets ready for the party and has high hopes for the night. He and Maggie slow dance and afterward Will gets pressure from his friends to french kiss Maggie. When I read this story out loud to my students they are anything but disengaged. This story is related in so many ways. The following writing skills could easily be taught using this mentor text:

My husband and I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah for five years and bought season ski passes every year we were there. We spent most weekends in the Wasatch mountains skiing the greatest snow on Earth. As fantastic as this sounds, things went very wrong one day. Erik, my husband wanted to ski out of bounds. We'd done so before and nothing had gone wrong but every time we did it I struggled with a decision, follow my husband out of bounds or stick to the groomers. On this day, I chose to follow and things went seriously wrong. The following writing skills could be taught using this short story:

What's the difference between memoir and personal narrative? Memoirs are usually centered on a time period in a person's life, or a theme, whereas personal narratives are about one important event. The memoirs below are powerful stories about facing both small issues and huge. Your students will find connections and ideas from reading these:

Amy Tan is in love at the age of 14 with a boy named Robert. He doesn't know it. To her horror, his family is invited over to dinner for Thanksgiving. Amy is mortified by her family and their traditional Chinese ways. This story is so short but is packed with wonderful writing lessons about the following topics:

Gary needs a new coat. He describes a super cool biker jacket to his mom and is excited by the potential this new piece of clothing could have on his identity. The next day he finds a guacamole colored, too large coat hanging from is bedpost. His mom says it's for him. He wears the ugly thing for years and describes in sad detail the negative impact it had on his life and his eventual acceptance of the thing and his situation.

Alexie describes his love of reading from the age of three to adulthood. He knows this love of reading saved him from the poverty and struggles of life on an Indian Reservation. But he doesn't just want to save his own life, he wants to save others' lives too, through books and writing.

Jing-mei's mom has big plans for her daughter. She wants her daughter to be a prodigy. But as time goes on and Jing-mei fails her mother's expectations over and over, Jing-mei begins to resent her mother and fail on purpose. She and her mother eventually face off and Jing-mei wins. Her mother backs off, but eventually Jing-mei regrets what she did and the things she said to her mother that day.

I believe that most teachers neglect teaching fiction writing because it is a beast! Fiction includes many, many genres and trying to teach how to write all those genres seems daunting. It is daunting! Here's what I suggest...let students choose the genre and teach core writing skills that apply to all of them. Those core skills might be: plot, character development, setting, tone, mood, point of view, description, dialogue, theme, figurative language, transitions, organization and the writing process.

But what about mentor texts? You can do one of two things: use short excerpts from your favorite fictional books or use short stories. Below are some of my favorite fictional short stories. I think most English teachers use these stories to teach reading analysis, but fictional writing skills can be taught with these stories too!

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Margot is from planet Earth and just moved to Venus. Most children in her class have never seen the sun, because on Venus it rains for seven years straight. On the day that the rain is finally supposed to stop the kids in Margot's class make a horrendously cruel decision. The following fictional writing skills are very obvious in this classic sci-fi story:

Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Mrs. Jones is walking through the street at night when suddenly a young boy tries to take her purse. She is a strong women and grabs a hold of the boy and doesn't let go. Instead she brings him to her house, feeds him and talks to him. She learns his name is Roger and soon they begin to develop an understanding. This very short story is packed with writing lessons, here are some of the more obvious ones:

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
Best for 8th Grade (has mature content)

Jack or "Kan-kan", as his mother likes to call him, has a magical, paper lion named Laohu. Jack's mother made it for him. She has an incredible talent for making origami creatures come to life. Jack loves all his "pets", but when another boy comes over with his Star Wars toys, Jack realizes he is different...and even more so...his mother is different. He begins to keep his distance from his mother and wants her to be more American by learning English. Jack stops speaking Chinese with her and as time goes on he discovers the story behind his mother's past. This story is worth a read by you and your students! Here are some writing skills you could teach using it:

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

George and Lydia Hadley just purchased the HappyLife Home. This house does absolutely everything you can think of for them and their two children. It even has a playroom that can turn into the African savannah for their children's entertainment. Lack of discipline and too much reliance on technology leads to a treacherous end. There are so many awesome writing techniques used in this story:

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Appropriate for 8th Grade

Members of a small village gather for many events throughout the year, square dances, teen club, the Halloween fair and other civic activities. And now all the members of this small town, men, women and children gather for the annual lottery. This dark story has many writing techniques that students can emulate in their own fictional stories:

It is fairly easy to find information mentor texts, they are all over the internet in the form of blog posts and news articles. Tween Tribune and Dogo News are my favorite free websites for informational writing mentor texts. They always have articles that interest students. Kelly Gallagher also has a comprehensive list of both information and argumentative articles all formatted to use in your classroom: Articles of the Week. Gallagher uses these articles in his high School English classes, so they are more advanced, however, access to all of these articles in one place can be super helpful for an 8th grade teacher like myself and maybe you too.

Teens and adults say they feel tethered to their phones from Tween Tribune
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Parents are depicted as a bit hypocritical in this article (students will love it). They say they want their children to use their devices less. Yet, parents seem to be on their devices just as much, if not more than their children!

How Online Gaming Platform Roblox is Helping Teenagers Become Millionaires from Dogo News
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Kids can become developers for games like Roblox. The company pays 30% in royalties and this has made some millionaires! Students will love reading about how to make money through what they are most passionate about...video games!

Homework and Tests Stressing You Out? Consider Moving to Sweden from Dogo News
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

A school in Sweden decided to do an experiment...no homework or tests for a whole month. If stress is reduced in these students' lives they may never have to do homework again! Other countries are experimenting with this idea too. Students will love learning about the negative impacts of homework in this article. Here are some of the features of this article students could emulate in their own informational writing:

Giant boom hopes to corral Pacific Ocean's plastic trash from Tween Tribune
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Between Hawaii and California there floats a patch of trash twice the size of Texas! It is disgusting. Boyan Slat, a 23 year old, has taken it upon himself to find a solution. This article talks about his invention and how he is working toward a solution to this very large and concerning problem. Here are some writing skills students can glean from reading this informative article:

Ever wonder why it is so difficult to find mentor texts to teach literary essays? It's because people don't write literary essays in the real world! The only time this type of writing is done is in school. This worries me a bit because I believe students should be writing what people in the real world write. Then, I came across this article called, Thinking About Mentor Texts for Literary Analysis, and was convinced that yes we should definitely still teach literary essays. Not because it is what we've always done in English classes, our reason should be to help students develop their analysis skills so that they can think critically about world events, business, politics, books and even their own lives! The mentor texts below are about a wide range of topics but can still be used to teach literary essay writing skills.

Picture Books Tell Children the Harsh Story of Refugee Picture Books by Monica Edingar
Appropriate for 8th Grade (advanced writing)

Edingar starts off arguing how important it is that we talk about the experiences of migrants and refugees, especially to our children. She then goes on to beautifully summarize and analyze six children's books about people from places ranging from Chile to Greece to Mexico. Students could learn these writing techniques from reading all or part of this article:

YA Thrillers to Give You Chills This Summer by Elisabeth Egan
Appropriate for 8th Grade

Three thriller YA novels are discussed in this well written article. Not only will students learn the writing techniques listed below, they'll also learn about some high interest YA novels too.

10 Benefits of Reading Everyday by Lana Winter-Hebert
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

This article discusses some excellent reasons why we should be reading everyday. Many important points are brought up such as how reading helps you become a better writer and develop analytical skills! The following writing techniques could be taught using this article:

Movie theaters fight streaming by assaulting the senses
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Movie theaters are struggling to compete with the streaming television services Netflix and Amazon Prime. So, they are adding many creative features to keep movie goers coming back. Reclining seats, food service and even augmented reality! There are many things to learn from this article:

Finding age appropriate argumentative writing samples that are at the middle school level is tricky. I rely heavily on newspaper editorials. This is real life argumentative writing at its finest. However, newspapers are often written above our students' reading levels. Because of this fact I read these articles out loud with students first read then I have them reread and annotate. It is more likely students will retain the information and the writing skills you teach when you read it out loud first.

Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away by James Doubek
Appropriate for Grades 7-8 (article is a bit advanced)

Doubek argues that taking notes by hand is actually better than taking notes on a laptop. When you take notes by hand you synthesize information into memorable chunks because you can't write absolutely everything down when a teacher is lecturing. When you take notes using a laptop you tend to type word for word what you hear, skipping the important synthesis and thinking process. Not only is this an important article for students to read, you can also teach the below writing skills using the article too.

The Big Myth About Teenage Anxiety by Richard A. Friedman
Appropriate for 8th Grade (term sex is used)

Friedman is a psychiatrist and argues that screens are not causing a rise in psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. Studies done about the impact on screens to our mental health only show correlations and not causation. He argues that anxiety and stress are a normal part of everyday life and parents need to stop assuming it is psychological trauma. This article has all sorts of argumentative writing techniques students can learn from:

An Open Letter About Female Coaches by Pau Gasol
Best for 8th Grade (some locker room talk)

Pau Gasol is an NBA basketball player who has been coached by Becky Hammon, the first and only female to ever coach in the NBA. Paul writes this letter to question societal norms and assumptions about women in positions that are dominated by men. It is an excellent read. Here are some skills you could teach using this article:

Is it Actually Smart to Sit Still? by Hannah Amell

Hannah Amell is a 15 year old New York Times Learning Network essay finalist. Find out more about the contests here: Learning Network Contests. She wrote her editorial arguing against block schedules. She thinks schools need to start incorporating more movement in their classrooms. Here are some writing techniques she used:

Thanks to TED Talks (and the transcripts that are provided right beneath them), there are tons and tons of examples of speeches available online for our students. I believe this is why so many teachers are shifting from having students give speeches to having their own TED Talks! If you do this have students watch some talks, read the transcripts and then begin planning their own. Here are my favorite TED Talks to show students:

Overcoming Obstacles [ Transcript ] by Stephen Claunch
Appropriate for All Grades

Stephen Claunch was born with many health issues. But these issues have not stopped him from reaching his goals. Stephen explains that obstacles can be overcome with hard work, not excuses. There are multiple heartwarming stories and lessons students need to learn in this talk!

