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AISLagos G3-5 Shifts to Workshop & Timing

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Overlaps with Writing about Reading

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Lagos Online Gist Statements - Elevating Sentence, Boosting Comprehension (2)

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Copy of Pattan Writing Scope  Sequence (1).pdf

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Written by Joan Sedita, her website also has an amazing blog posts and other free resources

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Writing is a task as complex and multifaceted as reading-but it's often taught as a single skill. Discover how to plan and deliver comprehensive, explicit, and evidence-based writing instruction with this groundbreaking book, aligned with IDA's Structured Literacy approach and based on the latest research.: critical thinking, syntax (sentences), text structure, writing craft, and transcription (spelling and handwriting). Teachers of Grades 4-8 will get crystal-clear guidelines that demystify the process of helping students learn to write and write to learn across academic content areas. And with dozens of included templates, handouts, and other resources-available for download online-teachers will have all the tools they need to design and deliver explicit, high-quality writing instruction.

Joan Sedita's innovative Writing Rope weaves multiple skills and strategies into five fundamentals of a comprehensive writing curriculum

Perfect for professional development, this invaluable planning guide will help teachers apply the science of reading to the skill of writing-and help students master a critically important aspect of literacy.

TEACHERS WILL:

Learn the fundamentals of effective writing instruction. Get research-based background knowledge about writing development, the five components of the Writing Rope framework, the role of fluent transcription skills in proficient writing, and the intentional choices proficient writers make about writing craft.

Apply evidence-based practices in the classroom. Teach essential skills all students must learn to become proficient writers, focusing on critical thinking strategies for generating ideas and gathering information before writing, strategies for each stage of the writing process, syntactic awareness and sentence writing, paragraph writing, and skillful structuring of different types of text.

Help students "write to learn." Teach students how to use writing to enhance their learning across different content areas. Learn how to plan effective writing assignments in different content areas, and explicitly teach students skills for summarizing texts and writing about narrative and expository text.
PRACTICAL MATERIALS : Apply the Writing Rope framework to support your students' writing skills with classroom activities, Connect to Your Classroom questions, suggestions for scaffolding, a Writing Assignment Guide to use with any grade or content area, and 40+ reproducible instructional resources for students and teachers.

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The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects

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The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects

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Article with best practice checklist and handwriting speed norms

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Article with best practice checklist and handwriting speed norms

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For longer word and sentences dictation

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See Scope & Sequence here

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In 2022, a group of teachers and school leaders from 17 different primary schools across Australia participated in The Syntax Project, facilitated by Stephanie Le Lievre from Serpentine Primary School (WA).

Teachers were accepted into the project if they had experience with an explicit-instruction model and could demonstrate an understanding/experience with syntax level instruction.

All Lesson objectives were allocated to individuals based on experience/expertise and the grade they were currently teaching.

All lessons submitted went through a review process by one of our project moderators:

All lessons were created in teachers' own time. They are being shared freely to encourage professional collaboration amongst teachers and schools.

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The Syntax Project - The Grammar Project

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In 2022, a group of teachers and school leaders from 17 different primary schools across Australia participated in The Syntax Project, facilitated by Stephanie Le Lievre from Serpentine Primary School (WA). Teachers were accepted into the project if they had experience with an explicit-instruction model and could demonstrate an understanding/experience with syntax level instruction.

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Outlines to Support Writing Planning G4-12

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Outlines to Support Writing Planning G4-12

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A good overview here

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The Writing Revolution - Empower teachers to help students

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By training educators in The Hochman Method©, The Writing Revolution (TWR) aims to help all students become proficient writers, readers, and critical thinkers.

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w/ Anita Archer--see her book here

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Well established as a definitive text--and now revised and updated with eight new chapters--this book translates cutting-edge research into effective guidelines for teaching writing in grades K-12. Illustrated with vivid classroom examples, the book identifies the components of a complete, high-quality writing program. Leading experts provide strategies for teaching narrative and argumentative writing; using digital tools; helping students improve specific skills, from handwriting and spelling to sentence construction; teaching evaluation and revision; connecting reading and writing instruction; teaching vulnerable populations; using assessment to inform instruction; and more.

New to This Edition

Chapters on new topics: setting up the writing classroom and writing from informational source material.

New chapters on core topics: narrative writing, handwriting and spelling, planning, assessment, special-needs learners, and English learners.

Increased attention to reading-writing connections and using digital tools.

