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Multiple conferring videos (various ages) are embedded in this blog post from Heinemann...

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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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AISR G3 Character Studies Unit Unpacking

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Copy of USJ - Assessment-Based Reading Instruction - Session#4

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Consider this list of materials to plan for setting writers up for success.

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Info Writing Planning Sheet: Conferring 'Look Fors'

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Info Writing Planning Sheet: Conferring 'Look Fors'

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Consider this list of materials to plan for setting writers up for success.

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justine@erinkentconsulting.com
twitter: @justine_otte @EKC_Literacy
#EKC

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Connect with educators around the world!

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Grouping by Predictable Needs G3 Narrative (example)

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Grouping by Predictable Needs G3 Narrative (example)

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What could be some good 3rd grade appropriate mentor texts to use in writing conferences

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It was helpful seeing how I could group students together depending on needs and not on level

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Writing Research Decide Compliment Teach Conference

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On-site visits: March 2023, March 2024, Sept 2024

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Learning Progression - Information Writing

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Learning Progression - Information Writing

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A Writing Conference: Teaching a Student to Write for Audience (3-5)

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AISR G3 Writing- Small Group Planner Templates 

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Info Writing Planning Sheet: Conferring 'Look Fors'

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Info Writing Planning Sheet: Conferring 'Look Fors'

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AIS Riyadh G3 WW Session 4 (November 2022) 

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AIS Riyadh G3 WW Session 4 (November 2022)  (1)

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I am feeling more confident on conferring and looking for student needs to then create small groups from. I like the idea of the Look Fors and making quick notes (on a range of ideas) as I confer.  I have some notes on the small groups I want to create soon. I appreciate the resources for how to organize a We Do group or Strategy group. Having a little more time to plan a group out would be helpful. Putting together a tool kit is something I still need to do.

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I like the "look fors" and have added a copy to my conferring clipboard, as I think it will help me to focus more intentionally on what to look for and teach into. My conferring schedule / practices are well-established, and these will help to make that conferring time even more meaningful. I still am trying to figure out how to manage so many students who have high needs / low academics. I don't want them to feel like they are flailing but I can't meet with them every day.

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G2 S1 AIS Riyadh Reading Workshop (February 2023)

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G2 S1 AIS Riyadh Reading Workshop (February 2023) (1)

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Dimensions of Responsive Literacy Instruction

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Dimensions of Responsive Literacy Instruction

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G2 S1 AIS Riyadh Reading Workshop (February 2023) (2)

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Many teachers use graphic novels and comics in the classroom. There are amazing books on the subject that include useful tools on how to effectively implement these resources for learning.

The main thing teachers need to consider is purpose. I know, we love books and tools, but as with technology, sometimes we get wrapped up in the tool instead of first thinking about the purpose. Here are some reasons why you might select a graphic novel or comic to read, or why you might have students create their own. Thinking about these reasons will help you focus on your purpose in your instruction.

Reasons to Work With Graphic Novels and Comics

Differentiating instruction: Graphic novels and comics can be a great way to differentiate instruction for learners in terms of reading and also in terms of assessment. Perhaps you want to offer your students a graphic novel to support their reading of a chapter in a rigorous text. There are many graphic novel adaptations of classics out there.

Maybe you're doing a project-based learning (PBL) unit in which you want to provide voice and choice for the student assessment. Students might be choosing between a letter, a comic, or a podcast to answer a driving question such as: How can we debunk myths and stereotypes about world religions?

Building critical reading skills: Reading standards around higher order thinking skills can be met through complex analysis and evaluation of graphic novels and comics. Have students look at how the authors and illustrators use colors, textures, words, text boxes, frames, and camera angles, and then make connections between these elements and evaluate their effectiveness.

Assessing student learning: PBL calls for the creation of authentic products that are useful and credible to the group. You can have students create comics or graphic novels, or components of them, as a useful formative assessment to check for understanding of important content.

A comic made to combat bullying can be used as a summative assessment, as Suzie Boss has suggested. Make the graphic novel or comic a product that students create to meet a need. Don't just make it a regurgitation of knowledge-give it an authentic purpose.

Studying the genre itself: In his book Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud asserts the legitimacy and complexity of comics and graphic novels as a genre. Pairing selections from his work with a graphic novel or comic can generate interesting discussion and inquiry into the elements of the genre itself. Genre study is an easy way to utilize literature circle groups and instructional lessons, where students get to pick from a variety of options.

