Empowering Teachers, Building Writers

1. Writing to Achieve Empowering Teachers, Building Writers September 30th (2nd Grade) Selma Unified School District Presenter: Raquel Velasco, District Literacy Coach

2. Short Clip on Writing Mishaps video.mp4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ys__GwfvM

3. Agenda • Welcome • Fluency Follow Up • Reflection: Foundations of Writing • BREAK • Genre/Writing Focus: Paragraph Writing • LUNCH • Scoring Practice Using the Rubric – Writing Samples • Planning/Material Creation/Resource Search • Questions/Content Evaluation

4. FLUENCY – Better understanding of fluency instruction & how it would look in a class setting (getting started) FOUNDATIONS OF WRITING (Reflection) – Review the last weeks of writing instruction (add, delete, change, successes, challenges, etc.) GENRE – Paragraph Writing SCORING PRACTICE – Using the new rubric Goals for Today

5. Fluency

6. Fluency Take a moment to think and write about… • What does it mean to you (definition)? • How does fluency instruction look like in your classroom? • Why is fluency important? Share out with a partner…

7. Fluency “freedom from word identification problems” – Dictionary of Reading and Related Terms “phrasing like spoken language…the reader can read for meaning” – Clay (1993) “…lack of trouble with word identification or comprehension”– Leu and Kinzer (1987) “reading smoothly, easily, and quickly” – Carnine and Silbert (1979)

8. Fluency Rate Automaticity / Accuracy Prosody Fluency Reading Comprehension Combines rate (speed) and accuracy Requires automaticity(quick, accurate recognition of letters/words) Includes reading with prosody (reading in a manner that sounds like normal speech – intonation & expression)

9. Fluent Readers… Focus their attention on making connections among ideas in the text and their background knowledge Recognize words and are able to focus their attention on understanding the text Divide words into meaningful phrases so that they are able to read with prosody Score higher on comprehension assessments

10. Fluent Readers… Decoding Attention Comprehension Attention – cognitive processing Decoding – process by which the letters of a printed word are converted to their spoken representation Comprehension – production of meaning from decoded words

11. Non-Fluent Readers… Focus their attention on decoding individual sounds or words Spend their energy trying to ‘figure out’ the words not the meaning Read in a slow, deliberate, and labored manner often pausing at inappropriate places Score lower on comprehension assessments

12. Non-Fluent Readers… Decoding Attention Comprehension Attention – cognitive processing Decoding – process by which the letters of a printed word are converted to their spoken representation Comprehension – production of meaning from decoded words

13. Building FluencyWhat Students Need to Learn How to decode words (both in isolation and in connected text) How to automatically recognize words (accurately and quickly with little effort) How to increase rate of reading while maintaining accuracy – while also understanding that their reading should slow down at times (monitoring for understanding)

14. Building FluencyHow We Teach It Be a fluency model – and explicitly discuss it with them Provide opportunities for guided, oral, repeated reading that includes support and feedback from teachers, peers, parents Match reading texts and instruction to individual students

15. Building FluencyMeasuring Student Fluency • Assess fluency regularly and systematically • Use formal and informal measures • District Assessments • Data Wall • Monitor Progress • One-on-One • Fluency Logs

16. Building FluencySteps to Providing Fluency Instruction • Assess/measure student’s fluency • Set individual fluency goals • Select appropriate text for fluency-building instruction • Independent level (no more than 1 error in 20 words) • Relatively short passages: 50 – 200 words • Variety of reading material: stories, nonfiction, poetry, etc.

17. Building FluencySteps to Providing Fluency Instruction • Model fluent reading (read aloud) Different approaches to practice: • Partner reading • Choral reading • Reader’s theatre • One minute quick reads • Repeated reading • Monitor students’ progress

19. So how do I start fluency instruction in my classroom? Table Talk: What type of fluency instruction are you already doing?

20. So how do I start fluency instruction in my classroom? Automaticity/Accuracy (Word Decoding) : • Word List • Phrases Prosody: • Phrases • Use of various reading materials: stories, nonfiction, poetry, etc.

21. Example of Fluency Instruction • Fluency Reading – with HFW List ..\My Documents\My Pictures\Demo Lessons\Fluency 001.avi • Fluency Writing – with HFW List ..\My Documents\My Pictures\Demo Lessons\Fluency 002.avi • Fluency Reading – with HFP List ..\My Documents\My Pictures\Demo Lessons\Fluency 003.avi • Fluency Writing – with HFP List ..\My Documents\My Pictures\Demo Lessons\Fluency 004.avi

22. Fluency Assessment2nd Grade Student - English Language Learner • One minute timed reading Reading.m4a • One minute timed retell Retell.m4a

23. Fluency Next time, we will discuss… • Fluency Partners • Use of various reading materials: stories, nonfiction, poetry, etc. • Fluency Logs • Lessons to address specific needs • Please look at copies of fluency practice…write your name down if you would like a copy

24. Reflection:Foundations of Writing Skills – 2nd Grade

26. Reflection:Foundations of Writing Take a moment to think and write about… • How’s it going with writing? • What’s working? • Did the writing samples of your current class match the skills selected as a grade level team? • Did other needs arise? • What lesson/activity was powerful in your class?

27. Calendar

28. Calendar

29. BREAK TIME15 Minutes

30. Genre:Paragraph Writing (6 weeks)

31. Paragraph Writing • Review all materials to be added to the WTA binder • Discuss effective teaching lessons within our classrooms for Paragraph Writing

32. LUNCH TIMESee you back promptly at 12:30

33. Scoring Practice using the Rubric

34. Rubric

35. Sample Paragraphs #1 - I am Immature #2 – Outrageous #3 – I’m Funny #4 - Caring

36. Planning / Material Creation / Resource Search Time

37. Planning / Material Creation / Resource Search Time Time can be used to… • Plan the next 6 weeks • Create posters, lesson materials, etc. for upcoming writing lessons • Review the resources handed out to you today • Use the computer lab to locate more resources

38. Questions / Content Evaluation* Feedback helps guide the next WTA session which will be on: Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

39. On a final note, remember we are all the…