How to Start a Movement [ Transcript] by Derek Sivers
Appropriate for All Grades

This humorous talk analyzes the process of creating a movement. Sivers points out that leaders are important but followers might be more important to making a movement. Here are some speech writing topics you can cover with this talk:

Summary of Lessons to End Speech

Using Humor

Video Analysis in a Speech

8 Secrets to Success [ Transcript] by Richard St. John
Appropriate for Grade 8 (the words damn and assholes are used)

This super concise and funny talk gives students advice for how to be successful in life. Here are some speech writing techniques you can teach with this talk:

How to Tie Your Shoes [ Transcript] by Terry Moore
Appropriate for All Grades

This short talk teaches us that we've been tying our shoes wrong! It is eye-opening in the simplest way. Here are a few speech writing techniques you can teach with this talk:

Connecting with the Audience

Doing a Demonstration During a Speech

Using a Quote to End a Speech

Type your favorite mentor texts in the comments below...
How I Teach Reading and Writing Workshop in 54 Minutes 10 Best YouTube Channels for Writing Teachers

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Mentor Texts for Middle School by Genre+Summaries and Skills to Teach

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Every writing unit should start with mentor texts. Students need many examples of the type of writing we expect them to do. In this article, I've compiled my favorite middle school mentor texts. Each mentor text includes grade levels, a summary of the text and skills you could teach.

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Reading like a writer means look at a text with a sense of possibility by mining possibilities to enhance your own writing. Collecting and studying mentor texts in the genres you wish to write can …

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There were a lot of really good ideas in the both the article and the podcast. An idea that I kept coming back to as I read the article was about writing partnerships. They write, "Think about how nervous you feel sometimes about sharing your writing–especially if it is somebody you don’t know very well. Keeping students with the same partner for a period of time helps them develop a working relationship and some trust" (para. 11). As someone who's had to share their writing before - this trust and familiarity can make the difference between honest, good writing, and milquetoast writing. I understand that in the beginning as the class is getting to know each other it would be helpful to have partners shift around until you as the teacher can decide who the more permanent partnerships consist of. Definitely something I will consider how to implement during writing units!

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Nurturing Independence From the Start Blog Series

In this post, I'll describe how four parts of writing workshop can foster independence: Minilessons, Independent Writing Time, Partner Time, and the Reflection/Closing.

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Tuesday August 6, 2019 - TWO WRITING TEACHERS

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2 posts published by BethMooreSchool and Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski on August 6, 2019

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From the article I made a connection when the author stated “You might also simply pose a question about writing and give students space to have a whole class conversation to brainstorm ideas and strategies.” When I was in elementary one of my teachers would do this frequently and I liked how while the class was sharing they had similar ideas to mine, this made me feel less alone and feel like i'm on the right track with the assignments. I hope to do this myself in my future classroom and hear every student's creative ideas.

The podcast was very interesting but what stood out to me the most was when they mentioned students should have access to a writing center (Shubitz 11:15). I couldn’t agree more with this statement, I will ensure that my future students have access to a writing center. This way they will be able to reinforce their writing skills with the necessary tools available in the writing center.

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One thing that I took away and would like to build on in my future classroom is the community. Listening to the podcast having the teacher explain the importance of community in the classroom can really make a difference in the students' writing. I feel that this is so important for students. Making sure the students feel safe and supported by their peers helps make the writer’s workshop run smoothly. Having students check each other’s work, giving honest feedback and brainstorming ideas is huge for a writer's workshop. You want to feel comfortable with your peers to make sure you feel valued and supported for your writing. Having respect is so important because no kid should feel less or not good enough as a writer. As the teacher you need to build that classroom to have a good community.

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Establishing partnerships can help students work together and ask questions; if the teacher is unavailable at the time they may need help. Building a relationship with other students can help them in their learning. Another takeaway is how we set up the environment for students to thrive, being able to work together, communicate together, and ask for help will set them up. This was a quote from the article, and I think it says a lot in a classroom setting. "Some say consistency & predictability are at the heart of fostering trust & independence."

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I really enjoyed and felt like I related to the article quite a bit. Especially in the beginning, where the author talked about how it is challenging to focus on writing when there is so many other things to think or worry about. I liked how the author explains that students need to know what is going to happen so that they can focus on what they are doing. Predictability. Even as a college student, I am constantly thinking about everything rather than focusing on what I am supposed to be writing. For example, in class on Tuesday, when we were creating our writing idea lists, I spent most of our three minutes thinking about things other than writing ideas. I ended our writing time with only one topic on my list. So, reading that in the article really showed me and allowed for me to relate to the fact that students need to know what is next and they need predictability to be able to get work done.

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My biggest takeaway is that I'm not the only one who has crazy thoughts run through my head when trying to concentrate and write. In the article, it talks about how it is not just six or seven year olds who are challenged to stay on track and focus on writing in the moment. It's basically college aged and older adults who have the same issue and I'm one of them. Whenever I'm told to read a specific page or an article in class and then write it down. My brain at times can go from trying to focus on what I'm gonna write to a play that happened in the 1998 Super Bowl. I liked how she mentions that consistency is a key to help students and others alike to stay on task. It also allows for the students to start to take more responsibility and operate independently. As a future teacher I plan to use a couple of her suggestions and those being consistency, mini-lessons and prioritizing independent writing time.

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My biggest takeaway from the article is that having clear & consistent routines in a writing workshop really help students become more independent. When kids know what to expect each day, they can focus more on their actual writing instead of worrying about what's going to happen next. The author states "Consistency also allows students to operate independently in writing workshop, rather than waiting for the teacher to oversee every step." Consistency is going to allow for smoother and more effective writing workshops!

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MJarman: Podcast and Article Reflection 

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MJarman: Podcast and Article Reflection 

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There were plenty of takeaways from this week's materials. However, I think the one that stuck with me the most was the importance of the student-teacher relationship in the workshop. For example, in the podcast, they were speaking about asking students what they are writing/doing. This provides teachers with an insight into what their students are creating and how their student writes/what they like writing about. It is an inside ticket to that writer's mind and their voice. There was also mention of the importance of community, which stuck out to me. By building a community in the classroom, writers begin to feel important, valued, and heard. Their voices are expressed in one of the most creative ways: writing!

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My main takeaway was that writing workshop isn’t all students doing the same thing at the same time. They shouldn’t all be doing the exact same writing assignment, nor should they be in the same part of the process as everyone else. Different students have different needs, and may spend more or less time on certain areas. For example, some students might take a long time to plan, and some students may take more time on their draft. Students should be supported in their different writing needs.

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“Predictability and consistency make it possible for students to stop worrying about what might happen next, so they can concentrate on more important things–like what to write about today and how to bring their stories to life.” I really love how the article Routines and Structures of Writing Workshop: Nurturing Independence from the Start highlighted this crucial piece of learning. Much like we have discussed in other courses, consistency is vital in the classroom, and significant to all students for a variety of reasons. As we have discussed Maslow before Bloom, students need to feel safe and have their needs met in an environment before they can be fully engaged and accessing their higher levels of cognitive function. Consistency provides safety, and is often in stark contrast to students who come from environments that feel unsafe. Providing consistency not only allows for better learning, but trust, building relationships, and student comfort in the classroom. Consistency is also a valuable tool in working with students with disabilities or learning difficulties, students with autism often benefit from following consistent schedules and routines, and allows for greater self regulation through transitions.

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At the very beginning of the article, the author mentions how important "predictability and consistency" is. I cannnot overstate how true this is; after all, it’s a big part of the workshop model. Students who have focus issues (or just average students who don't have focus issues) will ultimately benefit from having a schedule/routine. This is especially important to students who have Attention Deficit Disorder; so, reading someone else say it has really brought it to the forefront of my mind and solidified the overarching benefits of the workshop model.

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I found the article both relatable and insightful, particularly at the beginning when the author described the difficulty of focusing on writing amid so many competing thoughts and concerns. I appreciated the way the author emphasized the importance of predictability- how students are better able to concentrate when they have a clear understanding of what to expect. As a college student, I often find my mind wandering to everything except the task in front of me. Especially in the season of life I’m in right now, I am constantly trying to navigate a schedule of many commitments and not truly able to hone in on one particular task. Reading the article helped me recognize that this lack of focus often stems from uncertainty, and that having structure and predictability can make a real difference in a student’s ability to stay present and productive.

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Something that stood out to me from the article Do Read Like a Writer? is when it said, “a teacher of writing must be a teacher who writes.”(Shubitz, 2024)This quote suggests the idea of teachers who teach writing, must also actively engage in this craftsmanship. Meaning that students would be more engage and learn from a teacher who actually writes.

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Article about Strategies for Language Development

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Article about Strategies for Language Development

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The Language Learning Pod - WHEN EDUCATORS UNITE, LEARNERS TAKE FLIGHT

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GLAD Strategies for Multilingual Learners

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Project GLAD offers engaging, research-based strategies to boost language development and content learning. Check out practical tips you can apply in your classroom today!

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Podcast: Strive for Five Conversations (strategy for promoting oral language development)

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Podcast: Strive for Five Conversations (strategy for promoting oral language development)

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E56|Strive-for-Five with Drs. Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell

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In this episode, Drs. Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell join Jake to discuss their “Strive-for-Five Conversations” strategy for promoting oral language development through simple, serve an…

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Podcast: The nuts and bolts of building Oral Language in the classroom

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Podcast: The nuts and bolts of building Oral Language in the classroom

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The nuts and bolts of building oral language in the classroom - with Jocelyn Seamer

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Article: Oral Language- the Foundation for Reading and Writing

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Article: Oral Language- the Foundation for Reading and Writing

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What is your reaction to this quote attributed to James Britton (1970)?

Language skills and literacy achievement are highly correlated; research consistently demonstrates that the more children know about spoken language, the better equipped they are to succeed in reading and writing (Burns et al., 1999, Mehta et al., 2005, Pennington et al., 2019). The language children are exposed to at home and in school influences the development of their language comprehension, which in turn influences their fluency, vocabulary development and comprehension of written and media texts.

The development of oral languageskills through instruction combined with frequent exposure to rich oral language opportunities throughout the school day lays the foundation for learning to read and write. Effective literacy instruction must include teaching that fosters oral language development, especially for students who enter kindergarten with weak spoken skills and English language learners (Calderon, 2011).

What do we know about language? Dr. Pamela Snow notes the following (2024):

From birth to age 5, children learn that language consists of sounds (the first thing that babies can produce to communicate), words and word parts, phrases and sentences, and connected talk (discourse) in conversations, stories, and explanations.

Language uses symbols to represent meaning. Those symbols can be spoken words, written words, pictographs, or sign language.

Language is conceptual - it allows us to describe phenomena that are not physically present.

Language is rule governed (e.g., regarding word order, how to form plurals, etc.) and these rules are implicit (learned and expressed in an indirect way) for native speakers of a language.

