Part I:
Writer’s Block
SHELLEY CLIFFORD
EMAIL:
SCLIFFORD@MOUNTVERNONSCHOOL.ORG
TWITTER: CLIFFORDSHELLEY
Collaboration
 Group up
 Read
 Flip
 Find
Why do we write?
To inform?
To persuade?
To entertain?
To explain?
To predict?
To
summarize?
Tell your story in 5 minutes or less!
Tell your story in 140 characters or less!
PURPOSE
Donald Miller’s
A Million Miles in a
Thousand Years
How I learned to live a better story
Donald Miller
p. 244
p.115
Marketing 101
Refocus your Purpose
 We write to
 Communicate
 Collaborate/Connect
 Create
Is anyone else studying the 5 C’s at their school?!
What is the best “Program” to use?
It’s not about the program, it is about the skills.
 Clear Assessment.
 High Expectations.
 Extra time to Prewrite.
 Repeated Mini Lessons.
 Mentor Texts.
 Modeling.
 Practice.
 Praise.
What does your classroom
say about writing?
What is your goal?
Why do you teach writing?
 A student who can “Rock” the SAT?
 A reflector?
 An author?
Start with the End in Mind
Score of 6
 An essay in this category demonstrates clear and
consistent mastery, although it may have a few minor
errors. A typical essay:





Effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and
demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate
examples, reasons and other evidence to support its position
Is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence
and smooth progression of ideas
Exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate and apt
vocabulary
Demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure
Is free of most errors in grammar, usage and mechanics
Start with the End in Mind
Start with the End in Mind
 “Intricate, puzzle-like…startling and violent.”
– The New York Times
 “An Audacious and Powerful Work”
-The Miami Herald
 “…that rare literary phenomenon, a Southern novel
with no mildew on its magnolia leaves. Funny,
happy, and written with unspectacular precision…”
-VOGUE
The Kindergarten
The Perfect Sentence
 Begins with a capital letter
 Contains a subject “who or what” and
predicate “what happens” to express a
complete thought
 Ends with proper punctuation
Literacy
Assessment
 Capital Letter
 Complete Thought
 Punctuation
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
21st Century Skills Assessment
Was your sentence…
obvious (1)………(2)…….(3)……beyond the given
EVALUATE YOUR SENTENCE. REVISE IF
NECESSARY.
HINT: REVISION IS ALWAYS NECESSARY IN
WRITING!
A PDS
The First Grade Sentence
•B E G I N S W I T H A C A P I T A L L E T T E R
•C O N T A I N S A S U B J E C T “ W H O O R W H A T ” A N D
PREDICATE “WHAT HAPPENS” TO EXPRESS A
COMPLETE THOUGHT
•E N D S W I T H P R O P E R P U N C T U A T I O N
•P R O N O U N S , I F U S E D , H A V E A N A N T E C E D E N T
•T E L L S O R A S K S
Assessment
TELLING SENTENCE
CAPITAL LETTER
COMPLETE THOUGHT
PUNCTUATION
PRONOUN
1
1
1
N/A
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
ASKING SENTENCE
CAPITAL LETTER
COMPLETE THOUGHT
PUNCTUATION
PRONOUN
1
1
1
N/A
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
Ways to Teach Proper
Sentences Structure
What do you…. See?
Think? Wonder?
Write a sentence about the
picture below.
See, Think, Wonder
Enhance your sentences
Make a Claim…
How can you make your sentence
stand out? Be original!
Remember the rules.
Focus on the fun!
Share your sentences
Was your sentence…
obvious (1)………(2)……….(3)………………beyond the given
fuzzy (1)……………(2)………(3)………..……….clear & focused
simple (1)…………(2)………(3)….…………….elaborate
Evaluate your sentence. Revise if
necessary.
Hint: Revision is always necessary in
writing!
A Charleston Day
Second Grade Sentence
 Begins with a capital letter
 Contains a subject “who or what” and
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
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predicate “what happens” to express a
complete thought
Ends with proper punctuation
Pronouns, if used, have an antecedent
Includes adjectives
Tells, asks, excites, or commands
Assessment
TELLING SENTENCE
CAPITAL LETTER
COMPLETE THOUGHT
PUNCTUATION
PRONOUN
DESCRIBING WORDS
1
1
1
N/A
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
ASKING SENTENCE
CAPITAL LETTER
COMPLETE THOUGHT
PUNCTUATION
PRONOUN
DESCRIBING WORDS
1
1
1
N/A
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
Assessment (continued)
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Exciting Sentence
Capital Letter
Complete Thought
Punctuation
Pronoun
Describing words
1
1
1
n/a
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3