Incorporates the latest research and instructional procedures.

Handbook of Writing Research, Second Edition , edited by Charles A. MacArthur, Steve Graham, and Jill Fitzgerald, which provides a comprehensive overview of writing research that informs good practice.

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Illustrated with vivid classroom examples, the book identifies the components of a complete, high-quality writing program. Leading experts provide strategies for teaching narrative and argumentative writing; using digital tools; helping students improve specific skills, from handwriting and spe...

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Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students [Harris Ed.D., Karen, Graham Ed.D., Steve, Mason Ph.D., Linda, Friedlander, Barbara] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students

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Judith C. Hochman (Author), Natalie Wexler (Author), Kathleen Maloney Doug Lemov (Foreword) & 1 more

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The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades

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Amazon.com: The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades: 9781394182039: Hochman, Judith C., Wexler, Natalie, Maloney, Kathleen, Lemov, Doug: Books

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Books

2nd Edition - From Talking to Writing: Strategies for Supporting Narrative and Expository Writing
Read this interview with the authors to learn more about them
250 pages, soft cover

This new, significantly updated edition of From Talking to Writing offers welcome help for any educator working with students who struggle with writing and/or expressive language skills. From word choice to sentence structure and composition development, this book provides step-by-step strategies for teaching narrative and expository writing.
What you'll find in this second edition:

Theory behind language difficulties and appropriate instructional practices

Techniques for teaching word choice and proper grammar

Instructional strategies to help students organize and expand their writing

Scaffolded templates for sentence, paragraph, and essay instruction-ready to use in the classroom with clear instruction, teaching dialogues, and sample responses

What's *NEW* in this edition:

Personal sequence narrative techniques

Semantic features analysis

Sentence expansion strategies

Micro-discourse text elaboration

Common Core Standard indexing

Any educator looking for tools to assist students in mastering writing structure, language expression, and/or narrative development using a thematic approach will find this book useful. Teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) will also find the strategies in this book useful in teaching sentence structure and composition skills.

The new edition of From Talking to Writing also includes a link to download the templates that can be found in the appendix.

"Every writing teacher should own From Talking to Writing. Full of wisdom gained from decades of teaching experience combined with deep immersion in research and theory, the authors provide guidance on the questions that arise in every writing teacher's mind ... I've used these strategies with my students and been absolutely amazed at the beauty, clarity, and depth I see when I read my students' finished products now. This book will live on your shelf for a long time, quickly becoming dog-eared as you reference it over and over."

- Dr. Leslie Laud, Director ThinkSRSD & Bank Street College of Education (New York, NY)

"Many books have addressed reading instruction for students with learning and language disabilities, but few have dealt with their writing problems. This volume describes methods for explicit instruction in vocabulary and sentence construction as preparation for instruction in strategies for planning and revising. Teachers will find much of value here."

- Dr. Charles A. MacArthur, Professor - University of Delaware

View Table of Contents Read an Excerpt Common Core Standard Indexing

Refunds and exchanges will be offered solely at the discretion of Landmark Outreach staff. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your order, please email outreach@landmarkschool.org or call (978) 236-3216.

Purchase Print Publication

About the Author

Terrill M. Jennings & Charles W. Haynes

Terrill Jennings, a founding teacher of Landmark School, has taught students with dyslexia for more than forty years. She has chaired and co-chaired the Language Arts department at Landmark's Elementary*Middle School, and she also co-founded Landmark's Expressive Language Program. Her particular instructional focus is developing techniques and strategies for teaching written expression. Terrill received her master's in reading from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In her retirement, Terrill has acted as the reading coordinator for volunteer tutors at a Massachusetts inner city school. She has also consulted for the Dyslexia Reading Center in Dubai, UAE. In December 2016, the Massachusetts branch of the International Dyslexia Association presented Terrill with the Alice H. Garfield Award for outstanding commitment and service to children who struggle with reading.

Dr. Charles Haynes is a professor and clinical supervisor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. He has a Master of Science in speech-language pathology and received his doctorate in reading, language, and learning disabilities from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Haynes has over thirty years of experience teaching children and adolescents with dyslexia, conducts research on predictors of spoken-written language relationships, and has received several awards for his teaching. He has authored over forty publications on applied and theoretical topics related to language learning development and disabilities. In fall of 2014, the International Dyslexia Association presented him with the Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field and for his support of persons with dyslexia and related language learning difficulties.