Oral language is everyday talking (expressive) and listening (receptive/comprehension) skills and the mental representations that sit behind them.

Mental representations that are shared through oral and written language include thoughts, ideas, memories, opinions, beliefs, wishes, needs, and instruction.

How teachers talk with young students is important! As models of academic language for young students, it is essential that teachers speak with precision and in complete sentences that follow the rules of English grammar. Teachers must be conscious of their own language in the classroom, being careful not to over simplify the way they speak by purposely using basic vocabulary and simple sentences. Likewise, teachers should encourage students to use precise and extended language.

Receptive and Expressive Language

Receptive language (listening) is focused on input of oral language that we hear and then process in our brain. Young students who do not have well-developed receptive language may have difficulty with understanding questions, following directions, and understanding what is read aloud or what others say. Expressive language is focused on the output of oral language. Young students who do not have well-developed expressive language may have difficulty developing vocabulary, combining words to make sentences, and expressing their needs and wants. Several instructional suggestions for developing receptive and expressive language that are from the Oral Language module of the Keys to Beginning Reading professional development course are provided below.
Receptive Language: Teaching Listening Skills
Students benefit from explicit instruction, modeling, and role-playing for how to:

make eye contact when listening

be aware of non-verbal cues provided by the speaker

take turns and avoid interrupting

ask questions

An anchor chart in the classroom such as the one below can serve as a reminder to students to focus on whole body listening!
The Listening Ladder (Eisenhart, 2008)
This procedure can be used to highlight what a good listener does. Consider making a classroom poster that looks like the example below. Can you think of some visuals you might add to each step in this list as a scaffold for young children who are not able to read the words?
Expressive Language: Developing Discussion Skills
Many children, especially in the primary grades, face challenges as they learn how to express themselves and communicate with others in the classroom. The teacher plays an important role in helping students learn to share their ideas with partners, in small group discussion, or during whole class instruction. The goal for developing expressive language in these early grades is for students to speak in complete sentences using academic vocabulary, and be able to stay focused on the topic they are discussing. In the upper elementary grades, the goal is for students to use longer, more complex and elaborated sentences, use even more academic vocabulary, and sustain a discussion with multiple back and forth responses.
Using W Questions to Support Discussion
View the examples below of "W" cards that can be used as prompts to help students ask questions during discussions with peers and with adults. Notice that the words , , , , , and are added to help students generate a question. Large cards such as these for a classroom pocket chart can be used to prompt classroom discussions, or teachers can make smaller card sets to give to pairs or small groups of students. See the related blog post Teaching with "W" Questions for additional instructional suggestions.
Elaborated Discussion: Peer Conversation Cards
Students need to learn that a conversation requires a meaningful exchange between two people - both must follow the rules of turn-taking, listening, and responding. An activity using a set of three peer discussion cards can be used to teach and practice peer conversation skills. The cards include the words , Question, and as shown below. If you are working with younger students who are not able to read the words, you can replace the words with visual symbols that represent the words. Activity directions are provided below the graphic.

Print out sets of the 3 discussion cards on card stock. Ask students to work in groups of 3 and give each group a set of cards. For the first round, each student will take one of the cards.

The teacher gives students a topic for the discussion (e.g., a character from a recent read aloud, an interesting picture to react to, a topic such as a favorite movie or game).

The first student begins by holding up the Statementcard and makes a statement related to the topic.

The next student holds up the Question card and poses a question based on the first student's statement. If students need a scaffold, ask them to consider the who, what, where, when, why, how words for ideas about what to say.

The last student holds up the estate card and restates in his or her own words what the first or second students said.

The students switch cards and continue the process. The second- and third-round discussions can be about the original topic, or the teacher can provide a new topic for each round.

References

Britton, J. (1970). Language and learning . Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press.

Burns, M., Griffin, P., Snow, C. (Eds) (1999). Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success. National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/download/6014

Calderon, M. (2011). Teaching reading and comprehension to English learners, K-5. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Eisenhart, C. (2008). An introduction to oral language development: The foundation for literacy. PowerPoint presentation delivered at the Rhode Island Reading First Conference.

Mehta, P.D., Foorman, B.R., Martin, L., & Taylor, W.P. (2005). Literacy as a unidimensional multilevel construct: Validation sources of influence and implications in a longitudinal study in grades 1 to 4. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9 (2), 85-116.

Pennington, Bruce, F., McGrath, Lauren M. and Peterson, Robin L. (2019). Diagnosing Learning Disorders: From Science to Practice 3 Edition. New York: The Guilford Press.

Snow, P.C. (2024). Oral language competence is necessary but not sufficient for reading success. PowerPoint presentation. Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning Conference, The Center for Literacy & Learning.

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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Oral Language: The Foundation for Reading and Writing - Keys to Literacy

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Language skills and literacy achievement are highly correlated; research consistently demonstrates that the more children know about spoken language, the better equipped they are to succeed in reading and writing (Burns et al., 1999, Mehta et al., 2005, Pennington et al., 2019).

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Article: Classroom-Based Oral Storytelling: Reading, Writing and Social Benefits

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Article: Classroom-Based Oral Storytelling: Reading, Writing and Social Benefits

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Preliminary results from the first scientific study of OCDE Project GLAD® (Guided Language Acquisition Design) suggest that the popular instructional model may improve literacy outcomes for English language learners, without slowing down their English proficient peers. For an overview of the study and Year 1 findings, watch the video below.

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Scholarly Article: Promoting Oral Language Development in the Primary School

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Scholarly Article: Promoting Oral Language Development in the Primary School

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Oral Language: Build your Expertise Blog Series

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When judging the effectiveness of oral language in my instruction, it’s one thing to consider anecdotal evidence. It’s another to rely on data to demonstrate I’m engaging in best …

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Blog: How to Support MLs in Writer's Workshop

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Blog: How to Support MLs in Writer's Workshop

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The following is adapted from the Units of Study in Writing, Grades K-2.

Here are some tips to help you adapt your writing workshop to support multilingual language learners (MLLs) and ensure that all of your students have access to the richest possible instruction.

Find Mentor Texts that Support Translanguaging

You'll want to go to great lengths to provide multilanguage learners with a variety of mentor texts by many different authors and to include books written in students' most proficient languages, as well as book in which the author chooses to translanguage.

Bilingual researcher Ofelia Garcia has helped those of us who are monolingual become more aware of the power of translanguaging in the lives of our multilingual students. She writes, "If you've ever been present in the home of a bilingual family, you will notice that many language practices are used. Sometimes the children are speaking one language, and the parents another, even to each other! Often both languages are used to include friends and family members who may not speak one language or the other, and to engage all." Garcia (2012) defines translanguaging as learners' "flexible use of their linguistic resources to make meaning of their lives and their complex worlds." One way to encourage such inclusive language practices in your classroom is by sharing books that include translanguaging.

You might, for example, show children Saadia Faruqi's book, Yasmin the Teacher, which is mostly written in English but includes words in Urdu as well. It is helpful for children to see that published authors sometimes decide the best way to communicate a meaning is by using another language. Teach your children that if, for example, a child's grandmother has a particular endearment she uses and she speaks in a language other than English, including her exact words in her true language will help the character come to life on the page.

Follow A Predictable Structure

The structure of the writing workshop is deliberately kept simple and predictable. The workshop allows students access to grade-level curriculum through the minilesson and to individualized instruction during the work time, especially through conferences and small-group work.

For your MLLs, it is enormously helpful that your writing workshop is as predictable and consistent as possible. It is always important for you to do everything you can to reduce fear and anxiety so that children can learn. A child who is new to learning English might feel panicked when instructions, tasks, expectations, and use of materials aren't clear. It is important for you to do everything you can to reduce fear and anxiety so children can do their best learning. So it is very useful that the writing workshop always begins with a minilesson, and children always know to bring their materials to the meeting area and to sit in the same spot. Then, after the minilesson, children know they will always have time to work independently while you confer and pull small groups. When work time ends, children know to either meet with partners or gather in the meeting area for a share. The predictability that results from following workshop routines consistently, day after day, provides confidence and a sense of comfort to multilingual language learners because it allows them to anticipate what will happen next. This decreases their cognitive load and their anxiety, and allows them to focus on their writing. This positive effect will be even greater if you can adapt workshop structure to teach other subjects across the school day.

Use Consistent Teaching Language

It is helpful to use predictable, consistent language to indicate the flow of your instruction. Even children who are at the earliest stages of learning English can come to understand the predictable phrases that accompany concrete actions. As they come to understand the familiar phrases-"Let's gather," "Bring your folder," "Turn and talk," "Can I have your attention?," and "Off you go"-they develop a sense of belonging in the world of school.

The consistent language that characterizes writing workshop scaffolds each child's classroom experience. For example, during rehearsal, students will often be invited to "tell your story across your fingers" or to "teach your book, touching each page as you do so." Every time students rehearse their writing, you'll return to this language, building consistency across your instruction. It's helpful if all the adults a child interacts with use the same terminology. For example, if you use the phrase "touch and tell, sketch and write" to guide students' rehearsal, you'll want to encourage all adults who work with your students to use this language as well.

If most of your minilessons begin with you reviewing the content of previous minilessons, perhaps referencing a bullet on a chart, it's helpful for your language learners to know that and for you to use consistent language and repeat your teaching point often.

Use Consistent Visuals and Gestures

The K-2 Units of Study make regular use of visuals, especially through anchor charts and one-day charts. In this way, the units help you provide comprehensible language input for your multilingual language learners. The units are filled with charts with headings that clearly state what the chart is about, as well as visuals that help children understand key terms that might otherwise feel abstract.

To make these charts even higher leverage, you'll create them together with your students, post them in a central and consistent location in your classroom, and add your own illustrations and examples, drawing on your children's work. It is helpful to reference them often as you teach.

You'll probably want to give some children individual copies of particular charts. Be sure that you don't overwhelm them with too many personalized charts; be selective and give different charts to different children. To select charts that will be particularly helpful to specific learners, remember that you can support instruction by drawing on charts from earlier grade levels. Using charts will allow all your students, and especially your multilingual language learners, to work with more independence since they'll have a visual reference of what they're working on as writers.

Establishing a Classroom Culture that Celebrates All the Languages Your Students Speak

It's important to foster awareness around how different languages sound and look. Create opportunities to celebrate and include all the languages your students speak. For example, you might invite families into the classroom to share the different languages they speak. You might talk about the different ways stories end in different languages. Even posting a welcome sign in all the languages your children speak sends an important message.

