Rent 9780325006017 | Writing Essentials : Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching

Summary Table of Contents

What does great writing instruction look like and sound like? How do successful teachers of writing get great writers who enjoy writing? Where do they find the time for instruction, assessment, and test prep?In Writing EssentialsRegie Routman demystifies the process of teaching writing well and gives you the knowledge, research, precise instructional language, and confidence you need to succeed. With Regie's help, you'll transform your classroom into an organized, joyful writing environment where students connect reading with writing every day ... MOREacross the curriculum, learn essential skills like grammar and spelling, and achieve higher scores on high-stakes tests through sensible, writing-based test preparation and daily classroom-based assessment.Writing Essentialsspecifically and explicitly demonstrates practical, easy-to-do strategies that turn your writing instruction practices into best practices. Follow Routman's path for successfully leading all students-including English language learners, writers who struggle, and students coping with learning disabilities-from first draft to publication. You'll find expert advice and specific demonstrations on a wide variety of techniques, including: demonstrating your own writing process for students organizing and managing the writing classroom conducting effective, efficient writing conferences creating meaningful rubrics for better assessment teaching various forms of narrative and informational writing-and poetry applying shared writing across the grades and across the curriculum teaching editing and revision mapping out your writing instruction with Regie's own flexible, five-day lesson-planning model. In addition, Writing Essentialsincludes a DVD with eight three-to-four-minute video clips from primary and intermediate classrooms that show Regie conferring with writers and celebrating their work as she teaches and assesses. These invaluable clips, and the detailed notes that accompany them, take you inside the writing conference to see its structures and procedures while the sample classroom publications also on the DVD reveal the exciting possibilities of working with student writers.Writing Essentialsis conversational, upbeat, practical, eminently readable, illustrated with a wealth of children's writing, and filled with proven techniques for teaching writing well and managing your instructional time more effectively. With Routman in hand, you'll not only have the inspiration to say "I can do that too," but you'll have first-rate resources and strategies to answer your questions and help make great writing instruction happen in your classroom immediately. For more information on using the DVD, please click here .

Regie Routman demystifies the process of teaching writing well and gives you the knowledge, research, precise instructional language, and confidence you need to succeed.

A Note About Notes and Other Resources

xvii

Acknowledgments

xix

0ne The Essential Writing Life

1 Simplify the Teaching of Writing

(14)

... MORE

Why Writing Essentials?

(8)

Simplify Teaching and Increase Results and Enjoyment

(2)

Become More Knowledgeable About How to Teach Writing

(1)

Examine Your Beliefs

(4)

Teach What's Essential

(71)

12 Writing Essentials for All Grades

(6)

Teach Writing the Way Real Writers Work

(1)

Be Explicit-Show Students How

(1)

Simplify

(1)

2 Start with Celebration

(18)

Change the Status of Kids in the Classroom

(4)

Turn Kids into Writers

(2)

Make Sure Writing Is Meaningful, Not Just Correct

(1)

Meet a Writer

(1)

Start with a Story

(6)

Use Stories as a Springboard for Teaching and Learning

(1)

Ensure That All Your Students Hear Stories

(1)

Choose Your Topics Carefully

(1)

Keep Your Students' Attention

(1)

Write in Front of Your Students

(1)

Expand Personal Writing

(1)

Connect Home and School Writing

(2)

See What Writers Do Well

(2)

See Their Brilliance

(1)

Take a Leap of Faith

(1)

See the Light-Write Poetry

(1)

Make Enjoyment Central to Teaching Writing-Let the Fun Begin

(4)

3 Share Your Writing Life

(18)

Bond as a Staff by Writing Together

(4)

Observe What You Do and Note the Teaching Implications

(1)

Make Time for Your Staff to Write Together

(2)

Examine Your Life as a Writer

(4)

Look at Your Writing Practices

(1)

Tell Students Why You Write

(1)

Connect Your Reading Life with Writing

(1)

Find Your Own Voice

(10)

Use Writing to Bond with Your Students

(3)

Be Realistic About Planning Before Writing

(1)

Observe Your Composing Process

(1)

