Mrs. Clark’s Writing Workshop

 Show-Not-Tell: 

Student examples

 Examples and Exercises

What do writers write about?  Why do they write?

Watch interviews with popular writers Gary Paulsen, Louis Sachar, and JK Rowling as they discuss this!  In short they say writer’s write about what they know about, care about, or are interested in.  They write because they have something in them to share.

Click here to see video interviews:  Author Interviews

A Writer’s Growth is like…

a jack-o-lantern?  a hotel?  a car?  a cake?  football?  softball?  Check out the metaphor posters our writer’s have created that explain what a writer’s growth is like.  Your student has written a Fall Writing Sample which was scored using the below scale.  If a writer’s growth is like basketball then a level 1 is an “Airball”, a level two is a “Brick”, a leve 3 is a “Rim shot that almost goes in but doesn’t”, a level 4 is a “Made basket-nothing fancy”, level 5 is a “Swish”, and level 6 is a “Behind the back Michael Jordan slam dunk.”

Level 6:

The writing is focused and jam-packed with specific details/real experiences. It is written in “show-not-tell” format that makes the piece come alive. It is organized so that the reader moves easily through the piece.  The writing shines with personality through a purposely chosen voice.  Words are colorful, fresh, and interesting without being overdone.  Sentences read smoothly and show unforced sentence variety. Basically there are no grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors which also make it easy to read and understand.

Level 5:

The writing is focused and easy to understand with enough specific details and examples to make it interesting. It is organized so that the reader doesn’t feel lost.  The writing is confident and speaks right to the reader.  Words are accurate and precise with some vivid word choices.  Ideas are connected and organized so that the reader can move through the piece easily. There are very few grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors, but they do not stop the reader from understanding.

Level 4:

The writing is mostly focused and easy to understand with  details that may be too general but are attention grabbing at times. It is fairly organized but may wander at times.  The writing is appropriate but doesn’t really make the reader react in any concrete way.  Chosen words support meaning but don’t necessarily make the piece come alive.  There are noticeable grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, but the reader is still able to figure out what was meant.

Level 3:

The writing has a beginning and the reader can mostly follow the ideas along, but the central idea isn’t explained with many specific details or examples. Vocabulary is fairly basic and may have some words that don’t fit.  Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors do interfere with the reader’s understanding some of the time.

Level 2:

It feels as if the writer doesn’t know enough about the topic/central idea. Although it may mostly stick to the topic, the underdeveloped details and ideas are jumbled and confusing.  Vocabulary choice is  basic, general, and repetitive.  Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors make it  difficult for the reader to understand the piece.

Level 1:

The writing doesn’t have a central idea or is too short to develop an idea. The ideas given are not at all developed (one-sentence wonders) and do not connect one to the other; the sentences could be put in any order, and it wouldn’t make a difference.  Vocabulary choice is extremely basic, general, and repetitive.  Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors make it very difficult for the reader to understand the piece.

HOW TO HELP YOUR WRITER:

Dear Parent,

Your student has written his/her first piece.  This first piece will be evaluated for two things.

The first evaluation is under MEAP Writing Level.  Please note the 6 levels of writing are listed below.  This is NOT a grade but an evaluation on where your student is according to MEAP writing expectations.  Our goal this year is to move your writer up on this ladder of writing through the teaching/learning of specific Focus Correction Areas (writing skills).

The last thing that was evaluated is what personal Focus Correction Areas are needed to be learned in order for your writer to become a more mature writer and to move up on the MEAP Writing Levels.  Some of the wording you may not understand as yet (neither will you student), but we we will begin to learn these skills as the year progresses.

What can you do at home to help your student?  Well, please ask for your writer to share what they are doing in writing.  Please refrain from “fixing” errors you see yourself, but you could ask your writer a few questions that may bring them to revising their writing.  So often they know what they want the piece to say, but they don’t put it down in words as they have it up in their imaginations.  If your child would write better by first speaking the writing into a tape recorder or to you (you could be the scribe), this is totally possible.  I have 3 handheld tape recorders for just that.  If you act as scribe, I only ask that you write exactly as your child speaks the words without any adult editing.

If you have any questions about writing, please feel free to contact me at kclark@gpsk12.net or 254-6068.

Sincerely,     Katie Clark

6 Levels of Writing: Adapted from MEAP Rubric

How Does Grammar Fit into the Writing Process?

By Katie Clark

The other day a student asked me, “Mrs. Clark, when are we going to have English?”  After I thought for a moment, I realized he meant, “When will we use our English grammar book?”  I explained that we have English every day already.  We work on spelling, vocabulary development, reading, listening, speaking, and writing.  “Writing,” I said, “is learning how to use style, organization, voice, and correct mechanics in order to express our ideas on paper.”  Writing is the whole package, not just the wrapping.

The analogy is that if we waited until our students painted like Picasso to let them paint, they never would.  In turn, if all we teach them are the correct brush strokes and artistic techniques, but never let them explore with paint, our students would never be able to apply their knowledge.  Writing is very much the same.  If all we do is work on grammar exercises from a text book and call that writing, our students will never write.

We currently have writing for 45 minutes 5 times per week.  During that time we use DGP (Daily Grammar Practice) which is a program for applying and using grammar rules and editing skills.  Most sessions, we also have a mini-lesson where I focus on a particular writing weakness.  To do this, we use a variety of resources: students writing to illustrate how to fix up a problem, an English book lesson which focuses on that problem, a worksheet pulled from a writing resource, and many times, a piece of good literature that exemplifies how best to handle the problem.

After our mini-lesson, we have a writing workshop time, and then finally, conferencing and sharing time.

When a piece is finally brought to publish, with the exception of the first piece of the year, I correct it for  1 to 3 focus correction areas.  I will only grade based on those focus corrections.  This means, for example, that our next piece will be graded for elaborated paragraphs, descriptive words,  and correct paper heading.

In order for us to get to that point, mini-lessons and practice sessions will be on “How to Elaborate a Piece,” “Using Descriptive Words,” “What is a Vivid Verb.”  Students will be well aware of what focus corrections they’ll be graded on and will receive 100% if they fulfill the three requirements.

Do you remember handing in papers and getting them back with a zillion red marks?  Even if your teacher had you recopy the paper correctly, did or could you remember not to do any of those errors ever again?  And who really got the workout on the grammar?  I would have to say the teacher did.

And so, that is what we will do this year in “English.”  We will practice writing by applying newly learned skills over and over until we use them correctly and consistently.  We will begin to feel comfortable as writers, conferencing partners, editors, publishers, speakers, and presenters.  And at the end of the year,you will see how we have matured in our writing.

If you have any questions on this topic or are just plain interested, contact me.  I have many articles about writing, the writing process, grammar, and the research on which this method is based.