Provide or create resources for your classroom in multiple languages-books, checklists, charts, signs, labels, greetings, students' writing-and honor them all. Do what you can to create signs and labels in as many languages as may be relevant for your class-perhaps even more.

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The Units of Study in Writing, Grades K-2 is inclusive, culturally responsive, and supportive of diverse learning communities. The Supporting All Writers book in each core Units of Study set helps teachers adapt instruction to meet the full span of their learners. In the guide to each series, the "Ensuring Access: Helping All Learners Across the Curriculum" and "Affirming and Supporting Multilingual Language Learners" chapters provide a wealth of additional support. Here are some of the supports that you will find throughout the units and accompanying resources:

Spanish translations of every chart as well as every teaching point.

For every unit, there are suggested Spanish titles. These are sometimes translations of the mentor texts, and sometimes original Spanish texts. You'll want to check the online resources for the most up-to-date recommendations for Spanish mentor texts.

For every minilesson, we've created a brief-two-minute-video preview in Spanish that sets up Spanish-speaking students to anticipate what they'll be learning in the minilesson. Each video unpacks key vocabulary, provides learners with helpful background knowledge, and explains any important metaphors used in the minilesson. Learners also get a glimpse into what the work they do during work time might look like. The videos have been designed so that children can easily access them while you are orchestrating whole-class transitions to the minilesson.

Teaching tips in blue italics throughout the sessions identify ways the teaching is already supportive of English learners, and suggest additional ways to make your teaching even more supportive.

Some work-time sessions are specifically designed to support your small-group work and conferring with multilingual language learners

Every session begins with an "Ensuring Access" section that highlights the essential goals of a session and details ways in which the session already provides access, or can be taught in ways that especially do so.

The writing workshop-and, indeed, the entire school day-immerses children in the complex oral language that is critical to MLLs' language development.

Throughout the units, you'll support children in using all their language resources to mull over complicated ideas, rehearse for writing, and clarify their understanding of instruction and texts. We encourage you to allow children who need to do so to translanguage with each other in ways that help with their overall learning. You'll especially see children encouraged to rehearse for writing in whatever language they choose.

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How to Support Multilingual Language Learners in Writing Workshop

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Tips to help you adapt your writing workshop to support multilingual language learners.

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Blog Post: A Crash Course in Oral StoryTelling

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Blog Post: A Crash Course in Oral StoryTelling

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It's been several months since I've written for Two Writing Teachers. In December my son was born, and I was on maternity leave until a few weeks ago. Then, in March I pushed aside all excuses and did the Slice of Life Story Challenge. Every day in the month of March I recruited my four year old daughter to tell me a story, which I videotaped and posted daily on my personal blog. Each day I tried to use all that I know about teaching language, storytelling, and young writers to help my daughter learn to tell stories.

This post is a mini-crash-course in oral storytelling that brings together what I've learned from my experience and training in teaching literacy. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you'll be ready to model storytelling for your own students, and you'll have some very practical ideas for coaching kids to tell their own stories aloud more often.

First, when I say storytelling, I'm talking about telling stories aloud. I'm talking about telling your own bedtime stories to your own children at night, or telling stories to your students, or telling stories about your life to friends over coffee. Chances are, you probably already tell stories aloud every day. However, kids often don't get the chance to tell stories unless the adults in their lives make space for it.

To begin, think of somebody you know who is an excellent storyteller. You'll need a model to follow. My colleague and mentor Lucy Calkins comes to mind, or educator and author Lester Laminack, or author John Scieszka, or storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy, or one of my favorite storytellers, Heather Forest. If you've ever had the pleasure of hearing any of these storytellers speak, then you know why I recommend them!

Click this link to listen to Heather Forest tell a story. I suggest Stone Soup for the uninitiated.While you're listening, think of a few things she does as a storyteller that you could do too. Write them down somewhere.

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Did you listen and jot down some noticings? Great! Now, did you notice the way she:

Uses storytelling language (as opposed to vernacular, everyday language)

Makes her voice get louder, softer, faster, and slower to match the meaning of the story

Changes her voice for different characters

Uses rhythm and song to add to the meaning

Sound effects (knocking)

Uses repetition, a chorus

Takes her time, pausing for effect

You can do all these things too, with a little practice, and so can your students with some coaching and encouragement from you.

Next, think about your school day. Whether you teach preschool, elementary, or middle school, there are ways that you can tuck in some time for oral storytelling practice. Here are three ideas:
1. Whole Class Storytelling - Telling a Shared Experience
I learned from my colleague, Natalie Louis, to start by selecting experiences shared by the whole class. This way every child in the class can remember the event and is able to contribute true details to the story. You think of the story of a fire drill, or part of a field trip, or an assembly. It helps if it's something memorable. It also helps if it is a short event rather than an entire day. You could even manufacture an idea for a story. My friend Kristi Mraz is a genius at manufacturing stories in her classroom-spilling whole containers of supplies, popping balloons, all in the name of creating a good story to tell later on.

Once you have an idea for a story in mind, gather your kids and guide them through the storytelling process, which mirrors the writing process.

1. Invite your kids to come up with ideas for a class story (though you will already have one in mind, just in case). I like to ask kids to turn and talk to their partners to brainstorm ideas that we could tell as a story (preferably just one small moment, not a whole day).

2. Then select one story idea (could be that idea you had in mind, or a story idea from the students).

3. Model telling the story bit by bit, including all the important details, using rich storytelling language and expression.

4. Then, ask your kids to practice retelling the same story to a partner, revising as they go. As they practice, you can coach them to change their voice, choose a better way to say it, include dialogue, more detail...whatever you think will improve the story.

5. Remember, a little coaching goes a loooong way. Just one or two tips per partnership is plenty.

This takes about ten minutes. You might even rehearse the same class story across several days, eventually writing the story down using your SmartBoard, or chart paper. (FYI, I would call that "Shared Writing" but that's for another blog post!)
2. Around the Circle Storytelling of a Class Story
Another variation on telling a class shared story is to tell it out loud as a group. This could happen with your whole class, or as small group work to support oral language. It helps to sit in a circle for this. You can start the story by telling just the first few sentences, the lead. Then the student to your right adds on a sentence or two, then the next student, and the next, and the next.

As the story makes its way around the circle your role as the teacher is to provide coaching that lifts the level of the language. If the story jumps ahead too quickly to the ending, for example, you might say, "Whoa! Slow down! Let's stick with this part a little longer to include more details. Say more, elaborate on that part..." Or if the students are heavy on action, then you might coach them by saying, "He said..." or "She said..." to prompt for dialogue. Or you might say, "He/she/we felt..." to prompt for character feelings or thinking.

Rehearsing a story aloud like this helps kids understand the thinking a writer does when deciding what to write.
3. Telling Our Own Stories - Telling & Retelling Your Own Story to a Partner
A third idea is to find small bits of time in your schedule to simple give students time to talk with partners about their days-about their own lives. Some teachers find that at the start of the day, or right after lunch, or after recess are good times for storytelling. So much can happening one lunch period! The idea is to simply give kids time to tell stories. Your role, again, is to listen in and coach, lifting the level of their language and story structure. It's incredibly helpful to encourage kids to tell the same story multiple times, perhaps to the same partner, but different partners is an option as well. The story gets better and better with each retelling-it's like magic.
4. Bringing Oral Storytelling into Writing Workshop as a Way to Get Ideas and Plan Stories
If you have time for writing workshop (or independent writing), you can take a few minutes during writing time to ask kids to get with a partner and tell their stories aloud before writing them down. Particularly with younger students, saying their stories aloud multiple times before writing allows them to revise it several times before committing it to paper. When you're a beginning writer, it takes a LOT of work to get those words down on the page, so the more times you've rehearsed it aloud, the better the story will probably be when you finally do write the words.

Rehearsing stories aloud gives kids of any age time to think through how they want to say their stories, instead of simply writing whatever comes to mind first. It also gives kids a chance to test their stories out on a real live audience.
Examples of Literary Vocabulary Children to Coach Into During Oral Storytelling:
"First... then... next... finally..."

"I said/He said/She said..."

"All of a sudden..."

"One fine day/afternoon/morning..."

"After that..."

"Let's revise that part..."

"Let's revise our lead..."

"Let's revise the ending..."

"Let's consider adding dialogue..."
Coaching Moves for Oral Storytelling in Writing Workshop

Child does not speak after modeling and/or prompting

Try asking a yes/no question, then prompt student to say the words. Example: Is this you in the picture? (Yes) Who is this? (Me) Example: Is this a tree in your picture? (Yes) What is it? (A tree)

Child points, labels, or gives one word responses

Coach student to put it in a simple sentence.Try modeling first, then asking student to say it back. Or try prompting by saying the first part of the sentence and child says the rest.

Child uses short simple sentences

Model richer language, slightly more complex sentences.Try sentence starters that stretch a simple sentence to a more sophisticated idea. "Eventually..." "Although..." "Even though..."

Child's story is out of order

Use prompts that support sequencing. "First... then... next... after... finally..." or "One day... after that... eventually... at last..."Touch one finger for each part of the story you model, or for each part of the story the child tells, as a visual support for sequencing.

Child lists everything that happens in the story with little or no elaboration

Try an open-ended prompt for more detail. "Say more about that..." "What else..." "Tell me more..."Coach child to slow down, saying a lot about each small step in the story.Model telling a part of the story with richer language and more detail, then give the child a chance to tell the next part.

There is so much more to say on the topic of oral storytelling. For example, how to support English Language Learners, and how to reinforce new vocabulary through oral storytelling, and how to use the same concept but for information and argument. Hopefully, you've got enough here to get up and running, and I'll save the rest for future blog posts.

Do you have more ideas for oral storytelling? Do you have a routine that works well for you? Please, do share in the comments section!

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A Mini-Crash-Course on Oral Storytelling

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It's been several months since I've written for Two Writing Teachers. In December my son was born, and I was on maternity leave until a few weeks ago. Then, in March I pushed aside all excuses and did the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

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After reading, Benefits of Student Created Graphic Novels, a couple of things stood out to me. The author states that a benefit of graphic novels is that students can easily connect with and put themselves in their shoes of the less realistic characters. The style of graphic novels allows students to feel less vulnerable when sharing personal stories. I think allowing students to write graphic novels is a great addition to the classroom. Students love to read graphic novels and will enjoy writing them. This can allow them to open up with their writing skills and pull great stories out of them.