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Buy this book and help your students who struggle with writing and expressive language succeed. Includes instructional strategies, templates, and more

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The morpheme mapper lets you type in a word and see its morphemes and meanings mapped out.

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Upcoming SWI On-Line Workshops with Pete

Two new on-line courses hosted by EduSpark (live and recorded)

One new on-line session hosted by Reading with TLC (live and recorded)

One new on-line course from WordWorks (real-time only, not recorded)

November 2, 7-9 pm EST "Hot Topic Webinar" hosted by Reading with TLC (live and recorded) $40. Info and register .

This same series has hosted talks by David Kilpatrick, Louisa Moats, Maryanne Wolf, and Jan Hasbrouck.

5-Session General SWI Course for the Seriously Curious

Nov 9, 15, 22, 29, Dec 6 (Wednesdays, North America)

(7:30 - 9:30 EST 4:30 - 6:30 PST)

Click HERE for a video describing the course.

2-Session Spelling-Out Orthography Course

Dec 5 & 12 (Tuesdays, North America)

(7:30 - 9:30 EST 4:30 - 6:30 PST)

Click HERE for a video describing the course.

See video below for an interview on this topic with Pete.

Understanding the Tools of SWI & Teaching How the Written Word Works (Special 2-session version 3 hrs ea)

Nov 19 & 26 (Sundays in Australia & Thailand)

11:30 am - 2:30 pm (Melbourne)

7:30 am - 10:30 am (Bangkok)

Nov 18 & 26 (Saturdays in North America)

4:30 pm - 7:30 pm PST

7:30 pm - 10:30 pm EST

Click HERE for a flyer with more details. Email Pete < peterowers1@mac.com> to register or inquire.

New video on "Spelling-Out Orthography"

For more on this key practice in SWI lick HERE for a recent video in which Shawna Pope-Jefferson interviews me on "Spelling-Out Orthography."

This is an in-depth hour-long talk that includes discussing videos of young students using this process. To jump directly to that part of the video, click here.

See my webpage with many resources and videos on this topic HERE.

Consider these messages about the effect of my courses:

1. Click THIS LINK for details about my on-line and in-person PD, fees etc.

New videos of tudents 'spelling-out orthography' for reading and spelling.

Explore my archive of WordWorks Newsletters and Special Publications at THIS LINK.

Here are a couple of recent special publications about learning in my courses with many orthographic concepts and resources to support your learning.

Click for my most recent special publication of a teacher new to SWI having great success with her pull-out group.

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Upcoming SWI On-Line Workshops with Pete Two new on-line courses hosted by EduSpark (live and recorded) One new on-line session hosted by Reading with TLC (live and recorded) One new on-line course from WordWorks (real-time only, not recorded) November 2, 7-9 pm EST "Hot Topic Webinar" hosted by Reading with TLC (live and recorded) $40.

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What is Structured Word Inquiry (SWI)?

"Structured word inquiry" Bowers and Kirby (2010) literacy instruction that engages learners of all ages and abilities by making sense of our surprisingly logical spelling system. English spelling can only be understood through scientific investigation of the interrelationship of morphology (bases & affixes), etymology (historical influences) and phonology (grapheme-phoneme correspondences).

The evidence from multiple meta-analyses is that morphological instruction brings literacy benefits to learners in general, but in particular for less able and younger students (see more on research on back).

According to the research morphology should be a feature of instruction from the start. However, we have little research about how best to teach teach morphology. Research on SWI is promising, but has only just begun. The practical work gong on with SWI in classrooms and tutoring around the world offers educators and researches needed models of what such instruction can look like. See an interview with Dr. Bowers on SWI HERE.

Orthographic-phonology makes sense of grapheme-phoneme correspondences phonics instruction describes as "irregular."

Those born with efficient orthographic memories just learn to read and spell words like does without pausing to think about the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they were taught. Lacking automated access to such spellings, the dyslexic pauses to draw on their instruction. The misspelling *<duz> is the result of a dyslexic successfully applying hard won learning. This is not a motivating learning experience.

Nothing motivates like understanding

Both phonics instruction and the instruction of orthographic phonology in SWI explicitly target grapheme-phoneme correspondences. The key difference is what phonics lacks. Phonics fails to address the morphological and etymological influences grapheme choice that is central to instruction of orthographic phonology in SWI.

