The Nuts and bolts of teaching writing

1. The Nuts and bolts of teaching writing Lucy Calkins

2. About the Author Lucy Calkins : founder of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. one of the original architects of the “workshop” approach to teaching writing to children author of some 20 books, including the best-selling The Art of Teaching Writing (250,000 sold). currently the Professor of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College at Columbia University.

3. The Nuts and bolts of teaching writing • Chapter 1: • An overview • Chapter 2: • Pathways for Writers • Chapter 3: • Planning Curriculum in a Primary Writing Workshop • Chapter 4: • Managing the Writing Workshop • Chapter 5: • Teaching Methods: Minilessons that Power Your Curriculum • Chapter 6 • Conferring with Young Writers • Chapter 7 • Supporting ELLs • Chapter 8: • The Literacy Instruction that Surrounds and Supports the Teaching of Writing • Chapter 9 • Assessment

4. New & important concepts • Planning curriculum in a primary writing workshop • Curriculum comes from: • Ongoing structures • Minilessons, conferences, writing folders, worktime…etc • Changing units of study • NEED TO PROVIDE BOTH-BALANCE * Collaborate with other teachers, create shared curricular calendars * Consider passions of each teacher as well as information about incoming students

5. Principles for planning • Plan for children to write a lot • Plan for the entire unit, with all its parts • Plan what we’ll do for each part of the unit and what children will do • Plan for continuity- in texts, metaphors, and language • Plan to support ongoing writing goals as well as unit-specific goals • Plan to instruct children in the use of a new writing tool in every unit • Plan to end the unit with a celebration • Plan to save some of every child’s writing and to start new pieces or kinds of writing with every unit

6. Managing the writing workshop • Importance of structure and systems • “When we plan our writing instruction, we must plan not only the words out of our mouths-the minilessons and the conferences that will convey content about good writing-but also the structures and systems that can allow us to manage a crew of young writers”(Calkins,28).

7. Big Ideas of managing the writing workshops • Structure of Writing Workshops are predictable and consistent • Attention to: • The environment • Managing each component of the Writing Workshop • When there are management troubles

8. The Environment for writing instruction • Room arrangements (“The Meeting Space”) • Carpets • Nearby teaching equipment • Easel, chart paper, markers

9. The environment for writing instruction • Rhythm of children’s movement • Gather close around teacher-explicit instruction • Disperse to work areas-teacher moves throughout space to confer with students or small groups • Issue of space • Ex: lowering tables to make room for more children to gather around

10. Materials of the writing workshop environment • Develop a system for managing papers • ex: writing folders • Toolboxes for writing tools (on counters and tables) • Date stamp, scissors, tape, pencils, pens, markers • Writing centers • System for dispensing paper and utensils is not crucial: “Children need to be able to independently access their ongoing texts and obtain more paper without a teacher spending time on this”(Calkins,34). • Environmental print • Word wall • Enlarged list of children’s names

11. Calkins’ recommendations on writing materials • Does not recommend that young children (prior to third grade) write in spiral notebooks, journals, or diaries. • Prefers inviting children to write all the kinds of writing they see in the world • Encourage children to write on a variety of paper

12. Schedule • “Time is the most precious resource we have…”(Calkins, 35). • Align schedule to state, district, and school standards as well as to teacher’s values and children’s developmental needs and levels. • Children at lower levels receive more time for dramatic play and blocks

14. Managing the minilesson • “The Beginning of Each Day’s Writing Instruction” • Starts with a signal for writers to get supplies out and gather • CONSISTENT attention signal-whether its for writing or math • Example: “Writers, let’s gather” • Gather on carpet, usually sit in assigned spots • Teach strategy  “Turn and talk”

15. Managing writing time • “Heart and soul of the Writing Workshop” • Precious time is lost in transitions, teach children how to get started on their writing • Teacher not always available for individual conferences- use retelling for instruction comprehension during minilesson • Watch all children for a few minutes then address issues- work with all slow starters in a small group • Use tables to encourage conversations among peers- “running commentaries” • Designate signal to monitor noise level- PRACTICE • Teacher holds writing conferences

16. Management that makes one-to-one conferences possible • Keep moving so conferences can be short and frequent • Teach children to never interrupt when you are conferring • Create systems of dealing with daily occurrences that don’t require your intervention • Teach children to solve predictable problems on their own • Create a place where children who need a conference can go to you for help • Concentrate on teaching the writing process, not on making every child’s piece the best it can be • Create the expectation of a lot of writing work getting done each workshop time • Use strategy lessons when many children need the same conference

17. Managing the share session • “Workshop Closure” • Class may gather or students share with partners • Teaching point in the share- highlights aspects that illustrate and extend the minilesson • Ex: minilesson on using a carat, share student work where a student used a carat and crossed out a confusing part of their story • Supports students’ writing and reinforces minilesson strategy

18. When there are management troubles • Diagnose the cause • Time to observe, think, and secure help • Anticipate that problems will inevitably occur • Plan how to respond • Rehearse for teaching to go wrong- ex: broken pencil interruptions

19. “Children learn to write from the work they do; therefore, establishing and managing a productive work environment is a critical aspect of good teaching”(Calkins, 44).

20. References • Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986. Print. •  Calkins, Lucy. The Nuts and Bolts of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: FirstHand, 2003. Print.