Examining literary elements: Graphic novels take traditional literary elements like symbol, character, and plot, and modify them-characters may become heroes and villains, and visual symbols that would be described in a novel are actually drawn and created.

There are many other purposes for graphic novels in the classroom, from looking at different cultures and backgrounds to utilizing technology in authentic ways. Just make sure you select the graphic novel or comic with a clear purpose in mind.

I'll leave you with some favorite graphic novels and comics that I've used in my classroom.

Persepolis, a memoir of a girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, was recently made into a motion picture.

Maus, a top favorite for many, explores themes of the Holocaust through a memoir populated by mice and cats.

American Born Chinese is the tale of three characters: Jin Wang, the only Chinese-American in the neighborhood; Chin-Kee, the ultimate Chinese stereotype; and the Monkey King, a character from ancient fables.

Uncanny X-Men Volume 3 In this issue, the X-Men travel into Dante's Inferno.

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Using Graphic Novels and Comics in the Classroom

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Many teachers use graphic novels and comics in the classroom. There are amazing books on the subject that include useful tools on how to effectively implement these resources for learning. The main thing teachers need to consider is purpose.

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You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@readingrockets.org.

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High/low books offer highly engaging age-appropriate subject matter at a low reading level for struggling readers. High/low books can help build reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, and interest in reading. Learn more about where to find quality high/low books.

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Please leave notes on what was most useful in your learning so far and what feels important to dig into during the RW onsite visit.

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How do we identify which small groups to provide? How often should the small group be based around a shared text?

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Should I plan conferences ahead of time or work with students' needs?

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Let's revisit and apply the learning from the March onsite visit!

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On-site visits: March 2023, March 2024, Sept 2024

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Small Group Planner Templates and Example

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Small Group Planner Templates and Example

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Copy of USJ - Assessment-Based Reading Instruction - Session#4 (1)

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Planning for Data Informed Small Groups (3 options to consider)

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Planning for Data Informed Small Groups (3 options to consider)

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Copy of USJ - Assessment-Based Reading Instruction - Session#4 (2)

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Make a personal copy of this progression. Highlight where you and your students currently are on the progression. Look ahead to see what is possible next step or goal.

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Conferring and Small-Group Work Progression - Teacher Reflection

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AIS Riyadh G3-5 Keep/Shed/Modify Reflection - Google Jamboard

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AIS Riyadh G3-5 Keep/Shed/Modify Reflection

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Character Studies Unit Planner (with language targets)

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Character Studies Unit Planner (with language targets)

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Importance of Read Aloud for Language Comprehension

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Importance of Read Aloud for Language Comprehension

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Read Aloud for Language Comprehension Planner

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Uncovering the Logic of English helps educators break the complex code of English with simple rules.

Award-winning author Denise Eide demonstrates the effectiveness of systematic phonics to develop a transformed understanding of high-frequency words, sight words, decodable words and irregular words.

Written in an engaging and easy-to-follow style, Uncovering the Logic of English sheds light on our society's literacy crisis and provides a wealth of reading and spelling tools to help any student succeed.

This book is suitable for teachers looking to expand their reading curriculum, adults struggling with spelling, English Language Learners who want to improve their pronunciation and parents teaching their children at home.

Uncovering the Logic of English challenges the notion that English is illogical by revealing the logical patterns underlying 98% of English words and explaining:

75 phonograms and 31 spelling rules that can be used to explain 98% of English words

How English words are formed and how this knowledge can revolutionize vocabulary development

That understanding the reasons behind English spelling prevents students from needing to guess

Grounded in the latest linguistic and reading research, Uncovering the Logic of English demonstrates why the phonogram approach, with accurate spelling rules, should be as foundational to our education system as 1 + 1 = 2.

What if the problem is not the language itself, but the rules we were taught? What if we could see the complexity of English as a powerful tool rather than a hindrance? - Denise Eide

Uncovering the Logic of English introduces the phonograms and rules that are taught in the Logic of English Foundations and Essentials series.

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This book helps educators have a better grasp of how to teach English and provide learners with an in-depth understanding of the English language.

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Administering CORE Phonics Assessment Slides.pdf

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Phoneme- Grapheme Frequency for Spellers

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Phoneme- Grapheme Frequency for Spellers

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Example- Multisyllabic Decoding Shared Text Planner

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Example- Multisyllabic Decoding Shared Text Planner

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TEMPLATE

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ISNS G4 Planner for Syllables in Connected Text Small Group

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TEMPLATE

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G2 Word Study Demo Reading Group- <ea> long e