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How Can We Help Our Students Become Better Writers?

6/23/2015

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In her article, Teaching Writing Is Hard Enough: Stop Doing Dumb Things (Reading Today April/May 2014), Ruth Culham brings to light some important ideas when teaching writing.  Like many of us, she started teaching writing the way she had been taught: diagraming sentences, five paragraph essays, worksheet packages on grammar, spelling and vocabulary lists, etc.  It did not work! 

Ruth came to the realization that her classroom library was her best resource for enabling her students to become better writers.  She used “mentor” text to show student what authors were doing.  For example, when a student used the same types of sentences all the time, she would pull a book off the library shelf and explore it pointing out how the author used a variety of sentence structures or if a character had not been developed, take some time to read a paragraph or two that describes the character in a novel. 

Here are some of Ruth Culham’s tips about the teaching of writing.  See what you might give up and change to become a better teacher of writing.

                              Things We Do to Teach Writing

Dumb Things                                                       Sensible Things
Using worksheets                     Practicing new skills in writing created by the student
Giving Friday spelling tests        Developing control over spelling words using multiple                                                 methods: high frequency, word families, phonetic,                                                     sight words, spell check, and other resources
Assigning vocabulary lists          Exploring word meanings and developing a fascination                                                 for language
Teaching skills in isolation          Teaching skills in context of reading, always moving                                                   toward deepening understanding of text
Assigning topics every time       Making sure there is choice about format, genre, and
students write                          mode/purpose
Using formulas for writing          Allowing the idea and purpose of the writing to    
such as topic sentence and        determine the organizational structure
three supporting details and 
the five-paragraph essay
Grading based on compliance     Evaluating based on performance, note growth,
and following directions             celebrating effort          
Covering everything every year   Using a spiraling scope and sequence of writing skills                                                  that builds one year upon the next
Keeping students absolutely        Creating a happy, working hum where students
quiet                                          freely share, ask questions, and discuss
Dwelling on test prep                 Teaching the test format as a genre and further                                                          opportunity for learning
Marking papers for every            Offering targeted, specific suggestions to revise
possible issue-big or small-         and/or edit
that could be improved or 
corrected
Teaching writing as an isolated   Teaching reading and writing together, as mutually
subject that consists mostly of    supportive language processes, one leading to the 
grammar and other                     next
conventions-based practices
Teaching writing as a separate    Teaching writing in every subject using mentor texts 
subject                                      to model how great writing looks in that context

 
Ruth Culham presents some interesting ideas, which we should reflect on.  What practices are we using that could be done in a more meaningful way? 

If you want to read more of her article, it can be found in the April/May 2014 Issue of Reading Today. Visit the School District Website and look under Library Services

http://public.sd38.bc.ca/sdweb/Lis/magazines/pro-d to find copies of this magazine.

Ruth Culham is also the author of, The Writing Thief Using Mentor Text to Teach the Craft of Writing.

 


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Reading in the Digital Age

6/14/2015

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     While our world is becoming more and more reliant on technology and the powerful tool it has become, I am concerned about it encompassing the simple act of reading a good book.   There are numerous ways of downloading books for convenience and a variety of companies out there that are trying to tap into the educational market by offering “reading programs” online.  
     This is where my concerns lie.  Students sitting in front of computers reading levelled books from a computer screen. Technology should enhance what we do in the classroom, not just replace it.  There is much research to support that reading engagement comes from being able to choose the books you want to read based on interests and being able to share your passion by discussing the books and making recommendations to others. Playing with the language of the book by making your voice “sound like” the character or flipping back a few pages to read a funny part to your friend seem to be lost opportunities when immersed in an online reading program.  Even the texture and smell of books is missing with online reading and to some readers this is an important aspect of a book. So I am not sure you will get that type of passion and enjoyment from technology where students are listening or reading a levelled story and answering comprehension questions before being able to move to the next level.  
     Having students listen to an “expert reader” reading a story online so they can hear the fluency and expression or having students, themselves, record their own reading and self-assess are valuable ways to use technology to enhance students learning.  But please beware of the levelled online reading programs.  Use technology to enrich your reading instruction, not just replace it.


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    Author

    I am a District Literacy Teacher (K-7) for the Langley School District. I have been teaching for 34 years with most of my work in primary.

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