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Writing is NOT a Separate Subject

Writing is NOT a Separate Subject. ConnBIDA Conference Albertus Magnus College October 21, 2011 Presenter- Pam Nuzzo Literacy How, Inc. Goals. Examine the connection between students’ oral language skills and their written language Understand the research on processing and writing

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Writing is NOT a Separate Subject

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  1. Writing is NOT a Separate Subject ConnBIDA Conference Albertus Magnus College October 21, 2011 Presenter- Pam Nuzzo Literacy How, Inc. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  2. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  3. Goals • Examine the connection between students’ oral language skills and their written language • Understand the research on processing and writing • Identify and recognize the various skills that are necessary for proficient writing • Introduce scaffolds and strategies to support students in their writing Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  4. What is Writing? • transcription process • demonstration of knowledge • communication tool • learning tool Cheryl M. Scott ( 1999) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  5. Skilled Writers Focus on generating and organizing ideas Are often creative Read and evaluate written text Edit and revise Monitor the writing process If it’s still not right, they do it again Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  6. Writing is Difficult • Writing is the most difficult of all language skills • It is acquired the latest, mastered by the fewest, and learned with the most effort over the longest period of time. (D. Johnson and H. Myklebust, 1967) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  7. Writing Challenges Content generation Organizing compositions Formulating goals and higher level plans (i.e., executive function) Executing writing mechanics efficiently Revising the text and goals Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  8. Struggling Writers “Write big to fill up the paper.” “Make it neat and check the spelling.” “Findings indicate that children’s difficulties with writing are caused at least in part by problems acquiring, using, or managing writing strategies.” Graham and Harris, 2000 Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  9. Students with writing problems are not very thoughtful or planful when they write. • Spend less than 1 minute planning when revising. • They approach writing as if it involves a single process- content generation. • However, their papers do not have enough content. • The impoverished writing of struggling writers is in part a strategic problem because they have difficulty gaining access to the knowledge they do have. Graham and Harris, 2000 Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  10. The Simple View of Reading Decoding X Listening Comprehension= Text Comprehension Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  11. The Not-So-Simple View of Writing Text Generation (words, phrases, sentences, discourse) Working Memory (long-term memory during composing; short-term memory during reviewing) Executive Functions Transcription (conscious attention, goal setting, planning, reviewing, revising, strategies for self-monitoring and regulating) (handwriting, keyboarding, spelling) Handbook of Learning Disabilities by Swanson, Harris, Graham based on Berninger and Amtmann (2003) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  12. Writing Process Writing requires the simultaneous and sequential integration of many subprocesses: Lower-level transcription skills Handwriting (gross and fine motor) Spelling Writing Conventions Higher-level text generation (language and higher order cognition) Sentence structure Text structure (narrative vs. expository) Vocabulary Executive Functions (i.e., attention, organization) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  13. Executive Functions • Cognitive processes that have a great impact on writing • These functions affect a writer’s ability to plan, organize, monitor, and revise text (Singer & Bashir, 2004) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  14. Self-regulation • The ability to use pre-established routines to scaffold oneself through new and more difficult problems • It may be viewed as a special aspect of executive functioning • It