Supporting Informational Writing Conventions in Primary Grades Your Workshop Facilitator Dr. Dea Conrad-Curry Your Partner in Education

Supporting Informational

Writing Conventions in Primary Grades

Your Workshop FacilitatorDr. Dea Conrad-Curry

Your Partner in Educationwww.partnerinedu.com

Today’s Goals• Analyze the language of the CCSS for

writing in the informational / explanatory genre

• Identify expected progression in writing skills from kindergarten through second grade

• Develop three approaches to support student acquisition of grade level performance skills

• Practice conducting a writing conference in a mock situation

2© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

3TEXT TYPES & PURPOSES: INFORM/EXPLAIN

GRADE K GRADE 1 GRADE 2

2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative / explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitionsto develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

STANDARD 4 BEGINS IN THIRD GRADE

5. With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

5. With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

5. With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

6. With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

6. With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

6. With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers

Source: Common Core State Standards (2010)

4TEXT TYPES & PURPOSES: INFORM/EXPLAIN

Research to Build and Present Knowledge


7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gatherinformation from provided sources to answer a question.

8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gatherinformation from provided sources to answer a question.

8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

STANDARD 9 BEGINS IN THIRD GRADE

STANDARD 10 BEGINS IN FOURTH GRADE

Source: Common Core State Standards (2010)

Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 7-8.

Kindergarten Annotations• Establishes the topic in a title and goes beyond

the title to create a context for writing about frogs.– To day befor (before) We had riyda (writing) groos

(groups) Mrs. _____ red (read) us a strorry (story) a baowt (about) frogs.

• Supplies some information about the topic.– It has 2 bac (back) ligs (legs) and wen (when) it

has 2 frunt (front) ligs (legs) its tal (tail) disupirs (disappears) . . . Then the scknn (skin) gets to (too) little and the frags pol (pull) off thrr (their) scknn (skin) . . .

– Frogs lad (laid) eggs that look like jele (jelly) . . .

6Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 7-8.

• Uses additive (adversative and temporal) linking words.– . . . and wen (when) . . . Then . . . but . . .

• Provides a sense of closure.– It gros (grows) bigr (bigger) and bigr and bigr.

• Demonstrates command of some of the conventions of standard written English.– As a kindergartener, the writer demonstrates

remarkable control of the conventions of– standard written English. As this was a process

piece, it is reasonable to assume that the writer received feedback to correct possible errors with capital letters and periods

7Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010)


Grade 1 Annotations• Names the topic (in the title).

– My Big Book About Spain

• Supplies some facts about the topic.– Spain is loacted (located) in the south western tip

of Europe.– Spain has alot of fiestas.– Spian . . . has bull fights . . .– Spain’s neighbors are France, Andorra, Algeria,

Portugal and Morocco.

• Provides some sense of closure.– One day when I am a researcher I am going to go

to Spain and write about it!

• Demonstrates command of some of the conventions of standard written English.


10Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p.18-21.

Grade 3 Annotations• Introduces a topic.

– I chose horses because I like to ride them. . . . Horses are so beautiful and fun to ride.

• Creates an organizational structure (using headers) that groups related information together.– Horse Families; Markings; Breeds and Color

Coats; Horses from Different Countries

• Develops the topic with facts and details.– Hocaidos are from Japan, Sumbas are from

Indonesia, and Pintos are from America.– A horse can walk, trot, canter, and gallop.– They [horses] live about 12 to 14 years.– The most dangerous horse is the Percheron.


• Uses linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.– I like Morgans because they have a beautiful reddish-

brown coat.

– When a foal is ready to be born, the mare (the mother horse) lies down.

– The first horses were no bigger than a fox and looked like a donkey.

– Most horses live on farms or ranches, but some horses are wild.

• Provides a concluding section.– I like horses and I know a lot about them. I like to ride

them and they’re so beautiful!

– Their coats are beautiful, I wish I had a horse of my own!

• Demonstrates growing command of the conventions of standard written English (with occasional errors that do not interfere materially with the underlying message).


TEACHING PRIMARY

STUDENTS TO BECOME

WRITERS OF INFORMATIVE

TEXTS

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Create a Space• Physical: writing station, desk pods • Writing: tools, storage, placement

Generate Ideas

Invite to Write

• Get a picture in my head• Tell before I write

• Using pictures• Using words (dictated or written)

Showcase & Share• Student reads their writing to whole group• Partners read their writing to one another• Teacher showcases specific aspect of

student work14© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

COMPONENTS OF THE WRITING WORSKHOP

KINDER FIRST SECOND

READ ALOUD 5-7 minutes 5-7 minutes 5-7 minutes

MINI-LESSON 5 minutes

5 minutes

5 minutes

INDEPENDENT WRITING

15 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes

SHARING 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes


GENERATE & REHEARSE IDEAS

Nonfiction Writing: Procedures and Reports

Prepare “How-to” paperModel an example of your own thinking process in selecting a topic Explain that a “how to” book has steps; ask students to keep track of the steps using their fingersRead the book you have prepared in advance Pass the task off to students

16Source: Calkins, L. & Pessah, L. (2005). Nonfiction Writing: Procedures and Reports.

Providing “How to” Models• Top of a board game box with play

instructions• Poster of what to do if someone starts

choking• Directions for making Rice Krispies®

squares or other familiar treat found on the back of a cereal box

• Page from your school handbook• Other ideas?????


INVITE TO WRITEMaking Students Teachers

Use visualization to generate ideas

• Anticipate and prepare for hands-on activity

• Work through process relationships

• Distinguish components of part and whole


1.

2.

3.


1.

2.

3.

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Page ______

© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

4.

5.

6.

Revision: Checking Our Work

The writing workshop values revision Model the process for the class with a student.

1.Pair students. 2.One student reads the steps they have written.3.The other student follows the steps, if necessary, pretending to do the step. 4.When a step does not work, students stop and rewrite the step 5.After rewriting, go on to the next step.

© 2012-2013 Partner in Education 21

Editing: Teaching ConventionsThe writing workshop values instruction in word choice

and writing conventions: punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Identify a “how to” text to use as a read aloud that uses the selected focus convention or word choice. Read the text aloud, stopping to discs the author’s use of the convention or word choice.Continue to read the text, asking students to identify additional uses of the punctuation or word choice. Ask students to return to their writing and

1. Check spelling2. Add focus convention (capitalization, apostrophes,

commas, etc. ).3. Replace tired words with carefully selected words.

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23LANGUAGE STANDARDS

CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH


1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Print many upper- and lowercase letters.b. Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.c. Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).d. Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).e. Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Print all upper- and lowercase letters.b. Use common, proper, and possessive nouns.c. Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences (e.g., He hops; We hop).d. Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my; they, them, their, anyone, everything).e. Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future (e.g., Yesterday I walked; Today I walk; Tomorrow I will walk).f. Use frequently occurring adjectives.

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writingor speaking.a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group).b. Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).c. Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

GRADE 1 continuedg. Use frequently occurring conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or, so, because).h. Use determiners (e.g., articles, demonstratives).i. Use frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., during, beyond, toward).j. Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences

in response to prompts.


CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH (STANDARDS 1 & 2)


2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.a.Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.b. Recognize and name end punctuation.c. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).d. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.a. Capitalize dates and names of people.b. Use end punctuation for sentences.c. Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.d. Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.e. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English capitalization, punctuation, andspelling when writing.a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.b. Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).e. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

The Precise Nature of Language

There many different words that express the distance between two emotions. Enter today’s date into your writing notebook and copy the continuum on the left beneath the date. On the continuum, place as many words on that continuum that describe the varying degrees between nice and mean.

Now choose one of those words (other than nice or mean) that reminds you of an experience you have had or can imagine.

Beneath the continuum, begin writing about your experience without using the word you chose. Use sentences that will help the reader picture what you want them to see or feel.

Trade writing notebooks with a peer. Read one another’s sentences and try to match the situation you described with a word written on your continuum.

Discuss and compare your thinking. Reflect on your

conversation.

Nice

Mean



CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH (STANDARDS 1 & 2)


5. With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a.Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.b. Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.

5. With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a. Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.b. Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a large cat with stripes).c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at home that are cozy).d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.

5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).b. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).

ASSESSMENT OF WRITING

AND THE WRITING

PROCESS

• Assessing not only the written product but writing process.

• Incorporating district level expectations into CCSS

27

28Source: Lucy Calkins Resources for Teaching Writing CD.

29

Source: Lucy Calkins Resources for Teaching Writing CD.

Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml 30

31Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml

32Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml

GENERATE & REHEARSE IDEAS

Nonfiction Writing: ReportsPrepare “The All About” paperModel an example of your own thinking as you consider a topic that has many aspects to write about. Explain that an “All About” book or paper has different sections that elaborate on a single idea.Conduct a think aloud developing a table of contents for the topic you want to sharePass the task off to students


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Table of Contents

1._____________________ _____

2._____________________ _____

3._____________________ _____

4._____________________ _____

5._____________________ _____

6._____________________ _____

Source: Calkins, L. & Pessah, L. (2005). Nonfiction Writing: Procedures and Reports.

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Different Kinds of Something

_____________________________


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Parts of a Thing Paper: Diagram

_____________________________


Review

What are the expectations for primary grade writers?

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KINDERGARTEN WRITING • Develop drawing, dictating and writing in a

manner appropriate to the task and purpose through providing a topic and supporting information.

• Participate in a combination of drawing and writing projects that focus on sequenced events and provide reaction

• Explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing.

• Explore research and writing by gathering information to answer a question or express an opinion with guidance and support.

38Source: A Teacher’s Guide to the Common Core Standards: An Illinois Content Model Framework Content Frameworks (2012)

GRADE 1: WRITING

• Develop and organize writing in a manner appropriate to the task and purpose through introductions, a supporting point, and a sense of closure.

• Participate in writing projects that focus on sequenced instructions and temporal words.

• Include a balance of on-demand and process writing and short, focused research projects, incorporating digital texts where appropriate and use technology and media to deepen learning and draw attention to evidence and texts as appropriate.


GRADE 2: WRITING • Develop and organize writing in a manner

appropriate to the task and purpose through introductions, supporting points, and conclusions.

• Write to inform/explain or to express an opinion. Reading of history and science texts will provide models of connecting and sequencing of ideas.

• Use specific facts and descriptive details; use correct spelling and punctuation.

• Write a balance of on-demand, process writing, and short, focused research projects

• Incorporate digital texts and use technology and media to deepen learning and draw attention to evidence and texts as appropriate.


Documents

Supporting Informational Writing Conventions in Primary Grades Your Workshop Facilitator Dr. Dea Conrad-Curry Your Partner in Education