2. Getting Started with Personal Narrative
Generating Ideas--what makes powerful stories
Turning points in our lives
Kids can make a timeline
Special place
Kids can make a map and plots stories on the map
Special people
List stories with the special person
3. Getting Started with Informational Writing
Choosing a topic
Make sure you are an expert! No need for research
Teacher should have his/her own topic to model with
Lessons
Kids should orally rehearse before writing
Explore structures
4. Getting Started with Opinion Writing
Types
Personal Opinion
Persuasive
Literary Essay
Ideas
Use debate to prepare for literary essay. Take a side of a book or argue about
a character
5. Minilessons
Don’t call on students! Lots of turn and talks with writing partner, listen in and
share ideas for them
“I heard partners say….”
Use the book as a script (you can change your stories so they’re more real)
Keep it to 10 minutes
Use a squirrelly kid as your timer =)
6. Minilesson Structure & Oral Prompts
Connection
When you engage the students and state your teaching point
State teaching point “Today I want to teach you that…”
Teach
Demo “Now watch me as I…”
Recap “Did you see how I…”?
Guided Practice “Now it’s your turn to…”
Inquiry
Active Engagement
7. Writing Partners
Experiment with partners for the first month (speed dating)
Change partners with the unit (don’t change during)
Should have similar writing levels/goals
During minilesson, always sit together
Management techniques
partners have certain spot in the room where they always sit
Put difficult or new students in a triad
8. Conferring
Should be under 10 min
Table compliment (easy, no planning)
Use checklist to keep track of who you’ve conferenced with
“How’s it going? What are you working on as a writer?”
Research-decide-teach
Always end conferences with a LINK
Restate teaching point
Talk about student’s plan
9. Quick Tips for Grammar & Punctuation
Minilesson Idea
“I want to teach you that paragraphs have a purpose”
“Watch me as I look through this writing and try to add paragraphs”
Model first paragraph break
Have kids try with their partner. “Where would you add a new paragraph?”
“We change paragraphs to introduce a new character, change setting, change time”
“When you go off today, take a look at your paragraphs”
Grammar chart
Add 2 per unit
10. Quick Tips for Grammar & Punctuation
Minilesson idea for punctuation
“I want to teach you writers have choice”
You can change the mood with different punctuation
She runs.
She runs!
She runs?
She runs…
“How does each change in punctuation change the mood?”
http://www.supergrammar.com/
11. Fundamental Beliefs of TCRWP
Topic Choice
Students should choose topics they are passionate about
DO NOT give writing prompts in WW
Structures & Routines
Should be predictable
4-5 days a week; 45-60 min
Minilesson, tip or strategy of the day (7-12 min)
Independent work time
1 on 1 conferences (5-7 min)
Small groups
Peer talk
Mentor texts
Mid-workshop instruction (mostly management at beg. Of year)
Share (5-10 min)
12. Library
Offers an important way to grow a positive classroom reading culture that will
allow students to love reading
Introduce as many authors and titles as possible
Include some all-star classics, but also many of the newest cutting-edge titles
Students should be excited to book shop, allow them to change books two to
three times a week