involves learning to use one’s inner voice to mediate problem solving and to regulate choices and behavior Nelson, 1995 Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  15. Working Memory and Writing • Temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for language comprehension, learning, and reasoning • Simultaneous storage and processing of information • Forming letters, mechanics, spelling patterns, memory for facts and ideas, vocabulary and word finding Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  16. Problems that Impact Working Memory • Attention and concentration • Slow processing speed • Automaticity of lower-level skills • Automatic production of alphabet letters • Knowing spelling patterns • Poor handwriting Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  17. Spoken and Written Language: Distinctive Yet Reciprocal Listening Speaking SPOKEN Reciprocal skills Expressive Language Receptive Language Reading WRITTEN Reciprocal skills Writing Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  18. Reading and Writing Depend on Language Processing Meaning (semantics) Discourse structure Morphology Sentences (syntax) Language Pragmatics Phonology Writing System (Orthography) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  19. Narrative Story Structures Macrostructure(story structure) An episode Character/Setting (set-up) Initiating Event Internal Response Plan Actions/Attempts Consequence/ Resolution Microstructure(language) Linguistic devices Elaborated Noun Phrases Cohesive Ties (connective words - first, next, then, but, so, because, instead Mental & Linguistic Verbs (also feeling words and planning vocabulary) Adverbs Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  20. Developmental Stages of Narrative Discourse Stage 1: Descriptive Sequence Stage 2: Action Sequence Stage 3: Reactive Sequence Stage 4: Abbreviated Episode Stage 5: Complete Episode Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  21. Expository Writing Macrostructure(text structure) Microstructure(language) Linguistic devices Elaborated Noun Phrases Cohesive Ties (connective words - first, next, then, but, so, because, instead) Mental & Linguistic Verbs (also planning vocabulary) Adverbs • Descriptive • List • Sequence • Compare/Contrast • Cause/Effect • Problem/Solution • Persuasion Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  22. Effective Writing Practices Do Not Write on Both Sides of the Paper at Once: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Teaching Writing Steve Graham Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  23. Establish a Classroom Culture in which student authors • Have dedicated time for writing and writing instruction, with writing occurring across the curriculum • Are involved in various forms of writing over time • Choose their own topics (if not full choice of topic and genre, at least choice as to how ideas are expressed within a particular project framework) The Writing Lab Approach Nelson, Bahr, & Van Meter Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  24. Establish a Classroom Culture in which student authors • Write for real audiences, including teachers, peers, and others • Reflect on whether their language accomplishes its intended purposes • Gain increasing control over how to allocate their time and make other author choices The Writing Lab Approach Nelson, Bahr, & Van Meter Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  25. Establish a Classroom Culture in which student authors • Plan, draft, revise, edit, and share their work • Work together cooperatively to plan, draft, revise, and edit • Engage in teacher and peer conferences (revising, editing) • Anticipate publication and make decisions on how to make their piece ready for publication The Writing Lab Approach Nelson, Bahr, & Van Meter Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  26. Classroom Organizational Supports • Predictable routines, with alternatives for students at varying stages of the process • Extended periods of time to write on the same piece • Tools for writing and illustrating work • Posted references and other resources, including word walls and other environmental supports for student authors The Writing Lab Approach Nelson, Bahr, & Van Meter Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  27. Writing Workshop • Framework • Mini-lesson (10-12 minutes) • Writing (25-40 minutes) • Share (10 minutes) Literacy How, Inc. 2010