Instruction from a phonics perspective treats <does> is "irregular," but when we investigate the structure and meaning of this word and its family we can make sense of its spelling. The base <do> keeps its spelling regardless of it's pronunciation. This is not "irregular," it is how grapheme-phoneme correspondences operate in a morphophonemic system.

Why does my child spell <jumped> as *<jumpt>?

The misspelling *<jumpt> is the result of a child successfully applying what they are taught. After all, the word ends in what they are taught is the "t sound."

But when we look at the structure we see the <-ed> suffix for the past tense is always spelled <-ed>, no matter how it is pronounced!

It turns out this is one area in which many teachers are taught

to teach the interrelation of morphology and phonology. Unfortunately this recognition about the spelling and pronunciation of this suffix is rarely used outside of SWI / Real Spelling as a way to understand the system The same principle explains the spelling of "does" and the spelling of the word "action" that we see at right.

All words built on the English base (morphology) <struct> derive from the The Latin root (etymology) rumpere for "build" which informs the meaning of any word with the <struct> base. This base has multiple pronunciations, but only one spelling.

Introduction to the research

Structured word inquiry (SWI) (Bowers & Kirby, 2010) is NOT morphological instruction. Structured word inquiry is literacy instruction that uses a scientific inquiry approach to build understanding English orthography represents the meanings of words to speakers of the language through an interrelation of morphology, etymology and phonology. As Venezky (1999) explained, "English orthography is not a failed phonetic transcription system, invented out of madness or perversity. Instead, it is a more complex system that preserves bits of history (i.e., etymology), facilitates understanding, and also translates into sound" (p. 4).

SWI is not morphological instruction, but it must teach about morphology. As a result we can gain some insight from the results of research on the effects of including morphological in literacy instruction. The results are in direct contradiction to decades of (untested) recommendations from the research to avoid inclusion of morphology in instruction to younger and less able readers. See the table below with the results of meta- analyses of morphological instruction.

Orthographic phonology is essential to SWI Instruction -- and morphological instruction builds phonological awareness

Please keep in mind that SWI instruction requires explicit, rigorous instruction of orthographic phonology. This is the linguistic term that describes how the grapheme- phoneme correspondences work within the context of morphological and etymological constraints. The research shows that morphological instruction benefits phonological outcomes. Goodwin an Ahn found the greatest effects of morphological instruction in their meta-analyses (2010,2013) were for phonological outcomes. They explained, "Similar to Bowers et al. (2010), results suggest that early morphological instruction may be particularly helpful perhaps because of the synergistic relationship between phonology and morphology and the larger repertoire of root [base] and affix meanings available for use. If a reciprocal relationship exists between morphological knowledge and literacy...it makes sense to jump start this knowledge from an early age" (Goodwin & Ahn, 2013, p. 23).

Research Links

At the bottom of the About WordWorks page are links to most of Dr. Bowers' published research.

The Bowers & Kirby (2010) that introduced the term "structured word inquiry" is at THIS LIINK

The most accessible article on SWI and its place in the research is titled, Structured Word Inquiry (SWI): Literacy instruction that makes sense of English spelling for students of all ages and abilities. (Bowers, 2022) available HERE.

See Pete's TEDx talk (18 min) for a helpful introduction to the big picture of SWI HERE.

See Pete's interview on SWI with Education Podcast 'Pedagogy Non-Grata" (April 2021) ini 3 parts;

Those interested in the research discussion can find it near the end of video 2 at the 29 minute mark at . That discussion continues in Video 3 (33 min).

The "4 Questions of Structured Word inquiry"

The 4 questions of SWI offer teachers and students with a guide for scientific inquiry of the spelling of any word. This is not a recipe to be used every time a spelling question arises. However, when you decide to do a deep investigation of a spelling, these questions in this order help guide that investigation safely.

Question #4 on graphemes is not last because it is lease important. It is last because one can't come to any safe conclusions about grapheme-choice ini a word until you have considered morphological and etymological factors that constrain and explain grapheme choice.

See THIS video for an explanation of this view.

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What is Structured Word Inquiry (SWI)? "Structured word inquiry" Bowers and Kirby (2010) literacy instruction that engages learners of all ages and abilities by making sense of our surprisingly logical spelling system. English spelling can only be understood through scientific investigation of the interrelationship of morphology (bases & affixes), etymology (historical influences) and phonology (grapheme-phoneme correspondences).