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I watched the video called, "A Room of Writers!" I was very impressed by this video, especially, when the teacher went up front to share, with the class, what she had been writing in her writers' notebook! The video showed students sharing their writing up front, then it showed how the teacher also got a turn sharing her work. I love this idea because it shows the students that their teacher is truly invested and passionate about what she is teaching! Also, the teacher can use this as a strategy of showing kids a good example of writing! Furthermore, as the teacher vulnerably goes through her journal, she can assure students that even teachers can make mistakes and need to revise their writing!

That was my biggest takeaway, and something I definitely want to do in my future classroom.

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I chose the article Do you read like a write

What I plan to use is to allow students to see my process. It is ok to mess up and make mistakes. Show step by step the edits, struggles, and revisions that this is all normal, and you should not get discouraged by it. That we need to read like a writer, grow like a writer, is within us all. There are things we can take from all of our writing and put it aside, it can help us grow in our writing skills.

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Week 4 - Benefits of Student Created Graphic Novels

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Week 4 - Benefits of Student Created Graphic Novels

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One thing that really stood out to me from this podcast was the different ways that people can relate to graphic novels versus prose. There are so many elements to a graphic novel that creates a unique conversation between author and reader that other forms of storytelling don't have. One of those is the cartoon pictures. By writing a graphic novel, students can tell personal stories and feel safer for sharing it because of the removal from self that the cartoon illustrations create. This is important not only for the student, who has a chance to tell a story they may not have been able to otherwise, but also for the class and the teacher who can learn something new about the student. Other elements of the graphic novel, like the gutter, mean that difficult parts of the story (like transitions) that may be barriers for writers in a prose form, are passed in a way that lends itself to the telling. Teaching students not only to read but to write graphic novels seems like a good way to connect with students and get them writing!

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Something that stood out to me in the blog “Four Steps to Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing” included the use of mentor texts. When we use mentor texts we have a lot of resources easily accessible to us. This can mean using different sorts of examples like craft techniques and conventions that enable us to use from our mini-lessons. Others can also include small group lessons and writing conferences. We as teachers can use these and help show the students exactly what we want them to write. Lastly, you can show them exactly what you want through these concepts.

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I liked the quote, "a teacher of writing must be a teacher who writes." To me this means as a teacher who is teaching kids to write we need to show them the entire process and model what that might look like. Show them the mistakes and the re-writes. We need to show our students that this is normal and that it is how we get really good pieces of writing. We have to show students that those mistakes are okay and the editing process is something all writers have to go through.

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One key takeaway from the article “Four Steps to Using Mentor to Teach Writing” is how mentor texts are incredible tools for teachers to use because it provides examples of how real authors use craft techniques and conventions. Being able to allow students to see the fun in writing will grow their love for writing instead of being told. It can also help them envision their writing which I think is huge when writing. If the author can't envision it then how are the readers supposed to vision it while reading.

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While reading the article Teaching the Writer's Craft With Micro Mentor Texts by Penny Kittle, I was introduced to a few effective ways to use small sections of text to teach writer's craft. First was using micro mentor texts by creating your own, as it's simple and allows for infinite variations. Teachers can fill short passages with high-skill practice to provide more direct skill building to their students. This also allows teachers to replicate similar situations in struggling writers' work to help give students more exact examples. I also liked their use of micro-mentor texts in the form of short passages that the students choose from their book club books. This gives students freedom in applying strategies to text that they understand, rather than struggling to learn the skill because the sentence structure is beyond their understanding. I'll be sure to keep this in mind as it's a great way to keep everyone engaged in learning the skill.

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Some key details I wanted to note from the article was that mentor texts are powerful tools that help students see what good writing looks like. By studying real examples, students can learn how authors add details, organize their ideas, and use rich, expressive language. This allows young writers to model their own stories after strong examples, improving their ability to write with voice, structure, and purpose. Teachers can use mentor texts to introduce specific craft moves, like writing strong leads or showing feelings through actions and dialogue, making abstract skills more concrete and accessible for early learners.

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Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop - Padlet Resource Comment

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Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop - Padlet Resource Comment

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Something that stood out to me in this article was the anchor chart at the end of the article. I believe it is a nice and easy way to remind students how the writers workshop works and it also works as a reminder if a student is not following what they are supposed to be doing you can just remind them to look at that anchor chart and hopefully the student will go back to what they are supposed to be doing.

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Article: Teaching Writers ABOUT Writer's Workshop

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Article: Teaching Writers ABOUT Writer's Workshop

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What I took away from this article, is that in the first week or two of school, it is really important and helpful to teach your students WHAT writer's workshop is and how it will be structured. Once students understand the routine, it will save so much time later. IN the beginning, you shouldn't even teach writing strategies. You should JUST teach how writing workshop works, and what students will be doing during it. You can even practice having students transition to where they will be sitting during the different parts of writer's workshop, so that no time is wasted.

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During the video A Room of Writers I really liked how the teacher integrated writing in her class, she had her students write every day in their own writers notebook. Students having their own writers notebook is a great way for students to share their thoughts through writing. She also had them share their writing if they feel comfortable. The teacher allowing the students opportunities to share helps them socialize and realize how great it feels to share and have the rest of the students listen attentively.

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Reflection: Podcast - TwoWritingTeachers: Extending the Power of Mentor Texts: A Digging Deeper Dialogue. 

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Reflection: Podcast - TwoWritingTeachers: Extending the Power of Mentor Texts: A Digging Deeper Dialogue. 

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In this podcast, I learned the difference between mentor texts and when to use them. For example, there are Exemplar Texts (6:20), student-written mentor texts showing parts of a standard. These help students have a physical example of the standard, while also showcasing that they can complete what the standard asks them. There are also Demonstration Texts, which are teacher-written mentor texts meant to lift the student's level of writing (7:20). They are strategic and usually implemented as practice. They meet the student where they are and help them improve.

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Week 4 Resource Comment: Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop

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Week 4 Resource Comment: Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop

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I read the article, "Teaching Writers about Writing Workshop." The main thing that stood out to me was the author talking about how much she enjoys having an agenda. I related to this because I love having a list of things to do and specifically making those items in order of when to do them. Reading through the article made me realize how much I love the repetitiveness of a schedule and an agenda helps with unpredictability as well as knowing where we are at in that schedule. I find it important for students to feel that control as well. It can be so helpful to some students that struggle with unpredictability or transition times but also can help classroom management as a whole. This works the same in a writing workshop model, it follows the same model everyday for the writing block of class. The beginning part of the article made me realize how helpful agendas and preplanned subject blocks can be to not only students but teachers as well.

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The article by Penny Kittle highlights how powerful short mentor texts are and that they can change how students see themselves as writers. Micro mentor texts are small paragraphs or a few sentences that show students how authors use craft intentionally. What stood out to me is that this method helps students find joy and confidence in writing. I also like how it ties in reading and writing together.

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Tapping Into the Power of Some New Mentor Texts

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Tapping Into the Power of Some New Mentor Texts

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After reading "Tapping Into the Power of Some New Mentor Texts," I was inspired by all of the different mentor texts. I really liked how the beginning of the article talks about how you can use anything as a mentor text, and it does not just have to be children's literature. That related to what we talked about in class. Like the author said, they were inspired by a cookbook. This really made me think about how I need to take advantage of mentor texts because they are all around in everyday things. This article will be a great resource to help find mentor texts in the future.

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In this resource, I found that the idea that graphic novels were a good way to tell complex stories as I feel I would have a hard time doing so. Although, I do agree it’s a great way to get students to write stories, especially young students who don't have a strong grasp on English and older students who have gotten bored by conventional writing. I appreciate how this not only serves as teaching material for the students, but it also serves as teaching material for the teacher themself; this unit allows teachers to learn about their students due to the depersonalisation that graphic novels inherently posess.

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Conferring with Writers (Two Writing Teachers Blog)

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Conferring with Writers (Two Writing Teachers Blog)

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"Lift the ball with your right hand, and pretend your right knee is tied to your right elbow." Placing the orange ball uncertainly in my right hand, I glanced over at Mr. Brown, my new basketball coach. Fixing his gaze squarely upon me, he added, "You can do this." It was my 8th grade year, and unexpectedly I had been selected for the varsity basketball team. Somewhere during the first week of practice, I found myself working at one of the side baskets of the court with my coach practicing lay-ups - a basic fundamental of basketball. Working with him one-on-one, my coach was talking me through and showing me - step by step- how to make a lay-up.

In the writing workshop, this approach of working with a single student to support his or her writing repertoire is not much different from the individual coaching I received from Mr. Brown those many years ago.
A Writing Conference: What is it?
One of the important goals of writing workshop is to slow down the process of writing so that feedback is possible the process, not just at the end. Feedback has been identified as having a significant effect on student achievement (for more on this, read ). According to Peter Johnston, the purposes of feedback are to: (1) improve conceptual understanding, and (2) increase strategic options while developing stamina, resilience, and motivation (Johnston, 2012).

One effective way to provide feedback to learners is through conferring. Now, I hear many teachers, when discussing conversations with individual writers, use the word "conferencing." But recalling a workshop I took with author Carl Anderson , I remember him pointing out that when we sit and talk with students about their writing, it is called conferring , not conferencing. Conferring is a means of both assessing and providing targeted individualized instruction to students in a way that no whole class instruction can. It is a means by which teachers can quickly gather information about their students to determine where they currently fall on a continuum of learning, and then begin to help them move to the next level of performance.

Conferences are a powerful way to support each student's growth and independence because teachers are able to meet students right where they are and provide instruction that will potentially have the biggest impact.

During the independent time of writing workshop, we want to pull up next to our writers to confer with them about their writing. A writing conference is a one-to-one interaction between an individual writer and her teacher, and it is arguably the single most effective way to help a student improve. During this time, we as teachers assess the level to which a student is currently writing and select one way we can provide feedback that supports the student in lifting the level of his writing. As teachers, we always want to keep in mind that we are working to teach the writer, not fix the writing.

This approach is starkly in contrast to sitting down to fix up what the student has written, or tell the writer everything she needs to add in order to "make it better." During a writing conference, we are not telling students how to "fix" their writing or what they should or should not do to make this particular piece better. Rather, we are aiming to teach them a transferable strategy they might use in any similar piece of writing.

It is also in contrast to sitting down to be an editor. As author Carl Anderson pointed out in his fall 2016 workshop in New York City,

The old thinking was that if teachers are editors, correct everything, and punish students, they will learn how to write; the fallacy there is that teachers already know how to write. It's not fair to be their editor. We need to be their teacher. So we teach one thing in a conference. We assess and teach one thing (Teachers College Reading & Writing Project Saturday Reunion, fall 2016) .