  28. Writing Workshop • The Architecture of Mini-lessons (10 - 12 minutes) The mini-lesson has one teaching point and one only. • The Connection(30 sec. - 1 minute) • Teaching • Linkage(30 sec.- 1 minute) Literacy How, Inc. 2010

  29. What is a Strategy? A strategy is composed of a series of steps that, when followed, lead most learners to succeed in a given task. Pritchard & Honeycutt (2007) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  30. Writing Strategies The goal of teaching writing strategies is to get to the point where students will use the strategies in a self-regulatory way. • Students need to know when and how to use the strategies • Students must be motivated to use the strategies. • Students must be shown explicit information regarding the usefulness of the strategies. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  31. Why Strategy Instruction? • Specifies a course of action for struggling writers • Makes the mental operations involved in writing visible and concrete • Teaches struggling writers new methods for composing • Enhances struggling writers’ knowledge about the writing process • Acknowledges their capabilities as writers Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  32. What happens if students don’t have effective strategy instruction? Without effective strategy instruction, Pressley and Woloshyn (1995) suggested that: • Students often fail to establish a goal for their writing. • They do not generate enough content; they fail to search their long-term memory for relevant information and they do not make effective use of information available in the environment. • Rather than planning and organizing, they tend to knowledge tell (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1987) or knowledge dump, simply writing down anything that comes to mind about the topic. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  33. What happens if students don’t have effective strategy instruction? • Because their sentence construction, spelling, handwriting, and keyboarding skills are weak, they spend so much effort on low-level skills that they fail to attend to making the writing make sense. • They treat their first draft as their final draft, having little or no idea of how to revise it to improve comprehension. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  34. Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Writing • Explicitly taught strategies for specific writing genres as well as general writing strategies • Self-regulation strategies • Students learn to use these writing and self-regulation strategies within the writing process • Scaffolded instruction Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students by Harris, Graham, Mason, Frielander Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  35. SRSD Framework: Six Steps • Develop Background Knowledge of Strategy • Discuss it (conference with student) • Model It • Memorize It (mnemonic device) • Support It (collaborative practice activities) • Independent Performance http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/CASL/powwww.html Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  36. The Writing Process (Executive Functions) • Planning/Organizing • Drafting • Revising • Editing • Publishing/Presenting Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  37. Writing Process The phases of the writing process are recursive, not linear. That is, one plans before one begins to write, but one may adjust plans as one translates and revises. Revision may occur in all phases; it need not be limited to the final phases. One can revise as one plans and as one is producing the text. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  38. Planning/Organizing Planningwhat to say • setting goals • generating ideas • organizing ideas into a writing plan Must consider the purpose of writing (the why), the audience (the who), and the knowledge they have or need to have. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  39. Planning/Organizing Scaffolds • Help students use their knowledge of text structures • Brainstorming- generating ideas • POW PPick my Idea (decide what to write about) OOrganize my Notes (organize possible writing ideas into a writing plan) W Write and Say More (continue to modify and upgrade the plan while writing) Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students by Harris, Graham, Mason, Friedlander Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  40. Planning/Organizing Planning what to say- generating ideas • Heart Maps Awakening the Heart : Exploring Poetry by Georgia Heard • Treasure boxes Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  41. Organization: STOP and LIST Strategies • Stop: (Set goals - purpose for writing) • Think • Of • Purposes and List Ideas Sequence Them Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students by Harris, Graham, Mason, Friedlander Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  42. Make a Writing Plan Using aMentor Text • Read mentor text during read-aloud in literacy block and work on understanding the story elements. • During a writing workshop mini-lesson, use the story elements of the mentor text to scaffold the students’ writing. • Struggling writers will need more targeted and focused strategy instruction before transferring the understandings to their own writing. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  43. DraftingTranslatingplans into written text • Transcriptionof ideas into text • Text Generation • Keep in mind and further develop planned discoursestructures • Knowledge about a topic • Construct sentences and select words • Keep their audience in mind Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  44. Transcription All the skills required to get sentences onto paper: • Handwriting • Spelling • Writing Conventions (punctuation, capitalization, paragraph indentation) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  45. Handwriting/Keyboarding 1. Handwriting fluency and spelling account for 66% and 41% of the variability in writing output of primary and intermediate grade students, respectively (Graham, Berninger, Abbot, Abbot & Witaker, 1997) 2. Removal of mechanical demands through dictation usually results in a corresponding increase in written output (De La Paz & Graham, 1995) 3. Providing extra handwriting instruction for poor writers has a positive impact on their writing output (Berninger et al., 1997, 1998) Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  46. Handwriting Instruction Handwriting automaticity at an early age (writing alphabet letters quickly from memory) is a strong predictor of the quality of composition in older, normally developing writers. If letter production is automatic, then the child is able to attend to higher level composing processes, such as deciding what to write about, what to say, and how to say it. Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  47. Spelling Enhancing the spelling performance of young struggling writers is important because: • A writer’s message can be blurred or misconstrued because of spelling errors. • Perceptions about writing competence can be influenced by a child’s poor spelling (lower marks for writing quality). • Child’s development as a writer can be constrained due to early problems with spelling which may lead the child to avoid writing. Graham, Chorzempa, Harris, 2006 Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  48. Writing Conventions Surface-level features (e.g., punctuation, capitalization, and paragraph indentation) “Although writing conventions have the appearance of being surface-level features, their presence or absence can provide rich information about the deeper state of a student’s language knowledge.” Nelson, Bahr, and Van Meter, 2004 Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  49. Writing Conventions Language Targets • Punctuation • Capitalization • Paragraph indentation Literacy How, Inc. 2011

  50. Text Generation-Written Products • Discourse level • Sentence level • Word level Literacy How, Inc. 2011

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