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The Six Shifts

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Multi-Year Morphology Plan Example - The Six Shifts.pdf

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Possible Focus for Word Study - Template

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Shifting the Balance Morphology Lesson Planner

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Shifting the Balance Morphology Lesson Planner

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Great examples of conferring and tips.

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From A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences of The Classroom Essentials Series
Invite students to have a real give-and-take with you.

Even though in conferences you're a teacher talking to students, you're also a (more experienced) writer talking to (less experienced) fellow writers about what writers do-come up with topics, make a plan for a piece of writing, write a lead, develop a section
with detail, use commas in a series, and so on. In this give and take, you learn about what students are trying to do as writers and how well they're doing it, and the students learn how they can do their work better.

Speak in a conversational tone.

Tone is the foundation of the good relationships you want to develop with students over the course of the school year. Speaking in a warm, friendly manner puts students at ease and makes it more likely they will talk with you about what they're trying to do as writers. What you learn from this talk helps you assess students and decide what you should teach to help them grow.

Sit alongside students, at their eye level.

How you sit with students helps you establish a positive tone in conferences. You might grab a nearby empty seat or sit on one that you carry with you around the classroom. As you sit, it's important to make frequent eye contact with students and make sure that your
facial expressions show an interest in what students are telling you.

Use "active listening" strategies.

For example, give some wait time after asking a question so that students have the time and space they need to come up with a response. Ask students to "say more" about what they tell you. And repeat what children say to check that you're hearing them correctly.
Using these strategies shows that you have a real interest in what students are saying and that you're really trying to understand them. Students will usually respond by talking to you more.

The goal of a writing conference is to teach students something about writing that they can use in the future. If you add to students' writing repertoires in every conference, they become better writers over time.

Learn more at Heinemann.com

Carl Anderson is one of the nation's leading experts on teaching writing to students in grades K-12. He dedicates his energies exclusively as an education consultant and writer.

Carl recently worked for Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University as a Lead Staff Developer, providing staff development in the teaching of writing grades K-8. He spent school days in New York City elementary and middle schools demonstrating effective teaching in the writing workshop and coaching teachers. He gave day-long workshops for teachers at Teachers College on launching the writing workshop, conferring with student writers, mini-lessons, and developing curriculum for the writing workshop.

Carl is the author of numerous books including the bestselling How's It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers, as well as Assessing Writers and the series Strategic Writing Conferences: Smart Conversations that Move Young Writers Forward Grades 3-6.

His latest book, A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences, is part of the Classroom Essentials series. Full of classroom video, the book helps teachers understand the underlying principles and reasons for conferring with students, and how to make writing conferences a part of teachers' daily routines.

Follow Carl on Twitter @ConferringCarl

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The goal of a writing conference is to teach students something about writing that they can use in the future. If you add to students' writing repertoires in every conference, they become better writers over time.

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Noticing Trends Strategy Grouping

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Interactive Editing; Phonics in Action; Long Vowels

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Interactive Editing; Phonics in Action; Long Vowels

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Write Aloud: Expanding sentences with details

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Write Aloud: Expanding sentences with details

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Inspired by We Do Writing. This lesson models the write aloud element to bridge into independent writing and how to expand sentences with details.

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Interactive Editing; Sentence Structure; Transition Words

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Interactive Editing; Sentence Structure; Transition Words

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Interactive Editing; Phonics in Action; Long Vowels

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Interactive Editing; Phonics in Action; Long Vowels

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We Do Writing - Adding more words to the page

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We Do Writing - Adding more words to the page

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This lesson models topic sentences and the appositive sentence structure. It is inspired by We Do Writing and Writing Revolution.

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Interactive Editing; We Do Writing; Convention; They're/Their/There

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Interactive Editing; We Do Writing; Convention; They're/Their/There

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Summary Sentence: A 3rd grade lesson based on the work of Judith Hochman and the Writing Revolution

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Featured Classroom Kellye Armstard Nov 16 2021

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Many more examples and free webinars

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The Writing Revolution is a member of Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

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Probe template generator

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Assessing Writing for Students w/ Learning Disabilities (but has applications for all)

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Assessing Writing for Students w/ Learning Disabilities (but has applications for all)

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Simple Ways to Assess the Writing Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities

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Student writing can be evaluated on five product factors: fluency, content, conventions, syntax, and vocabulary. Writing samples also should be assessed across a variety of purposes for writing to give a complete picture of a student’s writing performance across different text structures and genres.…

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Episode 3: When not to differentiate: A guide to small-group instruction, with Jamey Peavler

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Science of Reading:The Podcast guest, Jamey Peavler, shares findings for small-group instruction and balancing small- and whole-group work.

