SESSION 2.2
Writing Vocabulary
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Grammar
Mechanics
Story Grammar
Syntax
conventions
Writing Vocabulary
• story grammar addresses the elements of a
story. These include but are not limited to: the
title, author, setting, main characters, conflict
and resolution, events, and conclusion. Some
additional elements that may be specified
under "events" are: the initiating event,
internal response, attempt, consequence, and
reaction.
Writing Vocabulary
• Grammar-the structure and system of a language,
or of languages in general, usually considered to
consist of syntax and morphology.
• Syntax-refers directly to the rules and principles
that govern the sentence structure of any
individual language.
• Morphology- is the identification, analysis and
description of the structure of morphemes and
other units of meaning in a language like words
and parts of speech.
Writing Vocabulary
• Mechanics- The mechanics of writing specifies
the established conventions for words that you
use in your documentation.
• Conventions- include spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing.
Writing
• It is common sense to realize that for students
to improve in writing, they should write for at
least 30 minutes a day at least of four days a
week.
Secretary vs. Author
• Like the phonic vs. whole language debate,
teaching writing had its version
• Free writing versus grammar and mechanics
Secretary vs. Author
• The author is concerned with matters of
content, including organization and originality,
levels of diction
• Secretary –concerned with mechanics of
writing- concerned with the revision process
• With students with disabilities, handwriting
and spelling creates a great difficulty.
Secretary vs. Author
• American schools are largely concerned with
the secretarial concerns/ the mechanics of
writing
• Very little research that shows this method
alone increases writing ability
• Likewise, just using a free writing approach
shows little benefit
Secretary vs. Author
• Schools need to use both, called Parallel
Framework Instruction
Question- Discuss in your groups
• Word processing programs such as word or
pages, do they help writing or do they create
more problems
• What are the pros and cons
Collins writing
Collins writing
• The Collins Writing Program presents a model
for writing-across-the-curriculum and writing
to learn. Founder Dr. John Collins draws from
extensive research and twenty years
experience working with teachers and
students to create a practical program that
requires students to engage in curriculum
content as they improve writing, thinking,
listening, and speaking skills
Collins writing
• A Writing to Learn approach helps students
explore, engage in, and apply new information as
they write. The Collins Program is designed to,
“help teachers in all content areas achieve their
goals by requiring students to think on paper. This
is accomplished by using frequent, usually short,
writing assignments to increase students’
involvement in lessons, check on their
understanding of concepts, or promote their
thinking about content.” (Collins) Students may be
asked to:
Collins writing
• “List relevant information they “know” about a new
concept or topic just before it is presented to them.
• Put a concept from the text or another source into
their own words – to “translate” it or summarize it.
• Make a connection between a concept from class and
something else they know about or have experienced
in their own lives.
• Explain how ideas are similar (despite their differences)
or different (despite their similarities).” (Collins)
Collins writing
• Dr. Collins strives to provide a practical
framework where students are challenged to
do more writing and thinking without
overwhelming the teacher with the impossible
task of evaluating every paper for everything
every time. His program defines five types of
writing assignments with clear methods of
evaluation.
Collins writing
• Type 1:Capture Ideas
• Type 1 writing gets ideas on paper -- it's
brainstorming. Type 1 is timed and requires a
minimum number of items or lines to be
generated. Questions and/or guesses are
permitted.
• One draft Outcomes are evaluated with a
check () or a minus (-)
Collins writing
• Type 2:Respond Correctly
• Type 2 writing shows that the writer knows
something about a topic or has thought
about the topic. It is a correct answer to a
specific question.
• One draft Graded as a quiz
Collins writing
• Type 3:Edit for Focus Correction Areas
• Type 3 writing has substantive content and
meets up to three specific standards called
"focus correction areas" (FCA). Revision and
editing are done on the original.
• one draft (save) Read out loud and reviewed
to see if the draft completes the assignment,
is easy to read and meets standards set for
the focus correction areas.
Collins writing
• Type 4:Peer Edit for Focus Correction Areas
Type 4 writing is Type 3 writing that is read
aloud by someone else.
• Two drafts (save) Writing is critiqued by a
peer and revised by the author
Collins writing
• Type 5:Publish
• Type 5 writing is of publishable quality.
