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1.Instruction must be at an appropriate age and cognitive ability of students

2. Lessons must provide examples of how words of focus are used in the context of sentences and passages

3. To learn the meanings of words students must have repeated exposure to the word(s)

4. Must include the four components of Vocabulary instruction:

1. Direct instruction of target words

2. Teaching students independent word learning strategies

3. Developing word consciousness

4. Encouraging wide reading

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Studies show that some students can typically learn and average of nine words per week                                    Three strategies include:            -Contextual Redefinition            -Semantic Maps Semantic        -Feature Analysis  

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Studies show that some students can typically learn and average of nine words per week                                    Three strategies include:            -Contextual Redefinition            -Semantic Maps Semantic        -Feature Analysis  

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1.Morphemic Analysis- Looking at parts of  words to determine may also known as Structural Analysis

1.Contextual Analysis- use context clues to figure out the meanings of   unknown words

1.Using the Dictionary- determining meaning of a word by looking up a definition in a developmentally appropriate  dictionary

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Word Consciousness is “awareness and interest in words and their meaning”

Build Students understanding of:

1.Synonyms and Antonyms

2.Homophones and Homonyms

3.Idioms and Puns

4.Etymology

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1.Listening/Speaking

2.Reading/Writing

3.Structure of English Language

a.Sentence Structure

b.Syntax

c.Punctuation and Capitalization

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7 Steps to a Great Writing Workshop

1. Step 1: Set up a writing workshop framework. A typical writing workshop session has four parts. ...

2. Step 2: Be a writer! ...

3. Step 3: Create a writing community. ...

4. Step 4: Provide many models and topic choices. ...

5. Step 5: Let students work at their own pace. ...

6. Step 6: Invite peer responses. ...

7. Step 7: Offer your support.

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Used to increase Vocabulary, Academic Language and Background Knowledge

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1.Struggling Readers

a.Focus on Key Vocabulary and Nontechnical academic language

b.Reteach what was not mastered

c.Provide concrete examples

d.Use visual kinesthetic and tactile activities

2.English Language Learners

a.Use cognates

b.Use concrete examples

c.Build knowledge of English Morphemes

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Ready to teach your students how to write a memoir essay?

Here are steps to help you teach effectively and your students to produce a meaningful piece of writing.

Let's dive in!

What is a memoir essay?

A memoir is a personal essay that explores an event that a person has experienced. It's different from a personal narrative in that the writer of a memoir usually reflects on the event and what it means.

So rather than your students simply telling a story of about something that happened to them (personal narrative), they tell the story and reflect on its meaning (memoir).
👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
1. Provide mentor texts

Before your students even start writing, be sure they understand what a memoir is. Provide examples to your students. A good way to start class is to simply read a few pages from a memoir.

Don't forget to look into picture books as a source for mentor texts. These can provide a wonderful overview to the genre.

You can even use memoirs as the text for literature circles or book clubs. This is extremely helpful when you start asking students to add dialogue or description to their writing. They can refer to the mentor text to see examples they can mirror.

2. Create an anchor chart

As you share mentor texts with your students, create a custom anchor chart with your class - and add to it as you are exploring the elements of a good memoir.

But don't stop there...

Make sure your students have anchor charts that work for them. When your students make their own "personal" anchor charts (in a resource book, for example), they will understand the genre much better than they would with a ready-made chart hanging on the classroom wall.

3. Provide time for generating ideas

We often rush students into picking a topic. And students will often pick the first idea that pops into their mind, which may not be the best.

As you're planning your lessons, allow for a few class periods (at least) for students to journal and brainstorm. This is where reading a memoir or a portion of a memoir comes in handy. Students can respond to the reading and use it as a jumping off point to their own memoir.

Additionally, you can provide writing prompts such as:

what is your earliest memory?

who were your friends in first grade?

what was your favorite toy?

do you remember what you brought to school for show-and-tell? why did you bring that item and how was it received?

what is a favorite holiday memory? best Halloween costume? most memorable birthday?

where did you live or go to school when you were five? describe what you remember about it.

what do you remember about your first day of school?

write about your memories of relatives

if you have siblings, what are your early memories about them?

describe your experience of learning how to ride a bike

write about what you remember about learning how to play a sport

what do you remember about learning how to tie your shoe?

👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
4. What makes this a memoir?

As you begin teaching your students how to write a memoir, they're going to have many ideas.

When students begin to choose their topic, take time to have them reflect on how this topic will be a memoir. What about it makes it a worthy memory?

If a students is going to write about the first day of preschool, be sure to provide a writing prompt that asks, "Why is this something you want to remember and share?"

This is the question that will help students see the difference between a personal narrative and a memoir.

5. Narrow the focus

As your students get ready to write the first draft of their memoir, don't forget to have them check to make sure they have narrowed their topic. This can (and often is) a huge stumbling block for student writers.

How can they check?

1. Have students create a quick outline of events they want to include in the memoir.

2. Write a six-word summary of their memoir. (Similar to the Six Word Memoir, which you still may want to do, and there are fabulous examples on the website!) Having students summarize their memoir in just six words will help them focus on the heart of the event.

3. Write a haiku memoir summary. Provide students with a recipe for their haiku (three lines, 5 syllables in line one, 7 syllables in line two, 5 syllables in line three). This is another opportunity for students to focus on the heart of their memoir.

4. Use hashtags. Can they write a hashtag for their memoir? What would it say?

5. Create a graphic novel page that will illustrate what happened.

6. Share often along the way

Build in time for students to share their ideas. You can even use a quick "turn and talk" activity to give students a chance to not only share what they want to write about, but also to hear what another student is planning.