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Modeling the process - Narrative Example

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Modeling the process - Narrative Example

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Small groups can be formed and reformed more often when we check in with writers across the class in smaller bites through the unit. Try one of these conference checklists:

G3-5 checklist

K-G2 checklist

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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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Good guide to using morphology to help with spelling and vocabulary

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This reference manual includes several useful features:

takes teachers through how English spelling uses morphology to represent the meaning of words

teaches word sums and word matrices as tools for examining word structure and constructing and deconstructing words morphologically

contains a series of ready-to-use lessons, helping teachers and students act as word detectives who problem-solve the links between structure and meaning

targets vocabulary, reading, and spelling skills!

By: Peter Bowers

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teaching how the written word works [wvc216] books and workbooks grammar and writing workshops | trainings classroom sets games gift certificates multisensory learning beginning reading morphology and vocabulary free downloads multisensory bundles high-frequency words multisensory instruction kit books and workbooks grammar and writing workshops | trainings classroom sets games gift certificates proceeds to charity multisensory learning beginning reading morphology and vocabulary free downloads o-g multisensory bundles sight words multisensory instruction kit ecommerce

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Kendore Learning Store Teaching How the Written Word Works [WVC216] - This reference manual includes several useful features: takes teachers through how English spelling uses morphology to represent the meaning of words teaches word sums and word matrices as tools for examining word structure and constructing and deconstructing words morphologically contains a series of ready-to-use lessons, helping teachers and students act as word detectives

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Great Website matching books with morpheme bases (and sometimes concepts)

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Great Website matching books with morpheme bases (and sometimes concepts)

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Could use as a resource...

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Literacy Resources | Can Do Kids Academy

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The Can Do Kids website is full of ready-made resources to support teachers and learners in their study of English orthography.

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Article summarizing feedback study. (Original Study embedded)

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Every teacher or coach worth their salt knows that there's no moment more important than the moment feedback is delivered. Do it correctly, and the learner takes a step forward. Do it poorly, and the reverse happens.

The deeper question is, what's the secret of great feedback? We instinctively think that effective feedback is about the quality of the information - telling the learner to do this and not that. But is this true, or is there something else going on?

A team of psychologists from Stanford, Yale, Columbia, and elsewhere recently set out to explore that question. They had middle-school teachers assign an essay-writing assignment to their students, after which students were given different types of teacher feedback.

To their surprise, researchers discovered that there was one particular type of teacher feedback that improved student effort and performance so much that they deemed it "magical." Students who received this feedback chose to revise their paper far more often that students who did not (a 40 percent increase among white students; 320 percent boost among black students) and improved their performance significantly. (See the study here.)

What was the magical feedback?

Just one phrase:
I'm giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.
That's it. Just 19 words. But they're powerful because they are not really feedback. They're a signal that creates something more powerful: a sense of belonging and connection.

Looking closer, the phrase contains several distinct signals:

1) You are part of this group.

2) This group is special; we have higher standards here.

3) I believe you can reach those standards.

The key is to understand that this feedback isn't just feedback - it's a vital cue about the relationship. The reason this works so well has to do with the way our brains are built. Evolution has built us to be cagey with our efforts; after all, engagement is expensive from a biological standpoint. But when we receive an authentic, crystal-clear signal of social trust, belonging, and high expectations, the floodgates click open.

I think the lessons for teachers and coaches are pretty simple:

First, connect: like John Wooden said, they can't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Highlight the group: seek ways (traditions, mantras, fun little rituals) to show what it means to belong in your crew.

Don't soft-pedal high standards. Don't pretend that it's easy - do the opposite. Emphasize the toughness of the task, and your belief that they have what it takes.

If you have any ideas, stories, or examples to share about how coaches and teachers achieve this kind of connection, I'd love to hear them.

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The Simple Phrase that Increases Effort 40% - Daniel Coyle

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Every teacher or coach worth their salt knows that there's no moment more important than the moment feedback is delivered. Do it correctly, and the learner takes a step forward. Do it poorly, and the reverse happens. The deeper question is, what's the secret of great feedback?

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What moves are you already making? What moves might you lift up?

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Etymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary

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The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet’s go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.