Finding the Middle Ground:
A Writing Program Overview for K-1
Erin Monn
January 16, 2012 In-Service
New Bloomfield Elementary
Please Do Now!
Think about what you enjoy about teaching writing and what
frustrates you about teaching writing. List at least three of
each.
Please share with a partner.
Purposes for Today
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Provide a K-5 overview of the writing
program
Provide a Kid Writing refresher
Discuss what writing looks like in first
grade
K-5 Writing Program
Overview
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K-Kid Writing
1-Kid Writing/Process Writing
(Depending on student need)
2-Review and Develop Process
Writing/Introduce Collins Writing
3-Develop Collins Writing
4-Use Collins Writing
5-Use Collins Writing
How does Harcourt fit in with
all of this?
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K-Continue to use Harcourt as it fits with Kid Writing
First Grade
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Start the year with Kid Writing
Begin to introduce process writing as students become ready
for it
Use Harcourt to know what writing skills you need to cover
You do not need to do a new piece of writing every week
Allows for:
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More creativity on your part
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Use all those great ideas from blogs, websites, etc.
More time to spend teaching, modeling, practicing different
steps in writing process
More time to conference with students
Increase amount of time students spend writing
What is Collins Writing?
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“…A model for a writing-across-the-curriculum/writing-to -learn
program that explains exactly how to “write more-grade less” by
defining five types of writing assignments and the outcomes
expected for each.”
(Collins, page vii)
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Emphasizes frequency, focus, and feedback
Includes informal writing and formal writing
Encourages students to “think on paper”
Utilizes Focus Correction Areas (FCAs)
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Selective approach to correcting student writing
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Become focus for instruction, modeling, practice, assessment
Handout
Kid Writing Refresher
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Set-up
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Various options
Organization of writing groups
What are the other students doing?
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Literacy centers that include reading and writing
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Cut-a-part sentences
Picture sorts
Handwriting
Write the room
Response to story
Kid Writing Refresher-cont.
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Minilesson
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Based on students’ writing
Whole group minilesson
OR
Small group minilessons
Teacher Modeling
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During minilesson, model what you want students
to work on
Think alouds are important
Kid Writing Refresher-cont.
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Small groups
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Review whole class minilesson or do your group
minilesson
Give students a minute or so to think about what
they want to write
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Student choice
Can encourage students to “branch out”
Can have students write about same thing (Ex. Letter to
Santa)
Students draw pictures first
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Encourage detail
Kid Writing Refresher-cont.
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Kid Writing (Support you give varies on needs
of students)
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“Tell me about your picture.”
Provide sentence for student or help student form
sentence(s)
Count number of words in sentence
Enunciate sounds in words as student writes
As student writes, have him/her go back and
reread sentence from beginning
Remind student to use resources
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Word wall, Kid Crowns, environmental print
Kid Writing Refresher-cont.
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Adult Writing
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After student has finished writing
Read sentence(s) word by word writing the correct spelling
of word underneath student writing
As do so, point out the sounds student heard and letters
student wrote correctly
Acknowledge words student spelled correctly
Rereading
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After adult writing, reread sentence(s) for student and have
student reread sentence(s)
2 stars and a wish
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2 things student did well
1 thing to work on
Writing in First Grade
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Start year with Kid Writing
Begin to shift groups into process writing as
students show they are ready
Process Writing
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Steps
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Brainstorming, Graphic Organizer, Rough Draft, Editing,
Revising, Final Draft
Goal
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By the end of the year, students have been introduced to
all steps in the writing process
Writing in First Grade-cont.
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How do I teach process writing?
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Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
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Introduce
Model
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Use consistent vocabulary
Step 1-Brainstorming
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Describe brainstorming
Model how to brainstorm ideas
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Think alouds are important
Brainstorm together
Students do it on their own
Build in student choice
Writing in First Grade-cont.
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How do I teach process writing?
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Step 2-Developing a graphic organizer
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Step 3-Writing a rough draft
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Same process
Use brainstorming lists already have
Same process
Build off of brainstorming lists and graphic organizers
already have
After Steps 1-3 have been introduced, modeled
and practiced, stop and do a few writing pieces
just focusing on these three steps
Writing in First Grade-cont.
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After practicing first three steps of
writing process, introduce editing
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Same process
Use pieces already written
Introduce revising
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Same process
Use pieces already written
Writing in First Grade-cont.
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Step 5-Writing final draft
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Same process
Use pieces already written
After you have introduced, modeled,
and practiced all five steps, have one
writing assignment where they go from
start to finish (Steps 1-5)
What are Our Expectations
for this Year?
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K-Continue with Kid Writing
First Grade
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If not doing so already:
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Incorporate teacher modeling/think alouds
Introduce process writing steps
Have students do some writing that does not
go through the entire process
Pull in some of your own ideas for writing
activities
Key Points
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Editing and revising are NOT the same thing!
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Editing-capitalization, spelling, punctuation
Revising-changing words/sentences, taking
away/adding in
Modeling is Key!
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Think alouds
Making mistakes
Starting over
Getting stuck
Key Points-cont.
If nothing else, remember this from today:
NOT EVERY PIECE OF WRITING
NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THE
ENTIRE WRITING PROCESS!
Ticket Out the Door
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Complete the 3..2..1 on a note card and
leave in the basket on your way out.
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3-List three things you learned about
writing today
2-List two questions or comments about
what you learned about writing today
1-List one idea you plan to try in your
classroom
Resources
Collins, J.J. Ed.D. (2007). The Collins Writing Program:
Improving student writing and thinking across the
curriculum. Massachusetts: Collins Education
Associates.
Hines, Debra. “PLN Course 1: Critical Reading and
Writing in Support of Secondary Learning”. Capital
Area Intermediate Unit, Summerdale, PA. 7
December 2010. Lecture.