Commanding Sentence
Capital Letter
Complete Thought
Punctuation
Pronoun
Describing Words
1
1
1
n/a
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
Was your sentence…
obvious (1)……(2)…….(3)……………beyond the given
fuzzy (1)…………(2)……(3)………..….clear & focused
EVALUATE YOUR SENTENCE. REVISE IF NECESSARY.
HINT: REVISION IS ALWAYS NECESSARY IN WRITING!
Cover the floor in sentence strips.
Pass out punctuation.
Then, they create their own sentences on strips.
Question/
Interrogative
Telling/
Declarative
Command/
Imperative
Exclamation
Extensions
 Adverbs
 Appeals to the Senses
 Compound subjects, predicates, or sentences
 Imagery
 Literary Devices
 Word Choice
 Quotations
 Dependent Clauses
 Fragments, Sentences, Run-ons
One might ask, “What do you do with one
fabulous sentence?”
 Tweet it, of course
 Twittering about Leaning
(An) Impressive
A Perfect Paragraph
 Indented
 Topic Sentence
Restate
I statement
Hook
 Supporting Details
 Sequential Order
 Variety of Verbs
 Varied first word
 Conclusion Sentence
Restate
Porky Pig
Hook
Start with the End in Mind
LET’S LOOK AT YOUR RUBRICS AND MINE.
IBOOK\FIFTH GRADE LA\WRITING\RUBRICS
IBOOK\SPEECH CONTEST\RUBRIC
IBOOK\FIFTH GRADE
LA\TECHNOLOGY\GLOGRUBRIC.DOCX
Early
Authors
Developing
Authors
Elite Authors
• Express Personal Experiences
• Journals for sentences and/or art
• Aware of the needs of an audience
• Explore the purposes of writing
• Combine audience and purpose
• Produce varied forms of meaningful communication
Now that we know where we are
going, how are we going to get
there?
EVERY WRITER, LIKE EVERY RUNNER,
NEEDS A STRONG WARM UP. PROMPTS
THAT ENCOURAGE LISTING VARIED AND
UNUSUAL IDEAS STRETCH THE BRAIN.
STRETCH TO INCREASE FLUENCY; THEN
SHARE AND CELEBRATE ORIGINAL IDEAS.
NEXT, TAKE THOSE IDEAS AND ALTER THEM
FOR A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT. THIS
CHALLENGES FLEXIBILITY IN THINKING.
FINALLY, ELABORATE ON THE BEST
ANSWER. SUCH A WARM UP WILL PREPARE
ANY WRITER FOR MARATHON.
Warm Ups
 Word Puzzles
 … Head…
 Compound Word Sort
Number, Please!
 Each word below contains the letters necessary to
spell a number.
1. Snooze_______
2. Favorite_______
3. Twine_________
4. Froze_______
5. Wrote________
6. Exercise_______
7. Tightest_______
8. Beginning_____
Objects with Body Parts
 Clock
 Shoe
 Loaf of bread
 Needle
 Car
 Sewing machine
 Shirt
 Chair
 Storm
 Pin
 Socks
 Road
 Glove
 Dress
 Bottle
 Bed
 Potato
 Cornstalk
 Jar
 Saw
 Zipper
 River
Tell your reaction in one sentence
 You are caught outside in a severe rain storm.
 A severe rainstorm catches you by surprise.
 You go on your first roller coaster ride.
 The car arrives for you to step into your first roller
coaster ride.
 Mom and dad let you play hooky from school.
 The old, deserted house is unlocked.
 The blazes from the forest fire near by catch your
attention.
Similes
 Loud as
 Smooth as
 Dark as
 Rough as
 Stinky as
 Dry as
 Pretty as
 Squeaky as
 Round as
 Quiet as
 White as
 Ugly as
 Red as
 Tall as
 Strong as
 Scary as
 Big as
 Students create
 Soft as
 Swift as
 Shy as
 Cool as
 Shiny as
 Cold as
 Tiny as
 Hot as
original
beginnings
Expanding Sentences
 We heard a lion roar.
 I saw a cat.
 Last night we went to a football game.
 My baby sister is sleeping in her room.
 My principal is a lady.
 Mitchell acted today.
Here is the AnswerWhat is the Question?
 Let’s go investigate!
 Under the bed
 In the morning
 Hawaii
 In a lake
 A barking dog
 Fish
 My husband
1001 Uses
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A cup
A light bulb
A button
A bird cage
A piece of paper
An old bathtub
A broom
A ladder
A brick
A candle
A walnut
A hat
A broken clock
A tea kettle
A bead
A nail
A wastebasket
A parachute
A tree branch
A chair
A block
A tire
An umbrella
A sock
A book
A broken-down
school bus
 A trunk
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An old typewriter
A textbook
A barrel
A plate
A pillow
A spoon
A ring
What can we add to
this list?
Spontaneous, Timed Thinking
 Name as many things as you can that fly, or use the
world fly in as many unusual ways as you can.
 Timer
 Everyone stands – celebrate the number of
responses. Celebrate originality.
Spontaneous, Timed Thinking
 Name things that are green or turn green.
 Name things that are slow.
 Name things that have a pleasant smell.
 Hunters seek game animals. What else seeks what?
 Name things that stick or anything that gets stuck.
 Name people or things that stop something and what it is
they stop.
 Name kinds of keys.
 Name kinds of traps.
 Give the titles of different designers and what it is they
design.
Use the word “under” or name things that are
“under” something else.
 Underpaid
 Understaffed
 Under-resourced
 Underappreciated
 Under her thumb
 Misunderstood
Brainstorming
Questions with Multiple Answers
 “It’s important not to lose these.”
 “It seems like fall is here.”
 If your house were on fire, what would you grab?
 How would you know someone had had a fire in a




