"Learning the Write Way" by Deidra M. Gammill (Michelle Smith)

This article focused on how writing can be used to build reading comprehension, to self-question, activate prior knowledge, infer, and reflect. Writing-to-learn can be implemented in the classroom with two strategies: K-W-L and reading journals. K-W-L is a chart that can be completed as a whole class or individually, which is used to represent what students know, what they want to know, and what they learned. Reading journals are a way for students to reflect on their learning, and are also a way for students to make connections. Both of these strategies can be used at any grade level, with a few modifications, and with any subject area. Writing to learn is a way for students to organize their thoughts on paper, which helps them think critically.

Writing to learn can be used in a kindergarten classroom with any of the subject areas. Using a K-W-L chart for science and math lessons would be a way to integrate writing into the lesson. This would help students recognize what they already know about the subject matter, and would give meaning to the lesson as their questions in the “w” column were answered. In kindergarten, we would fill out a K-W-L chart as a class, where students would contribute what they know, and want to know at the beginning of the lesson, and then at the end of the lesson we could close by completing the “l” column, what they have learned. Reading journals can also be used in any subject area, but would be especially useful in language arts. Our kindergarteners are still learning how to identify letters, and the sound each letter makes, so few of them are able to write actual words. Reading journals could still be used, where we could encourage students to try their best to write words, and draw a picture to represent their thinking. This is a great way to assess students’ comprehension of a book, and summarization skills. We could also use the reading journals before reading a story and have the students make predictions through pictures and labels. This is similar to the publishing activity we viewed in Cyrus Limon’s class in the way that the students would be using inventive spelling to write sentences, along with pictures. However, reading journals takes this a step further because now students are using comprehension strategies to understand the story, and writing their understanding of the book/lesson on paper.

In order for writing to learn to be effective in my classroom, I would need to spend time modeling how to write in a reading journal, and how to contribute to a K-W-L chart. We would start with one of these strategies alone for a whole unit, and then focus on the other strategy the next unit. For the reading journal, I would have students begin by simply drawing pictures. As students were writing/drawing in their reading journal, I would circulate around and see whether students were drawing pictures to explain the story, or if they were drawing random pictures. After a few days of drawing, I would add in the writing by having students label, or attempt to write sentences. I could use their reading journals as an assessment to not only assess their comprehension strategies, but to assess their phonics knowledge (if they can segment words into sounds, and write down letters to represent those sounds), and letter identification.

It was refreshing to observe a kindergarten class using writing strategies in this module because most videos and lessons I have observed deal with second graders or older. Most of my assessing will take place while students are working with me in their guided reading groups for literacy. I also plan on informally assessing two students each day by taking detailed observation notes on their work and participation throughout the day. I feel that holding writing conferences would be most effective in mt class. Students will feel more comfortable to express their thoughts while meeting with me one-on-one, so this will be a better way to measure their growth, and monitor their progress and learning.

School Talk: Conferring in the Writers Workshop, NTCE Elementary Section (Allison Mooney)

This issue of "School Talk" consisted of a compilation of various articles all surrounding the ideas related to conferences with students embedded into the writing workshop.  


"Writing Conference: Breaking the Silence" by Ralph Fletcher
"Conversations with Student Writers" by Carl Anderson
"Teacher Talk: Developing Voice and Choice in Writing" by Yvonne Siu-Runyan


     The main ideas presented in these articles were all related.  It centered around the fact that traditional approaches to conferring with students might, in fact, not be the most effective way to help students learn traits to become better writers.  One article highlighted the fact that teachers need to step back and do something as simple as just converse with their students, as they would a friend or colleague.  It also urged teachers to respond as writers and laugh when they thought something was funny or mirror their honest feelings (ie: "I was pulled in at the beginning because I love swimming, but when you started listing lots of people I was confused").  The articles also encouraged teachers to help students find their voices when they might be frustrated or discouraged as writers.  One article encouraged rehursal to become a main part of the writers workshop in hopes that students who say, "I don't have anything to write about," can TELL stories they find meaningful to an audience and then write down the words.  The articles also focus on being a teacher and a learner.  It is important to sit eye level with a student, make them feel like their ideas are valued and to model these practices to students.  Mainly, the goal of these articles was to help teachers understand that the main goal of conferencing during the writers workshop is to help students become better writers, to teach the writer not the writing and to help students use writing and thinking techniques and strategies.  


     Conferencing could definitely be used at the kindergarten level.  It could be used during any portion of the writers workshop.  Especially in kindergarten, young students need a lot of scaffolding and modeling in regards to writing.  It could be used during the pre-writing and drafting stage by talking and conversing with students to gain a sense of what they are going to write about.  It would be beneficial to use here because a teacher could help a student elaborate on an idea by asking open ended questions.  If a student said they wanted to write about playing outside, the teacher could help the student think of a particular time they played out side and ask who they were with, what happened etc.   It could also be used during the revising, editing and publishing stage many ways.  It would be important to take into mind the developmental level of kindergartners and each student in general. This is where a small conference while circulating around the classroom to assist and model for children how to use phonetic spelling and how to find sight words in the classroom would be helpful.  


These articles help enrich writing instruction beyond what I saw in Mr. Limon's video because they enable teachers to step back and remember that they are teaching human beings.  It is important to take into mind that these students have different voices and are at different abilities and sometimes teachers straddle that line of being completely in control and having the students in control.  These articles present ways for teachers to positively and (possibly) effectively confer with their students.  The articles encourage students to respond as a writer, praise specifics, provide short conference times with one focal point, have students become "problem finders," mirror thinking and to reflect post-conference for the teachers' own benefit.  