• Multiple drafts (save) Published work
Collins writing
• The Focus Correction Area (FCA) is an element
of this program that encourages students to
improve targeted writing skills. Teachers
systematically ask students to edit their
writing for three FCAs for each Type Three
writing assignment. Examples of Focus
Correction Areas include:
Collins writing
FCA examples
• “Use of a clear topic sentence and a strong
conclusion
• Explain ideas with sufficient/relevant details
• Use content specific vocabulary
• Vary sentence beginnings/lengths
• Use end marks and commas correctly
• Include graphic illustrations with labels”
(Collins)
Collins writing
FCA examples
• The Cumulative Writing Folder provides a
structure for classroom management. This
folder is a valuable aid in organizing Type Four
Writing, where peer editing and revision takes
place. It includes a teacher comment key, tips
for first and final drafts, and a place to record
and reflect on assignments.
Collins writing
FCA examples
• The Collins Writing Program promotes the
idea that writing improves learning. The
National Commission on Writing agrees that,
“Writing is not simply a way for students to
demonstrate what they know. It is a way to
help them understand what they know. At its
best, writing is learning.
Big Ideas and Writing
• The writing Process is probably the most
accepted practice for writing- It consist of four
steps
– Planning
– Drafting
– Editing/revising
– Publishing
Big Ideas and Writing
• Planning is an important step that diverse
learners often struggle with. They often need
help in organizing their thoughts
• Planning includes, brainstorming, and
organizing ideas
– Tools that can be used include, group
brainstorming
– Outline models ( scaffolds)
– Graphic organizers
Big Ideas and Writing
• Some types of Text Structures- include
– Descriptive
– Cause and effect
– Compare and contrast
– Story
– Sequence
– Problem solution
Big Ideas and Writing
• A story Text Structures would include these
parts include
– Protagonist
– A crisis
– Developing incidents
– resolution
Big Ideas and Writing
• Often text books focus on many story
structures a year. Research has shown if you
focus on two, and model them and teach
them thoroughly, students will learn and use
them more effectively
Big Ideas and Writing
• Peer interaction – is an effective tool in many
subject areas but has shown to be very
effective for improving composition
performance
• This is different than peer editing- each child
has the chance to author, edit and revise a
group assignment
Big Ideas and Writing
• Morphology is and effective big idea with
editing
• Also sentence combining and manipulation is
also effective (will show you later)
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• When selecting strategies, they have to be
intermediate in generality, they cannot be to
specific or to general
• Think before you write is to general
• List everything you saw , ( when planning a
descriptive essay) To specific an would
overwhelm the writer
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• Sentence manipulation
– Good for helping with pronouns, subject verb
agreement
– Example ( pronoun)
– John gave Mary and I/me a new book
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What is the correct pronoun?
One approach is to separate the sentence into two
John gave Mary a new book
John gave me/I a new book
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• Sentence manipulation
– Example ( subject verb agreement)
– None of the boys was/were on time
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What is the correct agreement
One approach is to separate the sentence into two
Not one of the boys was/were on time
Not one was on time
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• Mediated Scaffolding- is providing many kinds
of assistance that students receive as they
move for a deeper understanding of what is
being taught
• It is provide as –needed basis and is gradually
diminished over time.
• Provides a strategy for accomplishing the goal
, but for self regulation as well
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• Several types of scaffolded support exist
• Procedural facilitators is one example- this
requires students have some underlying
competencies- add forms that walk a child
through a process
• Think sheets are one example
Writing and Conspicuous strategies
• Scaffolding is an excellent strategy to pair with
modeling or with a group activity
• An easy way is to start building a scaffold with
the final product in mind.
• Next are a few examples
Strategic Integration
• It is important to not teach a concept in
isolation
• Writing leads itself to integration with reading.
It certainly can be integrate into all content
areas
• Research shows that poor readers are usually
poor readers
Strategic Integration
• Writing naturally integrates with spelling,
grammar
Primed background knowledge
• Primed background knowledge is important in
all subjects, but not as crucial in many writing
areas
• Learning a given text structure is not
dependent on a large base of foundation
knowledge
• Must understand grammar usage
• Can give pretest for some of this information
Judicious Review
• Very little research done on review in relation
to writing
• There is a lot of review about the positive
effects of review in all other subjects
• Daily Oral Language is a common method for
review.
Judicious Review
• When you use mediated scaffolding review is
somewhat natural,
• Each week or step you review the concept, but
expert more from the students
• Teaching a text structure thoroughly can take a
long time
• Keep review varied, this allows for greater
generalization of the concepts
• The review should include many different types
of examples
Designing Instructional tools
• Instruction should focus on a few text
structures a year
• Instruction should emphasize the stages in
the writing process
• Strategies should not be to general or specific
Designing Instructional tools
Using story starters
• What is the boy running
from?
Designing Instructional tools
What did this child just find?
Why is this man chasing the child
on the bike?