While the approach of editor may serve to make the particular piece of writing better, it does little to support the student in becoming a stronger, more independent writer. Therefore, we focus our conferring energies on the writers themselves.
The Architecture of a Conference: What to Do
While there is indeed no one way to conduct a writing conference, we have found it helpful to follow a few steps to increase the odds that each conference yields an impactful result. The steps of a Research-Decide-Teach ("RDT Conference"), often called an "architecture," are outlined below. There are other types of conferences as well, such as a compliment conference, but the RDT Conference is a good starting place.

Research- One of the goals of the research phase of a writing conference is to nudge kids to talk at a higher level about their writing. Initially, conferences often begin by asking the student an open-ended question, a question that gets them to say a lot about their writing. I'll often initiate a conference by asking, "What can you tell me about the work you're doing as a writer today?" And then listen. Often, students will need further prompting, so we may need to ask a few assessment questions to instigate more talk on the part of the writer, nudging them to provide us with more information about their work (see suggestions below). If we are returning to a student, perhaps from earlier in the week or last week, we want to be sure to check our conferring notes to follow-through on previous conferences. To do this, we might say, "Last time we met we worked on____... how's that going for you?" or "Would you show me a few places where you tried it?"

In addition to listening, the research phase is also a time to read of the student's work. You don't have to read all of it! Frequently, it pays to read the part about which you and the student are conversing. While reading, look for how the student is doing or progressing in the area of writing upon which your discussion is focused.

Compliment- After researching students, we provide them with feedback. And we begin with a compliment. This compliment should be authentic, specific, and serve to acknowledge one thing the writer is doing you would love for them to continue doing. Now, they may not be doing it elegantly or perfectly! But perhaps, they are on what Peter Elbow calls "the edge" of doing it. So compliment them on it!

One way to light someone up is to acknowledge them for something. And a compliment should do both: Light the student up (try to make them smile!) and acknowledge them for a writerly move they are already demonstrating.

Lucy Calkins once said, "A good compliment can accelerate achievement." And when students know they'll be receiving feedback that is positive, they will be glad to see us sit down next to them.

Teach- Following the compliment, writing workshop teachers will often ask, "Can I teach you something?" At this point, we have silently selected in our teacher minds one thing, one method or move, that would benefit this student in his or her writing. This is often in the form of a tip or strategy that we are now going to take some time to teach the writer. It is important to remember that this tip should be something that is (a) within the writer's zone of proximal development, and (b) transferable to pieces of future writing.

So we begin by stating what the writing move or convention is and explaining it. Many times, I'll rely on two basic steps to teach students during a conference:

(1.) Step One: Use a mentor text - Most of the time, I'll begin by saying, "One thing that helps me..." and I'll show the student by way of my own writing (or sometimes I use another writer's text) what it is I am attempting to teach. During this process, it's important to break down the writing move, convention, or strategy into replicable steps that a student can follow.

(2.) Step Two: Ask the student to try - After teaching the student, ask them to try it in their own writing piece. You may ask them to physically write it in front of you or "write it in the air," which means to say what they write, while not physically writing. This often saves time and allows us to assess whether or not students actually understood what it was we were attempting to teach.

Link- Essentially, the link is a recap of what we just taught the writer. Writing workshop teachers often end conferences by saying the words, "So today, and everyday, when you are . . ." and restating the teaching point. It's helpful to leave an artifact, if possible. This may by a post-it with the strategy written on it, or perhaps a copy of a mentor text we used during the conference.
Quick Tips

Aim for three to four conferences per workshop- As a teacher, especially when we are just getting started, it is helpful to set a goal for how many conferences we want to hold during a workshop. This will, of course, depend on our time structure and how many students we teach. Middle school teachers often hold fewer individual conferences and rely more on small groups.

Avoid questioning the conference away- Carl Anderson recommends conferences be around 4-7 minutes long. Be careful not to spend this entire conference time asking students questions! This will negate effectiveness and begin to intrude on actual teaching time (which is a main point of conferring). A few high-leverage assessment questions might sound like:

"How's that going?"

"Can you say more about that?"

"Can you show me where you tried that in your writing?"

Do your homework ahead of conferences- Research often starts by observing the student from afar, looking through past conferring notes and by taking a tour through their notebook/folder/on-demand ahead of time, and/or while they are still writing. Walking into a conference "prepared" can help us feel more confident about how to best support a writer.

Think about what's easy and what's going to be tricky for this writer- Conferences help build important relationship between teachers and writers, so as we get to know our students, we can begin to anticipate what strengths and needs each student has within his or her writing as we approach each conference.

Confer with students, even if you don't feel like you are "good at it" - It takes time to become good at conferring- years, even! But realize that even by the sheer fact that we are sitting down next to students to talk with them about their writing, we are sending a positive message that helps nurture a crucial element to teaching: relationship with student.

Keep records of your conferring - It is helpful to write some things down after each conference. This allows us to both remember what we taught in previous conferences, as well as assess as to what degree our previous teaching "stuck with" our writers.

Next Steps

In your conferences, work to establish multiple lines of inquiry with writers. You might ask, "So that's one thing you're working on. What else are you working on?" Or, "Tell me about how punctuation will help us read this part here?" Or, "Can you say a little about how this part fits with what you know about this type of writing?" Establishing multiple lines of inquiry can help determine what the most appropriate or needed teaching point might be.

Work on building a conferring kit. Often kits include samples of teacher writing, mentor texts that students are familiar with, post-it notes, copies of checklists and/or rubrics, and lists of possible assessment questions.

Link Roundup from TWT Suggested Reading
GIVEAWAY: RENEW! BECOME A BETTER AND MORE AUTHENTIC WRITING TEACHER, BY SHAWNA COPPOLA

This giveaway is for a copy of Renew! Become a Better - and More Authentic - Writing Teacher.Many thanks to Stenhouse Publishers for donating a copy for one reader. (If the winner has a U.S. address, you may choose a paper or eBook. If the winner has an international mailing address, then you will receive an eBook.)

For a chance to win this copy of Renew! Become a Better - and More Authentic - Writing Teacher,please leave a comment about this or any blog post in this blog series by Monday, August 7th at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Beth Moore will use a random number generator to pick the winner's commenter number. His/her name will be announced in the ICYMI blog post for this series on Tuesday, August 8th.

Please be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment, so Beth can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win. From there, our contact at Stenhouse will ship your book out to you. (NOTE: Your e-mail address will not be published online if you leave it in the e-mail field only.)

If you are the winner of the book, Betsy will email you with the subject line of TWO WRITING TEACHERS - RENEW BOOK. Please respond to her e-mail with your mailing address within five days of receipt. Unfortunately, a new winner will be chosen if a response isn't received within five days of the giveaway announcement.

For more than 29 years, Lanny has taught, coached, presented, staff developed, and consulted within the exciting and enigmatic world of literacy. With unyielding passion and belief in the possibility of workshop teaching, Lanny has worked to support students, teachers, and school administrators around the country in outgrowing themselves as both writers and readers. Working first as a classroom teacher, then as a coach and TCRWP Staff Developer, Lanny is now a literacy specialist, working and living in the great state of Connecticut. Outside of literacy, he enjoys raising his three ambitious young daughters with his wife, and playing the piano. Find him on this blog, as well as on Twitter @LannyBall. Lanny is also a former co-author of a blog dedicated to supporting writing teachers and coaches that maintain classroom writing workshops, twowritingteachers.org. View all posts by Lanny Ball

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"Lift the ball with your right hand, and pretend your right knee is tied to your right elbow." Placing the orange ball uncertainly in my right hand, I glanced over at Mr. Brown, my new basketball coach. Fixing his gaze squarely upon me, he added, "You can do this."

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Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop: Conferring

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Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop: Conferring

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Conferring with Writers: Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop

"How about we read Goodnight, Gorilla?" Raising my eyebrows, I gazed hopefully at my two year-old daughter. "Or maybe we could read The Grouchy Ladybug? You love that one!" "No!" Her brow furrowed, my youngest was emphatic. "That one! That one! Moon!" Using her tiny pointer finger, she pointed to Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight, Moon (1947) board book on the shelf. "Moon!" she repeated. With a sigh and a smile, I shook my head and pulled out the green and orange book. "Okay, honey," I said. "We can read Goodnight, Moon." It seems wanting a choice begins pretty early in life.
The Writing Conference
As part of a previous blog series (August, 2017) entitled, "The Fundamentals of Writing Workshop," I wrote a post about the basics of conferring with writers. Conferring with writers is an essential component of workshop teaching, as any workshop veteran would readily and enthusiastically admit. As I wrote in my post back in August,

A writing conference is a one-to-one interaction between an individual writer and her teacher, and it is arguably the single most effective way to help a student improve. During this time, we as teachers assess the level to which a student is currently writing and select one way we can provide feedback that supports the student in lifting the level of his writing. As teachers, we always want to keep in mind that we are working to teach the writer, not fix the writing.

That said, as a seasoned veteran myself, I have recently been thinking about how the fundamental pillars of workshop teaching- time, response, and choice- play out in an individual conference? And how might thinking about writing conferences through the lenses those pillars help to lift our level of teacher conferring? Allow me to share some of my most recent thinking here...

Time- Although we aim for our Research-Decide-Teach conferences to be brisk, time is definitely honored in the conference. After providing specific feedback and a tip or strategy, we want to allow our writers a brief opportunity to try out that tip or strategy- right in front of us. This is essential! Give them this time! After demonstrating or explaining a strategy, we might say, "Okay, so may I see you try that now, please...?" Or, "So if you were going to try that, how would that sound?" This brief time for writers to apply our teaching is vital, as it provides students with an opportunity for supported approximation. It also gives us feedback about how clear we taught the student writer!

Response- In our conferences, we always offer response in the form of specific compliments and possible next steps. Response truly lies at the heart of a writing conference. Check!

Choice - Hmm... this might be a place we can lift our conferring, maybe? Typically, our conference likely sounds a little like, "Here's a strategy I want you to try. Now do it." Which feels a little antithetical to workshop, right? What about the element of choice? My two year-old has definitely taught me about this! With this thinking in mind, I invite you to consider the following tips for future conferences...
A New Approach
Lucy Calkins once wrote in her seminal work, One beautiful and useful tool for teachers of writing developed in recent years is the student-facing checklist. These checklists accompany the Calkins The Art of Teaching Writing (1994), " To teach well, we do not need more techniques and strategies as much as we need a vision of what is essential. It is not the number of good ideas that turns our work into art, but the selection, balance, and design of those ideas." (p. 3, Heinemann). Writing Units of Study series and offer teachers one possible vision, as Lucy might call it, for what is essential in the three "big" types of writing (Melanie wrote about these checklists in her recent post). Helpfully, these checklists are divided into three strands: Structure, Development, and Language Conventions. If you are not familiar, imagine a checklist that states (in student-friendly language) what a writer would strive for within the above-listed categories (e.g., under "Structure:" "The parts of my piece are arranged purposefully..." (Calkins, 2014)).