7. Draft

Wow - step 7 is drafting?? Finally!

I like to tell students that their draft is going to write itself because they have done so much prewriting that they know exactly what they want to write and how it will look.

(Need a bit more help? I've got 20 mini lessons for you in my shop.)

8. Peer review

Once your students have finished a draft, be sure to have them participate in peer reviews. These can be as simple as reading their memoir to another student.

As students work on peer reviews, they can look at description, dialogue, or the epiphany the writer has had through the event. Peer reviews are most successful when students have a specific task.

9. Publish & share

The best part of the writing process is the publication (ahhh!) and the sharing (yay!). Especially with a memoir, students will want to share their stories. You can have an author's chair for reading memoirs to the class, or students can share in small groups.
👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
Enjoy this wonderful genre with your students!

Ready to teach your students how to write a memoir essay?

Here are steps to help you teach effectively and your students to produce a meaningful piece of writing.

Let's dive in!

What is a memoir essay?

A memoir is a personal essay that explores an event that a person has experienced. It's different from a personal narrative in that the writer of a memoir usually reflects on the event and what it means.

So rather than your students simply telling a story of about something that happened to them (personal narrative), they tell the story and reflect on its meaning (memoir).
👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
1. Provide mentor texts

Before your students even start writing, be sure they understand what a memoir is. Provide examples to your students. A good way to start class is to simply read a few pages from a memoir.

Don't forget to look into picture books as a source for mentor texts. These can provide a wonderful overview to the genre.

You can even use memoirs as the text for literature circles or book clubs. This is extremely helpful when you start asking students to add dialogue or description to their writing. They can refer to the mentor text to see examples they can mirror.

2. Create an anchor chart

As you share mentor texts with your students, create a custom anchor chart with your class - and add to it as you are exploring the elements of a good memoir.

But don't stop there...

Make sure your students have anchor charts that work for them. When your students make their own "personal" anchor charts (in a resource book, for example), they will understand the genre much better than they would with a ready-made chart hanging on the classroom wall.

3. Provide time for generating ideas

We often rush students into picking a topic. And students will often pick the first idea that pops into their mind, which may not be the best.

As you're planning your lessons, allow for a few class periods (at least) for students to journal and brainstorm. This is where reading a memoir or a portion of a memoir comes in handy. Students can respond to the reading and use it as a jumping off point to their own memoir.

Additionally, you can provide writing prompts such as:

what is your earliest memory?

who were your friends in first grade?

what was your favorite toy?

do you remember what you brought to school for show-and-tell? why did you bring that item and how was it received?

what is a favorite holiday memory? best Halloween costume? most memorable birthday?

where did you live or go to school when you were five? describe what you remember about it.

what do you remember about your first day of school?

write about your memories of relatives

if you have siblings, what are your early memories about them?

describe your experience of learning how to ride a bike

write about what you remember about learning how to play a sport

what do you remember about learning how to tie your shoe?

👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
4. What makes this a memoir?

As you begin teaching your students how to write a memoir, they're going to have many ideas.

When students begin to choose their topic, take time to have them reflect on how this topic will be a memoir. What about it makes it a worthy memory?

If a students is going to write about the first day of preschool, be sure to provide a writing prompt that asks, "Why is this something you want to remember and share?"

This is the question that will help students see the difference between a personal narrative and a memoir.

5. Narrow the focus

As your students get ready to write the first draft of their memoir, don't forget to have them check to make sure they have narrowed their topic. This can (and often is) a huge stumbling block for student writers.

How can they check?

1. Have students create a quick outline of events they want to include in the memoir.

2. Write a six-word summary of their memoir. (Similar to the Six Word Memoir, which you still may want to do, and there are fabulous examples on the website!) Having students summarize their memoir in just six words will help them focus on the heart of the event.

3. Write a haiku memoir summary. Provide students with a recipe for their haiku (three lines, 5 syllables in line one, 7 syllables in line two, 5 syllables in line three). This is another opportunity for students to focus on the heart of their memoir.

4. Use hashtags. Can they write a hashtag for their memoir? What would it say?

5. Create a graphic novel page that will illustrate what happened.

6. Share often along the way

Build in time for students to share their ideas. You can even use a quick "turn and talk" activity to give students a chance to not only share what they want to write about, but also to hear what another student is planning.

7. Draft

Wow - step 7 is drafting?? Finally!

I like to tell students that their draft is going to write itself because they have done so much prewriting that they know exactly what they want to write and how it will look.

(Need a bit more help? I've got 20 mini lessons for you in my shop.)

8. Peer review

Once your students have finished a draft, be sure to have them participate in peer reviews. These can be as simple as reading their memoir to another student.

As students work on peer reviews, they can look at description, dialogue, or the epiphany the writer has had through the event. Peer reviews are most successful when students have a specific task.

9. Publish & share

The best part of the writing process is the publication (ahhh!) and the sharing (yay!). Especially with a memoir, students will want to share their stories. You can have an author's chair for reading memoirs to the class, or students can share in small groups.
👉You can find two free memoir anchor chart mini lessons & more in my exclusive resource library. Click here to gain access!
Enjoy this wonderful genre with your students!

Here's what's new in the store!

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Your Guide to Teaching Memoir Writing - Just Add Students

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Ready to teach your students how to write a memoir essay? Here are steps to help you teach effectively and your students to produce a meaningful piece of writing. Let's dive in! A memoir is a personal essay that explores an event that a person has experienced.