As a professional, I would need to learn more about how the writing workshop can be applied in a kindergarten classroom.  I do not see all stages of the writing workshop in my classroom and I am not sure how I would be able to scaffold the students to maintain the level of writing as seen in Mr. Limon's video.  Personally, I still think I need to learn more about developmental writing and about how to help students effectively write, learn aspects of writing, and to introduce phonics into the curriculum.  


The module components have helped me see how it is possible to structure a writers workshop at the kindergarten level and that it can be successful (the video especially).  In order to plan my units, I now realize that writers workshop can be beneficial for kindergartners and that it is important to introduce components of good writing now so that they can grow as writers and foster good writing techniques.  


I want to remember/consider that all of my students have their own voices.  I also know that some of my students are not motivated or say they don't like writing.  I have also seen that there is a big focus on perfection as students write in my class.  My CT likes things a certain way.  As I plan for instruction I will remember that my students have a voice and stories to share and I will try different techniques such as story telling to help them become interested in sharing their ideas through writing.  I will also try and incorporate some activities that involve more developmental writing so the students are not focused on forming perfect letters and words.  

School Talk: Conferring in the Writing Workshop by Marianne Marino and Hindley Salch (Katie Gleason)

This issue of School Talk is all about conferring with students on their writing which means simply conferencing with them with them one on one to have a conversation about their writing. It is said to start a conference with simple questions to get a conversation going as well as setting up assessment ideas such as “How’s it going?” or “What are you doing as a writer today?” This gives the students a chance to take ownership of their writing by retelling to their teacher. As the teacher talks with the student they assess what that individual student is doing as a writer. There is also a point at the end where the teacher talks with the student about how to be an even better writer. They are to focus on the student’s writing and teach them specific ways to improve it. I really love the approach that is talked about in this article because it is all about listening to what the student has to say by asking the question such as “How’s it going?” while having an expression of sincerity. This shows the writer that the work they do as a writer really matters!

I would love to use this approach in my kindergarten classroom. My reasoning for this is because it is very hard to assess writing during a whole class activity. I also have a few quiet students in the classroom that will tend to stay away from discussion as a whole class, but if we sit down and talk with them separately they tend to talk much more. I really like how much it shows the students that we care about each of them, and what they are learning. As a professional I need to become comfortable with assessing students in a conversational on the spot style. I have noticed many teachable moments that have just showed up that I could have taken to ask questions and assess. I would like to be able to have a conversation with a student about their writing experiences comfortably. This seemed to be an attainable skill with practice and beginning prompting questions.

In my student work that I collected I felt as if I would really like to go back and talk with a few students about why they wrote what they did and what their thought processes were. After reading the School Talk article I feel as if conferring with students is a perfect way to go about this! During my unit students will be doing writing as a few centers, and I would like to incorporate conferring with students after completing centers. From student work I would like to plan a conference with students where we would be able to chat about if they enjoyed their writing and why they wrote what they did. I would also use this time to talk with students on ways to improve their writing.

The Forgotten Genre of Children's Poetry by Sharon Ruth Gill (Jen Flanagan)

          This piece is about how poetry has become a forgotten genre. After attending a book fair made Sharon Gill think about how children’s anthologies seem to be more in the past and focused on “classics” rather than the 20^th century. She explains that there are many 20^th century children’s poems, but these books aren’t easily seen in bookstores and are definitely not at book fairs. If children became more educated on understanding what poetry is—“a concise and memorable case of language, with intense feeling, imagery, and qualities of sound that bound pleasingly off the tongue, tickle the ear, and leave the mind something to ponder,” then they will appreciate the works of poetry. In the end, it is up to teachers to make it a point to not let poetry become a forgotten genre when teaching in a classroom. It’s up to teacher’s to make a difference and to speak up for a forgotten genre.

            In Kindergarten, poetry can fit in any language arts curriculum. In my classroom, we have read a book almost every day. This is where I could teach my students about poetry and read poems by a variety of poets—both “classic” and 20^th century poets. I would further this approach by having students write their own poems or writing a poem as a class (since my Kindergartener’s have a hard time writing solo.) Incorporating poetry into any language arts curriculum can enrich writing instruction. It makes students think more deeply about what they are trying to express. Poetry is a different kind of expression in terms of writing. It has a unique set of guidelines and “rules” to follow. If students learn to read and write in this context, writing instruction can be enriched.

In order to use this approach successfully with my students, I think that I need to learn how to facilitate a classroom discussion as well as the approach I take to explain a new genre to my students. Explaining something new to Kindergartener’s takes a lot of practice and repetition. I think I will need to learn how to approach this topic in a simplistic manner. In terms of thinking about types of assessments for my unit development, I thought that the “Record-Keeping Form” from the article, “Assessing Writers” was a great way to keep thoughts about student’s and their writing. For Kindergarten, it might be hard to do this because my students can’t write stories of even sentences. However, just watching them write letters and talking to them about their writing, I can learn about what I need to do to teach my students about writing and the writing process.

            As writers, I think about the capability of my students. I know that some of my students can write, but I know that a majority of them can’t because they don’t know how to spell, let alone write words or even sentences. I think I need to know what my student’s are capable of writing even though they might not be able to write it. As long as they can verbalize it, they can one day write it on paper, as writers.