Increase Your Writing Enjoyment

(4)

Two Teaching Essentials

4 Raise Your Expectations

(30)

Change the School Culture of Low Expectations

(3)

Take Action to Raise Writing Expectations

(1)

Expect Excellence

(1)

Nurture and Nudge

(13)

Establish Schoolwide Expectations for Quality

(6)

Remember That Quantity Matters

(1)

Raise Your Expectations for Conventions

(1)

Raise Your Expectations for Handwriting

(3)

Raise Your Expectations for Editing

(1)

Rely on an Optimal Learning Model

(8)

Decide What Support Learners Need

(2)

Include More Shared Experiences

(2)

Rely on Scaffolded Conversations

(1)

Focus on the Writer First

(6)

Build Early Success for All Students, Including Writers Who Struggle

(4)

Do Not Accept Failure As an Option

(1)

5 Do More Shared Writing

(36)

Apply Principles of Instruction and Learning

(4)

Shared Writing Is Ideal for All Learners

(1)

Understand the Research That Supports Shared Writing

(1)

Link Shared Writing to Reading

(1)

Use Interactive Writing Wisely

(1)

Implement Shared Writing

(1)

A Framework for a Shared Writing Lesson

(1)

Teaching Tips to Go Along with Shared Writing

(10)

Use Shared Writing to Teach Writing Strategies

(1)

Keep the Major Focus on Content

(1)

Watch Your Language

(2)

Use Shared Writing to Do Important Word Work

(12)

Cut Up and Reassemble Sentences

(4)

Make Words with Tiles

(1)

Write a "Mystery Message"

(1)

Observe Shared Writing in Action

(1)

Create a Fiction Story Through Shared Writing

(1)

Teach Informational Writing Through Shared Writing

105

(7)

Tried and True Ideas for Shared Writing

112

(7)

6 Capitalize on the Reading-Writing Connection

119

(22)

Link Writing with Reading

120

(3)

Integrate Reading and Writing in Teaching

120

(1)

Begin in Kindergarten

121

(2)

Ensure Students Read Quality Materials

123

(2)

Spend More Time Reading

123

(1)

Teach Students How to Reread Their Writing

124

(1)

Examine Written Responses to Reading

125

(1)

Be Sensible About Reading-Response Journals

125

(1)

Use Writing to Improve Comprehension

126

(4)

Do More Informational Writing

126

(1)

Teach Summary Writing

127

(1)

Lesson Snapshot: Summary Writing

128

(1)

Procedures in Brief for Teaching Summarizing in Shared Read-Alouds

130

(11)

Write More Book Reviews

132

(1)

Teach and Encourage Note-Taking

133

(1)

Use Writing in Guided Reading Groups

134

(2)

Ask Worthwhile Questions

136

(1)

Integrate Nonfiction Writing into All Writing

137

(1)

Prepare Students for Tests Requiring Brief Written Responses

137

(1)

Accelerate Literacy

138

(3)

Three The Essential Writing Day

7 Be Efficient and Integrate Basic Skills

141

(32)

Start with Meaning and Keep It Whole

142

(3)

Reduce Isolated Skills Work

142

(1)

Focus on Quality First

143

(2)

Include Audience in All Writing

145

(2)

Focus on Voice Through Meaningful Writing

146

(1)

Contrived Writing Stifles Voice

146

(1)

Teach Explicitly and Tell Students Why

147

(2)

Make Sure Your Demonstrations Include Why

148

(1)

Don't Assume Transfer Is Automatic-It's Not

148

(1)

Take Advantage of the "Efficiency of Context"

149

(1)

Shift the Focus in Teaching Writing

149

(1)

TEACHING BEYOND THE STANDARDS

150

(5)

Keep Standards in Perspective

153

(1)

Teach Useful Minilessons

154

(1)

A Sampling of Common Minilessons

155

(14)

Teach Students to Care About Revision

156

(4)

Help Students Develop a Revision Consciousness

156

(1)

Revise Your Writing in Front of Students

156

(4)

Focus on Editing After Students Can Produce Quality Writing

160

(1)

