Reading Like a Reader Reading Like a Writer Narrative Writing

1. Reading Like a ReaderReading Like a WriterNarrative Writing Professional Development presented by Cynthia Mann

2. First, Read Like Readers • Spend time getting to know a text as readers. • Begin with a read-aloud/think aloud followed by students sharing about their connections with the text. • Reread the text and have students interact with the text as you reread. Raise questions and share insights.

3. Beginning Author Inquiry Learning to Write from Writers • Read the text again and have students begin to look and see all they can about how the writing is done. • Begin in whole group with some of your noticings. Gradually release students into small groups with typed text or copies of the book and have them talk, talk, talk about what they see the author doing in the text.

4. Examples from Something Beautiful Structure: Author writes a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. She writes it so that it makes a circle (begins with word Die on the door and ends in the same place). Way with Words: She uses words that describe. She uses dialogue or has characters talking. She uses the same statement over and over “I am looking for something beautiful.”

5. What Next? • Come back together after students have had time in small groups to talk about what they saw in the text. • Introduce students to the Author Inquiry Chart: 1. Notice something about the craft of the text. 2. Talk about it and make a theory about why a writer might use this craft. 3. Give the craft a name. 4. Think of other texts you know where you have seen this craft. 5. Try and envision using this craft in your own writing.

6. Notice What the Author is doing in Narrative or Story Structure Ask “What do you notice about this?” “ When I look through my window, I see a brick wall. There is trash in the courtyard and a broken bottle that looks like fallen stars. There is writing in the halls of my building. On the front door, someone put the word Die.”

7. Author Inquiry Chart

8. Author Inquiry Chart

9. Authors use: • setting to make us feel like we are in the story or narrative. • characters to help us feel the ideas in the story or narrative through another’s experience. • sequence of events to help us remember and deepen our understanding of what is happening in the story. This is a plot. • a problem to hook us into the story or narrative. • a resolution to complete the story or narrative so we can make a judgment about the story and determine the author’s message.

10. Seeing the Narrative • Use story maps or story vine to chart the narrative so students can see the story. • Use a text map of the story so students can see whole text. • Use typed text so students can look at and hear all story or narrative elements.

11. Story Vine“Something Beautiful” Author’s Message: “When die disappears, I feel powerful.” We can all use our inner strength to find beauty. We make our own beauty.

12. Characters Setting Problem/Conflict Neighborhood where the little girl lives Looking for something beautiful amid difficult setting. little girl, lady in the carton, the teacher, Miss Delphine, Sybil, Rebecca, Jamal, Mr. Lee, Marc, Georgina, Mr. Sims, Aunt Carolyn, baby Carl, Mommy Solution Looking carefully for signs of beauty in people not in places-little girl goes and asks people in neighborhood what they think is beautiful. Cleans up and washes word Die off the door. Name __________________________________ Date ____________________________ Story Vine

13. Continue this process with numerous narrative texts. You might choose: • another text by the same author • a similar type of text • a very different, but well-crafted text • Gradually release students to choosing their own text and going through the process with guidance.