Choice Lit Topic: Teaching Writing
Everyone who writes for Choice Literacy loves teaching writing, because we all write ourselves. We know it is “hard fun,” as Donald Murray famously said—exasperating and exhilarating at the same time. The writing workshops you will read about here and see in our videos are busy, noisy, vibrant places. And most days, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than in the midst of ’em! Here is where you’ll find our latest discoveries, insights, and occasional boneheaded mistakes in teaching writing.
Results
Personal Narratives and Memoir: Conferring with Bode
Ruth Ayres confers with Bode about the difference between personal narratives and memoirs, and the value of mining the writing journal for topics.
Teacher as Mentor Writer
For many years I have felt content and fulfilled with the reading workshop my students and I build each year. I am confident about my ability to plan for and...
Books for Studying Illustration with First Graders
After many weeks of helping students get acquainted with the routines in writing workshop, I am excited to begin our first study. With such young writers, the notion of study...
Understanding Study: Noticing Pictures
On a warm afternoon in late September, it was time to begin our first unit in writing workshop. I was a little nervous that my first graders might not be...
Conferring About Illustrations
Ruth Ayres confers with a third grader who is preparing to add illustrations to her story. The mentor text she uses is The Pain and the Great One.
Digital Boards for Formative Assessment
Formative assessment drives instruction. Without it, we would have no idea what to teach to whom we are teaching. However, with grades and standardized tests bombarding our classrooms, I find...
Independence in Writing Workshop
Beth Lawson uses writing workshop chores and simple transition strategies to help her students work independently. After the minilesson, Beth gives peer-editing assignments to students from drafting to proofing, so...
A Strong Foundation: Books and Media for Launching Literacy Workshops
Beginnings are important, whether it is building a new relationship, building a home, or starting a new school year. Lucy Calkins talks about building invisible structures so that the deeper,...
Revising Writing: Fourth-Grade Conference
Tony Keefer confers with Sydney about revising her piece.
Effective Student Writing Groups
Writing workshop is designed around giving students authentic writing experiences. A crucial part of my writing life is feedback. Recently I’ve noticed that I receive feedback from a variety of...
Giving Audio Feedback to Student Writing
As a writing teacher, I have always struggled with giving students timely and meaningful feedback. I’d pore over my students' writing and spend hours, pen in hand, writing comments in...
An Organizing Tool for Writing
Ruth Ayres shares a visual organizing scheme with Allie for organizing her personal narrative writing.
Six-Word Memoirs
Recently I learned about six-word memoirs while I was in an orientation for the Southern Maine Writing Project Invitational Institute. Our task was to interview someone we did not know well...
Launching Writing Workshop: Mentor Texts
Writing is more than crafting an opinion, a narrative, or an informational piece to meet a standard. As I think about launching a writing workshop unit in second grade, I...
Candy Memoirs
Why is it that high school teachers think they must start the year by going over rules and procedures? It must be something that is taught in that same methods...
Conferring About Illustration in Kindergarten
Ruth Ayres confers with five-year-old Abby about her apple illustration early in the school year.
Kindergarten Moments Count: Morning Message
The morning message is an activity I use to introduce and reinforce several different skills in my kindergarten classroom. It is also a process that evolves as the year progresses....
Final Literacy Contracts: Student-Generated Themes
It is hard to believe we have reached the end of the school year and this series. We hope you have gotten a lot of ideas on how to use...
Endings Minilesson with Second Graders
Cathy Laker uses her own writing as a mentor text with her second-grade students to demonstrate options for endings.
Capturing the Elementary Years with Photo Essays
In our district, sixth grade is the end of a significant time period as student prepare to move to middle school. Recalling major events spanning from kindergarten through sixth grade...
Conveying Messages with Cover Art
Ruth Ayres confers with fourth grader Braden about the value of cover art in conveying ideas from his story about a road trip.