Make Sure Students Know Why Conventions Matter

161

(1)

Teach Spelling Well

161

(4)

Set Up the Environment for Teaching Spelling

162

(1)

Value Spelling Approximations

162

(1)

Raise Your Expectations for Spelling

163

(1)

Develop a Strong Spelling Consciousness

164

(1)

Use Word Walls and Other Resources Effectively

165

(3)

Construct Word Walls with Students

165

(1)

Highlight Words and Features of Words

166

(1)

Make Your Word Wall Flexible

167

(1)

Limit Dictionary and Thesaurus Use

168

(1)

Provide High-Quality Instruction to Writers Who Struggle

168

(1)

Proven Strategies for Writers Who Struggle-and All Writers

169

(4)

8 Organize for Daily Writing

173

(32)

Broaden Your Definition of Writing Workshop

174

(1)

Find Time for Daily Writing

175

(1)

Value Writing and You Will Make Time for It

176

(1)

Set Up the Environment for Success

176

(20)

Provide More Choice Within Meaningful Structure

177

(2)

Tap the Potential of Choice Within Structure

177

(1)

Teach Students How to Choose Worthwhile Topics

178

(1)

Teach Sensible Planning Strategies

179

(5)

Expand Your Definition of Prewriting

179

(1)

Do More Freewrites

179

(1)

Limit the Use of Graphic Organizers

180

(1)

Do More Demonstration Writing

180

(1)

Have More Conversations About Writing

181

(3)

Establish Criteria for Writing

184

(1)

Make Excellent Management a Priority

184

(6)

Maintain a Predictable Structure

184

(3)

Build a Climate of Trust

187

(1)

Employ a Flexible Framework

187

(1)

Establish Daily Routines and Model Expected Behavior

188

(1)

Keep Records

189

(1)

Organize Student Writing

190

(1)

Put Genre Study in Perspective

190

(6)

Simplify Genre Teaching

192

(1)

Make Schoolwide Decisions About Genre Study

192

(1)

Focus First on Purposes of Writing

193

(1)

Start by Engaging Students

194

(2)

Teach Nonfiction Writing

196

(1)

A Framework for Teaching Writing Genres

196

(9)

Write and Publish More Short Pieces

197

(7)

Write Snapshots for Real Reasons

199

(1)

Write Lots of Letters

200

(2)

Use Writing to Perform Acts of Kindness

202

(2)

Do More Publishing

204

(1)

9 Conference with Students

205

(33)

Know What a Writing Conference Is

206

(1)

Depend on Whole-Class Share

207

(8)

Use Whole-Class Share as a Venue in Which to Teach

211

(1)

Teach Students How to Listen

212

(1)

Manage Whole-Class Share Effectively

213

(2)

Tips for Successful Whole-Class Shares and Conferences

215

(13)

Use a Variety of Other Conferences

216

(4)

Try a Quickshare

216

(1)

Conduct Roving Conferences

217

(1)

Schedule One-on-One Conferences

218

(1)

Teach Peer Conferencing

219

(1)

Simplify Writing Conferences

220

(3)

Spend Time Frontloading

220

(1)

Rely on the Optimal Learning Model

221

(1)

Establish Routines and Procedures

222

(1)

What Makes a Productive Conference?

223

(1)

Put the Writer First

223

(3)

Assume the Child Is Making Sense

224

(1)

Give an Overall Response First

225

(1)

Be Generous with Your Praise

225

(1)

Make Important Teaching Points

226

(1)

Begin with Content Conferences

226

(2)

Use the Language of Helpful Response

227

(1)

What to Focus on in a Content Conference

228

(6)

Depend on Minilessons

229

(1)

End with Editing Conferences

230

(4)

Practice the Language of Helpful Response

230

(3)

Teach Students to Do More Editing

233

(1)

What to Focus on in an Editing Conference

234

(29)

Hand Over More Responsibility to Students

235

(1)

Use Language that Signals Students to Take More Responsibility

235

(4)

Aim for Student Independence

236

(2)

10 Make Assessment Count

238

(2)

Become More Knowledgeable About Assessment

239

(1)

