Learning Through Teaching
  • Blog
  • Profile
  • Inquiry Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Curriculum Development
    • Language Art Instructional Practices
    • Language Arts Scope & Sequence
    • Language Arts Student Learning Outcome Differentiated Grid
  • Contact Me
  • NZ PTC
    • PTC Evidence Aug 2015-Aug 2018

Six Traits of Writing

8/5/2017

0 Comments

 
This term our team discussed moving away from a genre focus and into a more integrated writing approach where writing of all genre types is covered in relation to student learning in reading and inquiry. At least that is the theory.

When discussing how to structure such an approach The Six Traits of Writing was mentioned. I happened to have several teacher books on the six traits and how to teach them. However, after exploring these resources I was disappointed in them. The lesson content was very weak and was teacher heavy. If the writing lesson took a full 40 minutes, 30 of it was teacher talk with some student discussion and almost NO WRITING. One of my fundamental assumptions of student learning is that students learn by doing. If I want them to be good writers they need to write.

Disappointed and a bit lost, I searched for other resources and then decided to make my own introductory posters. Beyond these introductory lessons I have really struggled to design mini lessons (workshops) based on these traits. The whole class writing program is developing well and the students are mostly quite motivated in their writing, but I was not happy with the quality of instruction in the group workshops. This is now where I am focussing my current inquiry - designing relevant and effective mini workshop  lessons for focussed group instruction.
Picture
I am currently running 4 writing groups (Voice, Organization and Fluency and Content & Ideas) . These groups were initially self-selected and as students learning develops changes are made. ​I am only 2 weeks into the new term, but already I have been enjoying my writing workshops. They have been highly engaging and tight - done in 10 minutes, so the bulk of the time students still have to be getting on with the actual task of writing. I am making good use of the modeling books for these lessons and also documenting them through ccpensieve.com. I am really looking forward to seeing how these lesson develop and impact on student engagement and learning.
PTC 1 - engage in ethical, respectful, positive and collaborative professional relationships with akonga.
PTC 4 - initiate learning opportunities to advance personal professional knowledge and skills.
           - identify professional learning goals in consultation with colleagues.
PTC 6 - 
conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme
PTC 8 - demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn.
PTC 9 - select teaching approaches, resources, technologies and learning and assessment activities that are inclusive and
              effective for diverse ākonga

            - modify teaching approaches to address the needs of individuals and groups of ākonga
PTC 12 - 
use critical inquiry and problem-solving eectively in their professional practice
0 Comments

A Print Rich Environment

6/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
This picture set wall dictionary of A-Z, is introduced to students in their first month of NE. It supports beginning phoneme knowledge as well as letter formation. These are the first parts of environmental print students are encouraged to use. 
Picture
Picture
Steadily over the year the classroom environment is becoming richer in print. Each resource has a specific purpose, but there is a lot of overlap with the resources. For example, there are 3 different A-Z wall dictionaries. The charts above have pictures to match commonly used nouns. Additionally, this set contained the first 300 most commonly used sight words, sufficient to support all junior school needs in writing. The first 300 words make up 85 % of all words children up to age 10 write. 

The set on the left is a more advanced wall dictionary. It includes a more comprehensive list of common nouns with picture cues. Additionally, it has the same words as the schools own seven Word Ring lists. These are also in the same colour to support students making the connection, e.g. shouted is in the blue list below and also it is written in blue on the wall dictionary (above left). I am only just introducing this dictionary to my more advanced writers.
Picture
These are the seven Word Ring lists used by the school to support and track the learning of high frequency word and early spelling. I have made these a continual focus this year with excellent results. Matching rings of each set hang from hooks, along with word searches and other related activities. The students love playing teacher and drilling each other with the sets on rings. The earliest activity I set new students is to  match words from ring with words on the wall.

Pink works roughly correlate to Green level readers. From experience I find children learning their pink words or who have completed all seven lists are at national standard for 1 year at school. 
Picture
Picture
There are two addition print sources on the walls at present. Firstly, I have added posters of target nouns. In our Oral language programme, Whai Wahi, we have been focussing on food. There are several large posters of food items along with sentence frames to encourage students to engage is writing about food. Similarly, there is a large poster of places in the community. This is to support recount writing. 

One of the other ways I have supported student literacy is in the use of the Yolanda Sorryl Early Words programme with the whole class. I introduced one new sight word a day (4 a week). We read through the chart together as a class. These were then put up on the walls along with sentence frames to support the use of that key word. Students were encourage in their writing programme to use these posters and sentence frames. In reading the charts support fluency as students read around the wall. 

​I look forward to building an even more print rich environment as I support and respond to further learning. 
0 Comments

    Renee Stewart

    Forever curious, always learning, deep thinking teacher. I am a Year 5 teacher this year and am enjoying the transition after 3 years with New Entrants.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    Analysis Learning
    Assessment
    Bi Cultural
    Content Knowledge
    Critical Inquiry
    Cultures
    Diversity
    Effective Teaching And Learning
    Flexible Grouping
    Fostering Trust
    Heritages
    ILE Inquiry
    Inclusive
    Individualized Needs
    Leadership
    Learning Activities
    Learning Needs
    Making Connections
    Maori
    Motivation
    Multi Cultural
    New Learning: New Contexts
    Oral Language
    Play
    Professional Learning
    Professional Learning Goals
    Professional Practice
    Professional Relationships
    PTC 1
    PTC 10
    PTC 11
    PTC 12
    PTC 2
    PTC 3
    PTC 4
    PTC 5
    PTC 6
    PTC 7
    PTC 8
    PTC 9
    Reflection
    RTLB & MOE Relationships
    Safety
    Te Reo
    Think Critically
    Treaty Of Waitangi
    Well Being
    Whanau

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.