KAST GRANT REPORT Project Title: Summer Writing Institute Teachers College -August 2018 Focus: Writers Workshop and the Writing Units of Study Submitted by: Brooke Caffey-First Grade Lead Teacher Project objectives:

• Learn about the Writing Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing

• Strengthen my knowledge of research based best practices for the teaching of writing

• Gain hands-on experience from the experts and developers of the Writers Workshop

• Acquire strategies for implementing a successful workshop model that responds to the needs of my students

• Learn to maximize my writing conferences

Overview from the Project Handbook “The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) is a research and staff development organization within Teachers College, Columbia University. The goal of the Project is to support best practice literacy instruction through research, writing and the professional development of teachers and school leaders. The mission is to help young people become avid and skilled readers, writers, and inquirers. Members of the Project’s current and former staff, have written books that are foundational to language arts instruction across the world. Most notably, the Project’s director, Lucy Calkins is the author, or co-author of well over two score of books. The TCRWP is a learning organization, always rethinking the ideas upon which it is based, using data and new theories to deepen and refine the approaches it supports, and synthesizing the knowledge of its diverse members.”

Background

Several years ago, the Lower School took a close look at its literacy program and decided that a Balanced Literacy approach would best meet the varied needs of its students. It would encourage them to be lifelong learners and prepare them for the 21st century. The components of the approach included guided reading, shared reading, Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop and Word Study. Fountas and

Pinnell, two top researchers of the best practices of reading and writing, believed years ago that Writers Workshop, Readers Workshop, and Word Study were the best ways to teach reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Fountas and Pinell, 2001). Lucy Calkins, founding director of Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, witnessed the successful implementation of the Readers and Writers Workshops and co-authored the Teaching of Reading and Writing Units of Study manuals. When the Units of Study were hot off the presses, several Lower School teachers successfully piloted the Readers and Writers Workshops in their classrooms. The enthusiasm spread, and now every grade is utilizing them. Many teachers have now attended multiple workshops and summer institutes at Teachers College. They have learned from the experts, and they’re bringing their knowledge and newly discovered strategies back to the classrooms.

Daily Format and Highlights Each of the five days of the institute consisted of four components: small group hands-on instruction, large group lecture, key note speaker and choice workshop. During the small group lessons, approximately 20 first grade teachers met under the guidance of Jessica Saurer. Saurer is a graduate of former first grade teacher and graduate of the Literacy Specialist program at Teachers College. She led us through the Writers Workshop process as students, delivering a mini lesson and sending us off to write our own pieces. She conferred with each of us several times throughout the week, modeling the research, decide, compliment, teach and link method. She carried her “toolbox” so she could easily provide an example of her teaching point. As a culminating activity, we took a “Wow Walk” around the room to read classmates published pieces and leave post-it compliments. Ex. “Strong lead! Love your use of ellipsis! Good use of transition words! You labelled your pictures!” Large group instruction consisted of approximately 120 first grade teachers in a lecture style classroom. Rachel Rothman-Perkins, Senior Staff Developer, former classroom teacher, and co-author of first grade unit of study Small Moments: Writing with Focus, Detail, and Dialogue focused her sessions on the four principles of Writers Workshop: Investment and Engagement, Explicit Teaching and Guided Practice, Independence, and The Writing Process. She also encouraged everyone to read Writing Pathways Grades K-5 by Lucy Calkins. This guide provides performance assessments, learning progressions, student checklists, rubrics, and leveled writing exemplars for narrative, opinion, and informative writing. See Examples.

Writing Pathways Grades K-5 Lucy Calkins 2013

Writing Pathways Grades K-5 Lucy Calkins 2013

Writing Pathways Grades K-5 Lucy Calkins 2013

At the end of each morning, teachers of K-3 would gather in the Corwin Auditorium for a key note speaker. Topics included the unveiling of the new Phonics Units of Study, the Importance of Giving Effective Feedback, Mastering skills through Effective Practice, Valuing Young Writing, and Writing and Illustrating books for children and adults. Matt de la Pena, Newberry Medal winning author of several young adult and picture books, delivered a powerful autobiographical presentation about growing up as a “Mexican Whiteboy” in southern California. I have several of his books in my classroom including, Last Stop on Market Street, Carmella Full of Wishes, and LOVE. Peter Brown, author and illustrator of many children’s books and winner of a Caldecott Medal in 2013 for illustrating Creepy Carrots!, explained his process for dreaming up silly and imaginative characters. He shared his initial sketches from The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, Creepy Carrots!, and The Wild Robot. Both of these talented authors live in the New York/New Jersey area, and it would be amazing to have them visit GA! The final sessions each day were choice workshops on a wide variety of topics. One that I found particularly helpful was Marjorie Martinelli’s session, “Writing Centers, Routines and Rituals, and Anchor Charts Can Help Children Be More Self-Directed Writers.” By establishing the routines and rituals and setting up an organized writing center, students naturally become productively independent. Martinelli, author of Smarter Charts, believes in the 3 R’s of Anchor Charts: Reposition, Revise As Needed, and Retire When Unit Ends. Anchor charts should provide “Wall Power” and not become “Wall Paper.” Heinemann provides free online anchor chart materials when you purchase the Units of Study, so students can utilize mini charts for reference on their desks during writing workshop. Another interesting choice workshop, “With a Handful of Great Informational Texts, You Can Teach the Qualities of Great Nonfiction Writing,” was led by Jennifer DeSutter, author of The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing. When selecting nonfiction mentor texts, she recommends looking for the following qualities: Organization and Structure, Voice, Sentence Structure, Word Choice, and Conventions. Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies and Yucky Worms by Vivian French provide many useful examples.

Suggested First Grade Mentor Texts For Teaching Narrative Writing: How I Spent My Summer Vacation A Moment in Time Ralph Tells a Story Diary of a Fly Thank you, Mr. Falker Last Stop On Market Street The Best Story Owl Moon Beekle Fireflies! Amazing Grace Kitchen Dance Salt Hands Roller Coaster Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale Kitten’s First Full Moon Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) Oliver Button Is a Sissy Those Shoes The Other Side Nothing Ever Happens On 90th Street For Teaching Informational Writing: How a House Is Built What If I Had Animal Hair Actual Size Bones How to Make Salsa Make a Valentine The Pumpkin Book All About Sharks What Is Weather National Discovery Kids Gail Gibbons Books So You Want to Be President?

For Teaching Opinion/Persuasive Writing: The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About Their Bodies in Pictures and Words I Wanna Iguana Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! Hey, Little Ant Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Dear Mrs. LaRue LaRue for Mayor The Day the Crayons Quit I Wanna New Room After Attending the Summer Writing Institute, What Am I Doing Differently This Year?

• Started Writers Workshop earlier in the year and have set a goal to teach writing 4 out of 5 days per week

• Conducted an “On Demand” writing assessment during first week of school

• Set up my writing center with pre-stapled booklets, assorted writing paper

options, revision strips, tape, stapler, flair pens

• Began to utilize new strategies for maximizing writing conferences

• Thoughtfully matched writing partners and intentionally created a triad to support one particular student

• Added to my mentor text collection and sorted by genre

• Started to assemble a “Tool Box” binder for use when conferring

Contents will ultimately include: • a well written piece from each unit • a bare bones piece with missing elements • a piece with just pictures for labeling and adding

a. speech bubbles • a blank booklet for “touch and tell” practice • conferring cheat sheets • mini anchor chart posters • a marked up text with post-its for examples

• Started to create a “My Writing Goals” poster

• Planning to purchase Repositioning Glue to turn ordinary paper into a post-

it