Put Rubrics in Perspective

240

(4)

Understand How Rubrics Work

240

(2)

Keep Your Focus on Effective Writing

242

(1)

Use Rubrics Judiciously

243

(1)

Put High-Stakes Testing in Perspective

244

(5)

The Best Test Preparation Is Excellent Teaching

244

(1)

Overpreparation Is Often Detrimental

245

(1)

Have Your Students Do a Lot of Writing

245

(1)

Encourage Students to Do Their Best

246

(1)

Help Your Students Visualize the Reader/Scorer

247

(1)

Prepare Students for On-Demand Writing

248

(1)

Reduce Test Anxiety

248

(1)

Put a Schoolwide Assessment Policy into Practice

249

(4)

Collect Useful Data to Improve the Teaching of Writing

250

(1)

Rely More on Classroom-Based Assessments

251

(1)

Assess Students' Writing Every Day

251

(1)

Be Realistic and Humane About Grading

252

(1)

Work Toward Student Self-Assessment

253

(6)

Aim High

255

(4)

Four Advocacy Is Also Essential

11 Build on Best Practice and Research

259

(33)

Advocate for Excellence

259

(3)

Take the Lead

260

(1)

Advocate for Saner Teaching and Assessment Practices

261

(1)

Be Knowledgeable About Relevant Research

262

(1)

Some Key Research Findings

263

(5)

Revisit Recent Research on Phonics

267

(1)

Build on Best Practices in Teaching Writing

267

(1)

Take Responsibility for Becoming an Effective Writing Teacher

267

(1)

Adopt Practices of Highly Effective Teachers

268

(14)

Make Ongoing Professional Conversations a Priority

269

(1)

You Achieve What You Believe

270

(4)

Develop a Schoolwide Vision

274

(4)

Be Cautious About Programs

274

(2)

Expect More from Your English Language Learners

276

(1)

Keep Struggling Learners in Your Classroom for Language Activities

277

(1)

Make Decisions About Homework

278

(1)

Teach Kids to Be Courageous as Writers

278

(2)

Teach Persuasive Writing

278

(2)

Include Parents as Partners

280

(1)

Use High Achievement to Promote Best Practice Teaching

280

(1)

12 Make Every Minute Count

281

(1)

Connect Your Home and School Lives

282

(1)

Secrets of Good Writers

282

(4)

Look into Their Eyes

283

(1)

Conserve Your Energy

284

(3)

Reduce the Paper Load

284

(1)

Be Choosy About What You Read

285

(1)

Ask So What?

286

(1)

Important Timesavers

286

(1)

My Best Advice

287

(1)

Live Your Life

287

(1)

Conclusion: Write Your Own Ending

288

(4)

Five Teaching in Action: Lesson Essentials

Five-Day Lesson Plans

Secrets of Second Graders-Narrative Writing Lesson

292

(13)

Heart Poems-Poetry Writing Lesson

305

(11)

Procedural Writing-Informational Writing Lesson

316

(7)

Hero Writing-Lesson

323

(7)

Persuasive Writing-Lesson

330

(6)

Teaching Points: Conference Video Clips

336

Appendices

A. Examining Beliefs About Writing

A-2

Communications to Parents

B. Letter to Parents About Raising Expectations (Grade 1)

A-3

C. Suggestions for Parents

A-4

Writing Forms

D. Understanding Nonfiction

A-5

E. Writing History

A-6

F. Poetry Writing Rubric

A-7

G. Word Work Sentence Worksheet

A-8

H. Writing Strengths/Next Steps

A-9

I. Writing Rubric

A-10

Editing Expectations

J. Grade 2, Editing Expectations

A-11

K. Grade 4, Editing Expectations

A-12

L. Genre Characteristics

A-13

M. Favorite Poetry Books

A-14

N. Weekly Professional Conversation Guidelines

A-15

Brief Definitions of Terms

A-16

Notes

A-22

References

A-46

Index

I-1

RENT TEXTBOOKS

Writing Essentials : Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching

Why Rent from Knetbooks?

Top 5 reasons to order all your textbooks from Knetbooks: