6th Grade Student-Led Writing Conference

1. 6th GradeStudent-Led Writing Conference "Educated people are not only learned, they think well." (Lipman, 1987) "Intelligent behavior is knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do." (Costa, 1991)

2. Metacognition: An important kind of reflective thinking that people use (often unconsciously) to help themselves in the learning process by recognizing and understanding what they know and don’t know, and by making decisions about this knowledge.

3. What should students do? • Relax! You have rehearsed and prepared. The hard work is done! • Be in charge of the conversation. • Discuss your body of work as evidence of your growth and learning. • Set new goals based on the writing challenges you have identified for yourself.

4. What is the teacher’s role? • Inform parents of the rationale and procedures for student-led conferences. • Help students with the organizational framework for the portfolio process • Be available to support students if needed during conferences. • Stay in the background!

5. How can parents help? • Listen! • Ask open-ended questions when you want to know more • Focus should be on learning and growth, not a “show and tell” display of work • Understand that students are sometimes nervous and need support

6. How can parents help? • Give compliments on evidence of learning (try to be specific) • Save concerns until the conference is over • Discuss the goals your child has given himself/herself. You may help your child set new goals based on your discussion during the conference.

7. A Proficient 6th Grade Writer should demonstrate: An understanding of purpose, audience, voice, and tone Depth of idea development, supported by elaborated, relevant details Logical and coherent organization Varied sentence structure Effective language and word choice Few errors in mechanics (relative to the length and complexity of the piece)

8. From "The Beam of the Flashlight" by D.K. (personal narrative) Begins in an interesting way. The flashlight beam slowly went past Peter and me as we ducked down, listening to the chirping of crickets and smelling the rotting logs and fresh outdoor air in the woods of North Carolina. We were playing my favorite camp game, Capture the Glowstick. After we were sure that we were safe from being caught by the defenders of the opposing team, we got up and began observing the ground, looking for the glowstick. "That was a close one," replied Peter. "Yeah, I know," I answered. Gives necessary background information (who, what, where). Dialogue is properly punctuated, indenting a new paragraph for each new speaker.

9. From "Stop the Fur Industry" by D.K. (persuasive essay) Conclusion restates the thesis statement The fur industry should be prohibited from stripping furs from American animals to make clothing. We have many other sources of clothing material, but some continue to cruelly use fur. It is hard to believe that 3.5 million animals' furs are used only to get fur coats or collars. It is not worth it. So why not wear cotton clothes, wool clothes, and fake furs and give the farmers some business? Save the animals! and restates the main points made in the paper. It leaves the reader with a call for action.

10. From “My Pond” by C. A.(descriptive essay) Use of simile makes a stronger mental image. Use of specific details (Blue Gill and Mallard) add clarity. Use of sensory details is evident throughout. A group of trees circling the pond were swaying back and forth like a class raising their hands to answer an easy question. A small twig fell from an old evergreen and plopped into the water causing many ripples throughout the water. They made a noise somewhat like a dried steam sounds after a large amount of rain. A Blue Gill jumped out of the water to taste the stick as if it were prey. A flock of Mallard Ducks had begun to circle the border of the pond. The V shaped flock then dove toward the water with a strong burst of energy.