fireplace if you hadn’t been there at the time?
What things are usually sorted by size and kept
together accordingly?
How are a chicken and a cow alike? Different?
What are some uses for keys?
What do you learn by doing it yourself?
After the warm up,
you must pace yourself!
 Provide prompts: story starters, reflective questions,
thought-provokers.
 Provide an option to create your topic to write about.
 Dig Deep!
Prompts
 My friend want to play, but I…
 My folks said not to have anyone over, but…
 To pay or not to pay?
 Eyewitness to a theft, but…
 Mr. (Headmaster’s name) is gone for the day, so…
 My teacher allowed me to choose the next book for
our class to read…
More Prompts
 Fortunately…Unfortunately…
 I should have…but I…
 Defend an appropriate bedtime.
 What does your name mean to you?
 Where would you go if you were invisible?
 What would you spend $100 on if you found it in your
jacket pocket?
 Describe the most special thing you own.
 What 5 questions would you ask in an interview to an
animal?
 Journal Prompts – printed on labels
Brainstorming
 Brainstorming Wordle
 Mentor Texts – Expose students to engaging leads.
Pull leads off the classroom shelves, and explore the
beginnings of published works – everything from
picture books to Fahrenheit 451.
 First Lines from Famous Novels
Prewriting
 Create Lead Boards and Classify the Leads –
Have student write their favorite leads on sentence
strips, and dedicate a wall of the classroom to
displaying leads.
Leads
Dialogue
Instant
Observation
Snapshot
Middle of
the Story
Prewriting
 Class Contest: Use a mentor text as inspiration.
Have a lead-writing contest for a scary story. A
Romantic Story. Sports Story.
 Think, Talk Time: Allow students time to think,
talk, and draw before any writing occurs.
 Nonlinguistic Methods: Go beyond graphic
organizers and encourage picture drawing, stick
figures, and cartooning or story boarding as an
organizational tool. Focus on body language and
facial expressions.
Prewriting using non-linguistic methods
Most Embarrassing Moment
Summarize the story
in 4-5 sentences.
Illustrate a scene
using stick figures.
Brainstorm 5 Possible Leads for
this story.
Hooks or Leads
 Question Riddle-ex. What textbook has no pages, is miles wide, and
smells like a creek? IT’s been around for millions of years.
That’s right—the outdoor classroom.
 Announcement-ex. The trait of voice is very important
in writing. However, it is difficult to teach and even more
difficult to learn. It is similar to athletic ability because it
is more like a talent than a skill.
 Bold and Challenging Statement – ex. Using horses and
cattle in the sport of rodeo is animal abuse. What makes it more
aggravating is that it is legal. According to the law, there is
nothing wrong with chasing an animal down, tightening a rope
around its neck, knocking it to the ground, and tying its legs
together so it cannot move.
More Hooks/Leads
 Opinion-ex. The driving age should be lowered to fourteen. Most teenagers are more
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


responsible than adults give us credit for being. Just because we are teenagers does not
mean we are irresponsible or dangerous.
Definition –ex. According to Webster’s Dictionary…
Quotation of a well-known person-ex. President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask
not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I think
today’s Americans have forgotten Kennedy’s message. Ex. When I was a child, I was
given the “mother’s Curse” by my mom. Oh, it is not anything mean or evil. She just said,
“When you have children, they will act just like you.” I laughed. Well, now that I have
children of my own, I am not laughing anymore. The “mother’s curse” really works.
Personal experience-ex. Although I did later in my room, I never cried at the
hospital when my mom had another girl. Was I really destined to have three sisters?
Figurative Language – ex. The pencil sharpener was always hungry. It ate my pencil
every time I went to sharpen it. It never seemed to do this to anyone else’s pencil but
mine.
Enumerated General Statement –ex. Many characteristics exist that a good
teacher possesses. However, the three most important characteristics include being a
good listener, being knowledgeable about the subject, and having a kind heart. All of the
teachers who positively influenced me had those characteristics in common.
dialogue
Children’s Books with catchy Leads
Dialogue/Talking Leads
 Hurricane by David Wiesner
 Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
 Charlotte’s Webb by E.B. White
 Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor
 Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
catchy
Children’s Books with good Leads
•T H E A R T L E S S O N B Y T O M I E D E P A O L A
•W H E N I W A S Y O U N G I N T H E M O U N T A I N S B Y C Y N T H I A
RYLANT
•C H R Y S A N T H E M U M B Y K E V I N H E N K E S
•E N C O U N T E R B Y J A N E Y O L E N
•T H E P U M P K I N B L A N K E T B Y D E B O R A H T U R N E Y
ZAGWYN
•T H E K I S S I N G H A N D B Y A U D R E Y P E N N
•S O M E B I R T H D A Y B Y P A T R I C I A P O L A C C O
•A P I G N A M E D P E R R I E R B Y E L I Z A B E T H S P U R R
•M Y G R E A T - A U N T A R I Z O N A B Y G L O R I A H O U S T O N
•T H E T R U E C O N F E S S I O N S O F C H A R L O T T E D O Y L E B Y A V I
question
Children’s Books with catchy Leads
•HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD
NIGHT BY JANE YOLEN
•USBORNE MYSTERIES AND
MARVELS – PLANT LIFE BY
BARBARA CORK
•ALICE IN WONDERLAND AND
ADVENTURES THROUGH THE
LOOKING GLASS BY LEWIS
CARROLL
snap shot
Children’s Books with catchy Leads
 Host by Stephanie Meyers
 Usborne Mysteries and Marvels – Insect Life by Dr.

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Jennifer Owen
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K.
Rowling
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul
Curtis
Prewrite the Ending
 “Don’t write endings, find them.” Thomas Williams
 The Loop Ending – ends at the same place the
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story began. If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura
Numeroff.
The Surprise Ending – usually has a twist.
Wizard of Oz
The Summary – repeats the main points and ties
up loose ends
The Happy Ending –Cinderella
The Sad but True Ending – Charlotte’s Web
Draft
 Free write about a time you were encouraged.
 You must brainstorm at least 3 leads/hooks.
 Blog, Glog, Wiki, or Tweet your favorite lead. Ask for
feed back.
Brainstorming is not just needed for
papers. This is also effective on essay and
short-answer tests as well as informal
answers. Creative responses will arise from
prewriting and make grading papers much
more entertaining!
Personal Narratives/Biographies
 Should be taught along with the study of nouns
 Bring a mirror to class
 How about a baby book?
Teach your favorite lessons,
just teach them in atypical ways…
 taking the class outside of school to a public park to
spy on someone inspires a great narrative.
 Include adverbs. What are people doing and how
(where, when, to what extent) are they doing it?
Teach your favorite lessons,
just teach them in atypical ways…
 Friendly Letter: design your personal stationary on

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
which to write it
Business Letter: create a business card or letter head to
spice it up
Story Summary: make it a 50 word mini-saga
IBook\Fifth Grade LA\MiniSaga
Character Sketch: Facebook homepage
Facebook
Love craft project like the flipbook? Use
Readwritethink.org
ReadWriteThink
Editing and Revising
•T H E M O R E T I M E Y O U S P E N D O N P R E W R I T I N G , T H E
LESS TIME YOU SPEND HERE
•D O N O T C O R R E C T / C H A N G E – J U S T P R O M P T
•Could
you use a better word?
•Combine these two ideas using an appositive
•Read this aloud. Does it make sense?
•N O T I M E F O R O N E - O N - O N E C O N F E R E N C E S ?
•Write
a “prescription”
Teach your favorite lessons,
just teach them in atypical ways…
 Verbs lend themselves well to inclusion in sports and
adventure stories.
Descriptive Writing
Take your own Picture
Secret Pronoun Paper
 write about a secretly assigned classmate while never
using their names, only pronouns.
 This is a great confidence builder for each audience
member hearing a complimentary paragraph read
about
 stresses the importance of antecedents like no
textbook can
Transfer to Short Answer
 Each response to short answer questions will be
evaluated using a 3 point scale.
 1 – Obvious. Little thinking is required because
student used poet’s ideas only
 2 – Going beyond the Given. Student combines
author’s ideas with their own
 3- Generative. Student generates new ideas based on
author’s work to capture the audience.
One Word Response
 History Test Questions
 Character Descriptions
 Author Analysis
 Stand/Sit Test for originality
Part 2:
Butterflies
SHELLEY CLIFFORD
EMAIL:
SCLIFFORD@MOUNTVERNONSCHOOL.ORG
TWITTER: CLIFFORDSHELLEY
Start with the End in Mind!
 Humorous Rubric
IBook\Speech Contest\Rubric\speechrubric.odt
 Public Speaking is the Number One Fear of Adults
 ToastMasters
 Student Speech
 Plan the Celebration
Start Simple. Start Broad.
 One Minute Speech
 Dogs should be allowed in school.
 Dentists put braces on crooked teeth, so people with crooked
noses should wear braces.
 Schools should cancel on rainy days instead of snow days.
 Girls (or boys) are smarter.
 The driving age should be 14.
Debate
 Cheating is a form of collaboration and should be




allowed.
Issues found in novels – Stacy should be punished.
Current Events- Children should say the Pledge of
Allegiance in school.
Historical Facts-Andrew Jackson was a noble leader.
Scientific Discoveries – Man has been on the moon.
Start the Research
 Research Folders
 Paraphrasing
 Note Taking
 Recite.
 Record.
 Reflect.
 Coach.
 Prescription Pad. IBook\Speech




Contest\revisions.docx
Recite.
Record.
Reflect.
Perform
Go Write Your Father’s Day Letter!
Thank You
Have a great rest of the conference.
Bad Teacher
Professional Resources
 Atwell, Nancie. 2002. Lessons That Change Writers.

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New Hampshire: Heinemann. PGS 50-51, 127-128,
and 182-183.
Fletcher, Ralf. 1993. What a Writer Needs. New
Hampshire: Heinemann. PGS 81-90.
Fletcher, Ralf and Joann Portalupi. 1998. Craft
Lessons. Maine: Stenhouse Publishers PG 29.
Steel, Kimberly.
http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com
www.readwritethink.org