When conferring with a writer, it is often handy to have the appropriate checklist at hand (perhaps as part of a conferring kit). During the research phase of the conference, try listening for where the writer's greatest strength(s) live- is it in Structure? Or Development? Or even Language Conventions? This would be the area from which to craft a compliment. Logically then, one of the other areas would be a place from which to offer a tip or strategy. But what about building in the element of 'choice?' Stay with me here...

After deciding on and delivering an authentic compliment (read about that here and here) from, say, either Structure or Development, try offering the writer a choice of tips or strategies. This can be challenging. But if we are able to offer up a couple of possible options for the writer (see example below), we likely lift engagement by capitalizing on the natural-born desire to choose (think about my two year old).

Below is a recent example from a seventh grade classroom. During the research phase of this conference, I discovered this writer seemed to understand the structure of an essay (i.e., that was his strength), but was struggling to elaborate ( develop) his essay in a convincing fashion (i.e., I began to mentally craft next steps in this category). Watch how I position my compliment within the Structure category, and then offer teaching points from the area of Development:
"George, look at the way you've organized this essay... you have a super clear claim here; and then each of your body sections are arranged so purposefully! They take readers from one reason to the next, and each reason is different from the last. This kind of clear and purposeful structure really helps readers follow your line of argument. What you've written here is quite effective in that way... if this were a building, I'd say you've definitely got the framing well-established! Bravo! Now, George, as your writing coach, I'm thinking about a couple of tips for you that- I think- could be next steps for you as a writer. One of them is around a way writers think about being convincing to their readers by adding evidence; the other tip I have in mind is related to how writers sometimes use and incorporate counterarguments to make their writing more convincing. Which one of those tips feels more interesting to you?" Wait time.
In the past, I've sometimes felt so strongly about what the next step for a writer should be, that I have offered a choice that... well, honestly wasn't a true choice. For example, I might say, "I'm thinking about a couple of possibilities for you: One strategy I could teach you is around how to elaborate in an argument, the other is how writers use evidence to support claims. Which one sounds more interesting?" Yep, same strategy either way. Now, some of you may take issue with the fact that this seems slightly underhanded. Maybe. However, I would argue that when a writer feels she has been given a choice about the direction of her writing, she leans in a little more, and we are able to create an opening for growth that may not have been there without the element of choice.

It could be argued that leaning on the checklists in order to help teachers position their feedback accordingly, as well as offering writers a choice of next steps, makes the conference more student-centered.
Quick tips:

During independent work and conferring time, carry a checklist that matches the type of writing your students are working on. It's an awesome conferring resource.

Teach the writer, don't fix the writing. This means to aim for teaching to be transferrable.

Be aware of time and limit questioning; take on a stance of researcher (i.e., listen closely).

Work to think of multiple strategies you might teach the writer, not just one.

Try offering a choice of next steps to the writer. This might sound like, "I'm thinking of a couple next steps for you. One is around... the other is more related to... Which one sounds more interesting to you?"

Link Round-up: Suggested Reading:

This giveaway is for a copy of by Lee Heffernan. Thanks to Heinemann Publishers (Link to: Back and Forth: Using an Editor's Mindset to Improve Student Writing http://www.heinemann.com) for donating a copy for one reader. (You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter this giveaway.)

For a chance to win this copy of Back and Forth: Using an Editor's Mindset to Improve Student Writing, please leave a comment about this or any blog post in this blog series by Sunday, February 11th at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Melanie Meehan will use a random number generator to pick the winner's commenter number. His/her name will be announced in the ICYMI blog post for this series on Monday, February 12th.

Please leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment so Melanie can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win. From there, our contact at Heinemann will ship the book to you. (NOTE: Your e-mail address will not be published online if you leave it in the e-mail field only.)

If you are the winner of the book, Melanie will email you with the subject line of TWO WRITING TEACHERS - BACK AND FORTH BOOK. Please respond to her e-mail with your mailing address within five days of receipt. Unfortunately, a new winner will be chosen if a response isn't received within five days of the giveaway announcement.

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Conferring with Writers: Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop

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"How about we read Goodnight, Gorilla?" Raising my eyebrows, I gazed hopefully at my two year-old daughter. "Or maybe we could read The Grouchy Ladybug? You love that one!" "No!" Her brow furrowed, my youngest was emphatic. "That one! That one! Moon!" Using her tiny pointer finger, she pointed to Margaret Wise Brown's...

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Take a tour of a paper/pencil conferring notebook, then set your own up so you'll be ready for a high level of accountability and individualized instruction.

With the exception of the calendars (available here), the forms are all available for download below. Setting up your own conferring notebook has never been easier.

Prefer technology? Check out ConferringNotebook.com. It makes curricular coherence seamless.

Working together, Cindy and Gail review the conferring protocol while discussing a recent conference.

When we started having math conferences, we discovered we needed a form for the pensive. Here's one that matches our reading and writing conferring forms.

Allison Behne shares the document she created for teachers who use the paper pencil pensieve, to inform next years teachers about student work and progress.

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A Conferring Notebook Tour and Printable Forms

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Take a tour of a paper/pencil conferring notebook, then set your own up so you'll be ready for a high level of accountability and individualized instruction. With the exception of the calendars (available here), the forms are all available for download below. Setting up your own conferring notebook has never been easier.

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Engaging Quick Write Activities for Grades 3-8

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Engaging Quick Write Activities for Grades K-2

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If you want a fun resource for students to engage in writing fluency (typing fluency) with some engaging topics that gamify writing and help students be reflective and evaluative - look no further!

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The Depth and Complexity Icons - The Center For Depth and Complexity

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The Depth and Complexity Icons The primary objective of the framework is to provide students with challenging learning opportunities by applying Depth and Complexity to…

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CCSS Aligned Rubrics & Assessment Tools per Grade Level

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CCSS Aligned Rubrics & Assessment Tools per Grade Level

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A comprehensive, standards aligned social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum - Mindfulness Based, Trauma Informed, Teacher Led, Evidence-Based, Integrated with Academic Curriculum.

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Seravallo - Teaching Writing in Small Groups

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Seravallo - Teaching Writing in Small Groups

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Teaching Writing in Small Groups Seravallo.pdf

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Teaching Writing in Small Groups - lesson Table Tents

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Teaching Writing in Small Groups - lesson Table Tents

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Stories from people of all backgrounds and beliefs

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Educational Hip-Hop Songs & Videos for All Subjects, K-12

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Flocabulary is a library of songs, videos and activities for K-12 online learning. Hundreds of thousands of teachers use Flocabulary’s educational raps and teaching lesson plans to supplement their instruction and engage students. Our team of artists and educators is not only committed to raising test scores, but also to fostering a love of learning in every child.

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Online Seminar Software & Tools for Educators

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Enhance your seminars with Mentimeter's online seminar software! Engage your students with interactive presentations and real-time feedback. Try it for free!

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Use this technique to show you what students are thinking and what they have learned at the end of a lesson. Before students leave (for recess, lunch, the end of the day, their next class, or are transitioning to another subject area), they have to hand you a "ticket" filled out with an answer to a question, a solution to a problem, or a response to what they've learned.

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How to Create Student Podcasts in the Classroom: All Your Questions, Answered — helloteacherlady.com

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Last year, my journalism students created a podcast. None of us had any experience with podcasting and there was quite a bit of trial and error, but it was easily one of the coolest things I’ve been involved with as a teacher. Here’s everything you need to know about that experience.

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Voki | Speaking Characters For Education

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CLASSROOM

If you're an individual teacher and want to get started with VoiceThread for just your class, a Single Educator License is the way go.

SCHOOL

Give all your students an accountable and transparent learning environment. Easily integrate with Google Apps.

DISTRICT

A District License provides simple multi-school management, application of custom security policies, and integration.

A walled garden, with beautiful views. Ed.VoiceThread is the perfect online environment for students to practice their communications skills online, yet in a controlled, accountable, and transparent setting.

Accountability and transparency. Students working within Ed.VoiceThread are protected by student-centered policies that ensure a safe and supportive environment:

Students cannot private message other students.

All student work is transparent to administrators and faculty within the school or district.

Student accounts can only interact with users that educators and administrators approve.

Custom tailored policies. Administrators can set global and individualized policies for students, enabling them to either restrict or give more freedom and autonomy, as age and local school policy dictates.

Reporting and analytics. Track usage and trends for individual users or your entire institution.

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Transforming media into collaborative spaces with video, voice, and text commenting.

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Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case -- teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.

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Socratic Seminar Video for Young Students

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Socratic Seminar Video for Young Students

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Socratic Seminar Strategies for the Second Grade Classroom

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Article: Enhancing Speaking & Listening Skills

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Article: Enhancing Speaking & Listening Skills

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I think one of the hardest things to implement in any classroom, let alone an English Language Arts classroom, has got to be incorporating opportunities for students to speak to one another about content. Talking with teachers, many of them voice concerns about the management of speaking and listening activities and being afraid of the "chaos" that might ensue when we put students in charge of talking about what they are learning. If we as teachers are brave enough to let out students focus on speaking and listening skills and strategies, it might just be the key to unlocking great reading and writing learning. Effective communication lies at the heart of language arts education. Developing strong speaking and listening skills is crucial for students to express themselves confidently, comprehend information, engage in meaningful discussions, and collaborate effectively. In this blog post, we will explore 25+ strategies that all educators (not just ELA) can implement in any classroom to promote and enhance students' speaking and listening abilities.

What are the speaking and listening standards?
Speaking and Listening: The speaking and listening standards for the Common Core refer to a set of expectations and skills that students should develop in the areas of effective communication, active listening, and meaningful collaboration. These standards aim to equip students with the necessary abilities to engage in purposeful and productive discussions, deliver clear and coherent presentations, comprehend and evaluate information from various sources, and actively participate in academic and real-world conversations.
What are the goals for the speaking and listening standards:

Think about the BIG 5:

Comprehension and Collaboration: Students are expected to actively participate in discussions, collaborations, and presentations, demonstrating their ability to comprehend and respond to the ideas and perspectives of others. They should also effectively integrate information from different sources and evaluate the credibility and accuracy of the information they encounter.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Students should be able to present information and ideas clearly and effectively to different audiences. They should use appropriate audiovisual aids and techniques, such as multimedia presentations or visual displays, to enhance their message. Students should also adapt their speech to different contexts and purposes.

Interpretation of Literature: Students are encouraged to analyze and interpret literary texts, including stories, poems, and plays. They should discuss the key elements of the text, such as plot, character, theme, and language, and provide evidence to support their interpretations. Students should also compare and contrast different works and explore cultural and historical contexts.

Evaluation of Information and Arguments: Students should be able to evaluate and analyze the credibility, relevance, and accuracy of information presented in different media formats. They should assess arguments and claims, identifying logical fallacies and providing evidence-based counterarguments. Students should also engage in respectful debates and discussions, supporting their opinions with well-reasoned arguments.

Collaboration and Discussion Skills: Students should actively listen to others, ask relevant questions, and contribute to group discussions and collaborative projects. They should engage in productive exchanges, respectfully challenging ideas and building upon the contributions of others. Students should also demonstrate effective communication skills, including appropriate use of language and nonverbal cues.

What are some example speaking and listening activities?

Example Speaking Activities:

Partner Practice: Practice your response with a partner that you will share with the whole group

Think Pair Share: Structured response to pair people up and share about a given topic

Movement-Based Discussion Strategies: Choose a side/Four Corners

Partner Share: Two people share out about a given topic

Small Group Discussion (Variety of strategies)

Whole Group Discussion (Variety of strategies)

Present to a small group or whole group

Use media to present to a small group or whole group

Use technology to help moderate small group and whole group discussions such as Nearpod, Flipgrid/Flip, Mentimeter, (All have free versions), etc.

Example Listening Activities:

Traits of a good audience member (Active listening, audience participation, etc)

Listening to understand, not respond

Prepping for a discussion (Small or whole group)

Ending, summarizing, or wrapping up a discussion

Setup two-column note-taking for listening

Understanding tone, inflection, volume, and emphasis

Practice disagreement and counterclaim where appropriate

Check out THIS RECOMMENDED RESOURCE! the Literacy Toolkit Resources: https://www.literacyta.com/literacy-standards/common-core/speaking/6/english

How often should I be doing speaking and listening activities in my classroom?

Speaking and listening activities can be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis in the secondary ELA classroom or any classroom. In the ELA classroom, there are natural opportunities for students to speak to one another after they read any material or when they are working on writing projects. I have seen some districts set an expectation that speaking and listening activities need to happen at least once a week, some require more. The amount of speaking and listening activities can vary from classroom to classroom; however, the goal is always to add more skills and strategies so students are the ones doing the talking.

How do I start to set up my classroom for a culture/climate that allows for collaboration, discussion, and speaking about important topics?

Each classroom is different; however, start small with partner sharing or think, pair, share. You can also model for students how movement and volume levels will look before, during, and after each activity to set up expectations. Some of these activities with speaking and listening can be highly structured. Here are some great recommendations:

Use a timer for transitions. Have students talking to more than one partner? Time their movement.

Use music for transitions. You can make this fun and it can bring a class to life that is less than excited about doing partner work.

Positive talk great interactions. When you start small with a partner share activity, walk around the room, and give praise to those groupings that are doing a great job.

Use graphic organizers to kids feel less pressure to "have the right thing to say" on the spot. For example, you can use two-column notes or guided notes to help kids structure their ideas.

Use sentence starters as you would for writing, but make it verbal. You can post these on the board or provide them on a handout. I remember one amazing classroom I observed, the teacher had helper students hold up sentence starter signs as a cue for students to know how to frame their thinking. It was awesome to see students helping other students get ideas out into the air.

Insert high-interest content or choice if you have students that seem disengaged. Kids naturally love to debate. Kids also love to be able to choose what they are going to talk about for a given assignment.

What are some different activities that I can try in my classroom?

1. Think-Pair-Share: Encourage students to think individually about a question or prompt, pair up with a partner, and share their thoughts before discussing them as a whole class. This is also called Stand-Up, Hand-Up, and Pair-Up; it involves high-fiving to form partners.

2. Socratic Seminars: Facilitate student-led discussions by posing open-ended questions and encouraging thoughtful responses and dialogue. It is helpful to have students create questions ahead of time and then have a way to track participation in conversations.

3. Class Debate: Organize structured debates where students research and present arguments on different topics, learning to articulate their viewpoints and listen actively to opposing arguments. This activity doesn't have to be a huge organized project, you can start by teaching kids how to create claim statements.

4. Collaborative Group Work: Assign group projects or activities that require students to work together, communicate ideas, and listen actively to their peers. Decide ahead of time how students will maintain their groups (What happens if students don't participate? How do you assign roles? How will these activities be graded?), etc.

5. Turn and Talk: Provide opportunities for students to turn to a partner and discuss a specific topic or question, fostering active listening and oral communication skills. This is a speaking opportunity that doesn't involve the movement of a think-pair-share.

6. Literature Circles: Divide students into small groups to read and discuss a shared text, promoting meaningful conversations and developing comprehension skills. Need ideas? Check out Ideas for Middle School Graphic Novel Book Clubsand Setting Up Dystopian Book Clubs in Middle School

7. Presentation Skills: Teach students effective presentation techniques, including body language, eye contact, and vocal variety, to help them communicate ideas confidently. This can be done whole group or small group.

8. Peer Feedback/Peer Review: Encourage students to provide constructive feedback to their peers after presentations or discussions, fostering active listening and promoting growth in communication skills. I like to help students learn these skills by providing them with checklists of items at first, and then changing those items throughout the year.

9. Podcasting: Incorporate podcasting activities where students research, script, record, and present audio content on various topics, honing their speaking and listening abilities.

10. Interviewing: Have students conduct interviews with classmates, teachers, or community members, enabling them to practice active listening, formulate questions, and engage in dialogue.

11. Drama and Role-Playing: Engage students in dramatic performances or role-playing exercises that require them to assume different perspectives, fostering empathy, and enhancing communication skills.

12. Storytelling: Encourage students to share personal stories, helping them develop narrative skills and captivate an audience through spoken word. Often teachers will use personal narrative writing or poetry as a back-to-school activity to get to know the kids in their rooms. Check out Build Classroom Community with Where I'm From Poems and I Am Poems

13. Clockwork Partners: You can have students draw a clock or use a graphic organizer printout. Students can set appointments with different partners at 12, 3, 6, and 9. They rotate to the partner appointment when the teacher calls the time. This is a great strategy for peer review because new peer reviewers can look at one item at a time with a different partner. This post gives a great overview of using clockwork partners with creative writing.

14. Recitation: Assign students to memorize and recite poems, speeches, or literary excerpts, enhancing their delivery, enunciation, and listening comprehension. This can be less scary than coming up with their own ideas and sharing them with peers.

15. Class Discussions: Facilitate regular class discussions, establishing an inclusive and respectful environment that encourages students to share ideas, listen actively, and engage in meaningful dialogue. You can rotate skills to focus on for class discussions like coming prepared for the activity, active listening, and paraphrasing what someone else said.

16. Reflective Journals: Integrate reflective journaling activities where students write about their listening experiences, discussing the effectiveness of their own listening skills and strategies.

17. Language Games: Incorporate language-based games like Charades, Taboo, or Pictionary, which require students to communicate non-verbally and listen attentively.

18. TED Talk Analysis: Analyze and discuss TED Talks or other engaging speeches, encouraging students to identify effective speaking techniques and evaluate the impact of powerful storytelling. Check out 10 TED Talks for the Teacher Who Needs Inspiration

19. Guest Speakers: Invite guest speakers from various fields to share their experiences and insights, providing students with real-world examples of effective communication.

20. Critical Listening: Engage students in critical listening activities, where they analyze and evaluate persuasive techniques, logical fallacies, or biases in speeches or multimedia presentations. This is great if you are introducing ethos, pathos, and logos to your students and using a variety of texts and media to show different types of arguments as well.

21. Media Analysis: Analyze media sources, such as news articles, videos, or podcasts, to develop students' media literacy skills and enhance their ability to listen critically.

22. Fishbowl Discussion: Students in a small group hold a discussion while the rest of the class observes and takes notes.

23. Jigsaw Discussion: Students become experts on one part of a topic or text and then share their knowledge with their group. This is a great activity if the article is longer in length. Put students in charge of learning one sub-heading and teaching that part of the article's information to a group.

24. Snowball Discussion: Students begin by sharing ideas with a partner, then join with another pair, and continue to share until the whole class is involved in a discussion. This is also great if you have ever used dialogue booklets where the prompts for a discussion are in small books that students can look through for discussion inspiration.

25. Hot Seat: One student is chosen to sit in the "hot seat" while the rest of the class asks them questions about a topic.

26. Reader's Theater: Students act out a scene from a play or book, focusing on characterization and dialogue.

27. Mock Trial: Students play the roles of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors to explore a topic or text.

28. Four Corners: Students move to one of four corners of the room based on their opinion or response to a question.

29. Panel Discussion: Students are assigned roles and present different perspectives on a topic.

30. Partner Note-Taking: Students practice active listening skills by taking notes during discussions and lectures. They can compare their notes with a partner to see what was missed.

31. Partner Mind Mapping: Students visually organize their ideas on a topic using a diagram. They share their ideas with a partner. Students could also complete a Venn Diagram with a partner to work together on similarities and differences.

32. Verbal Exit Tickets: Students respond to a prompt or question verbally before leaving class.

Writing Mindset Reflection: What are your go-to favorite speaking and listening activities? What works in your classroom to get kids talking?

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Enhancing Speaking and Listening Skills: 25 Activities for the English Language Arts Classroom - WRITING MINDSET

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I think one of the hardest things to implement in any classroom, let alone an English Language Arts classroom, has got to be incorporating opportunities for students to speak to one another about content. Talking with teachers, many of them voice concerns about the management of speaking and listeni

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After reading "Read Like A Writer" I was pleasantly surprised that this article encourages us as educators ourselves to go out and find our own mentor text to glean inspiration from, where it's in every day like a simple newspaper article, or getting back into reading after a long drought. I loved how Shubitz prioritizes teacher writing skills in order to better understand the teaching the implementation of such skills are levels large, and small!

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I really enjoyed the very beginning of the podcast where it explained how the writing workshop being integrated into classrooms can promote independence within students. The comment about teaching students to read like a writer opened my eyes to being able to see how we can really integrate any subjects with each other to create a more well rounded curriculum that has your students practicing all day long.