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KAST GRANT REPORT

Project Title: Summer Writing Institute Teachers College -August 2018

Focus: Writers Workshop and the Writing Units of Study

Submitted by: Brooke Caffey-First Grade Lead Teacher

Project objectives:

• Learn about the Writing Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and

Narrative Writing

• Strengthen my knowledge of research based best practices for the

teaching of writing

• Gain hands-on experience from the experts and developers of the

Writers Workshop

• Acquire strategies for implementing a successful workshop model that

responds to the needs of my students

• Learn to maximize my writing conferences

Overview from the Project Handbook

“The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) is a research and

staff development organization within Teachers College, Columbia University.

The goal of the Project is to support best practice literacy instruction through

research, writing and the professional development of teachers and school leaders.

The mission is to help young people become avid and skilled readers, writers, and

inquirers. Members of the Project’s current and former staff, have written books

that are foundational to language arts instruction across the world. Most notably,

the Project’s director, Lucy Calkins is the author, or co-author of well over two

score of books. The TCRWP is a learning organization, always rethinking the

ideas upon which it is based, using data and new theories to deepen and refine the

approaches it supports, and synthesizing the knowledge of its diverse members.”

Background

Several years ago, the Lower School took a close look at its literacy program and

decided that a Balanced Literacy approach would best meet the varied needs of its

students. It would encourage them to be lifelong learners and prepare them for the

century. The components of the approach included guided reading, shared

reading, Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop and Word Study. Fountas and

Pinnell, two top researchers of the best practices of reading and writing, believed

years ago that Writers Workshop, Readers Workshop, and Word Study were the

best ways to teach reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Fountas and Pinell,

2001). Lucy Calkins, founding director of Teachers College Reading and Writing

Project, witnessed the successful implementation of the Readers and Writers

Workshops and co-authored the Teaching of Reading and Writing Units of Study

manuals. When the Units of Study were hot off the presses, several Lower School

teachers successfully piloted the Readers and Writers Workshops in their

classrooms. The enthusiasm spread, and now every grade is utilizing them. Many

teachers have now attended multiple workshops and summer institutes at Teachers

College. They have learned from the experts, and they’re bringing their

knowledge and newly discovered strategies back to the classrooms.

Daily Format and Highlights

Each of the five days of the institute consisted of four components: small group

hands-on instruction, large group lecture, key note speaker and choice workshop.

During the small group lessons, approximately 20 first grade teachers met under

the guidance of Jessica Saurer. Saurer is a graduate of former first grade teacher

and graduate of the Literacy Specialist program at Teachers College. She led us

through the Writers Workshop process as students, delivering a mini lesson and

sending us off to write our own pieces. She conferred with each of us several

times throughout the week, modeling the research, decide, compliment, teach and

link method. She carried her “toolbox” so she could easily provide an example of

her teaching point. As a culminating activity, we took a “Wow Walk” around the

room to read classmates published pieces and leave post-it compliments. Ex.

“Strong lead! Love your use of ellipsis! Good use of transition words! You labelled

your pictures!”

Large group instruction consisted of approximately 120 first grade teachers in a

lecture style classroom. Rachel Rothman-Perkins, Senior Staff Developer, former

classroom teacher, and co-author of first grade unit of study Small Moments:

Writing with Focus, Detail, and Dialogue focused her sessions on the four

principles of Writers Workshop: Investment and Engagement, Explicit Teaching

and Guided Practice, Independence, and The Writing Process. She also

encouraged everyone to read Writing Pathways Grades K-5 by Lucy Calkins. This

guide provides performance assessments, learning progressions, student checklists,

rubrics, and leveled writing exemplars for narrative, opinion, and informative

writing. See Examples.

Writing Pathways Grades K-5 Lucy Calkins 2013

At the end of each morning, teachers of K-3 would gather in the Corwin

Auditorium for a key note speaker. Topics included the unveiling of the new

Phonics Units of Study, the Importance of Giving Effective Feedback, Mastering

skills through Effective Practice, Valuing Young Writing, and Writing and

Illustrating books for children and adults.

Matt de la Pena, Newberry Medal winning author of several young adult and

picture books, delivered a powerful autobiographical presentation about growing

up as a “Mexican Whiteboy” in southern California. I have several of his books in

my classroom including, Last Stop on Market Street, Carmella Full of Wishes, and

LOVE.

Peter Brown, author and illustrator of many children’s books and winner of a

Caldecott Medal in 2013 for illustrating Creepy Carrots!, explained his process for

dreaming up silly and imaginative characters. He shared his initial sketches from

The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, Creepy Carrots!, and The Wild

Robot. Both of these talented authors live in the New York/New Jersey area, and it

would be amazing to have them visit GA!

The final sessions each day were choice workshops on a wide variety of topics.

One that I found particularly helpful was Marjorie Martinelli’s session, “Writing

Centers, Routines and Rituals, and Anchor Charts Can Help Children Be More

Self-Directed Writers.” By establishing the routines and rituals and setting up an

organized writing center, students naturally become productively independent.

Martinelli, author of Smarter Charts, believes in the 3 R’s of Anchor Charts:

Reposition, Revise As Needed, and Retire When Unit Ends. Anchor charts should

provide “Wall Power” and not become “Wall Paper.” Heinemann provides free

online anchor chart materials when you purchase the Units of Study, so students

can utilize mini charts for reference on their desks during writing workshop.

Another interesting choice workshop, “With a Handful of Great Informational

Texts, You Can Teach the Qualities of Great Nonfiction Writing,” was led by

Jennifer DeSutter, author of The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing. When

selecting nonfiction mentor texts, she recommends looking for the following

qualities: Organization and Structure, Voice, Sentence Structure, Word Choice,

and Conventions. Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies and Yucky Worms by

Vivian French provide many useful examples.

Suggested First Grade Mentor Texts

For Teaching Narrative Writing:

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

A Moment in Time

Ralph Tells a Story

Diary of a Fly

Thank you, Mr. Falker

Last Stop On Market Street

The Best Story

Owl Moon

Beekle

Fireflies!

Amazing Grace

Kitchen Dance

Salt Hands

Roller Coaster

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

Kitten’s First Full Moon

Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book)

Oliver Button Is a Sissy

Those Shoes

The Other Side

Nothing Ever Happens On 90

Street

For Teaching Informational Writing:

How a House Is Built

What If I Had Animal Hair

Actual Size

Bones

How to Make Salsa

Make a Valentine

The Pumpkin Book

All About Sharks

What Is Weather

National Discovery Kids

Gail Gibbons Books

So You Want to Be President?

For Teaching Opinion/Persuasive Writing:

The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About Their Bodies in Pictures and Words

I Wanna Iguana

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

Hey, Little Ant

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Dear Mrs. LaRue

LaRue for Mayor

The Day the Crayons Quit

I Wanna New Room

After Attending the Summer Writing Institute, What Am I Doing Differently

This Year?

• Started Writers Workshop earlier in the year and have set a goal to teach

writing 4 out of 5 days per week

• Conducted an “On Demand” writing assessment during first week of school

• Set up my writing center with pre-stapled booklets, assorted writing paper

options, revision strips, tape, stapler, flair pens

• Began to utilize new strategies for maximizing writing conferences

• Thoughtfully matched writing partners and intentionally created a triad to

support one particular student

• Added to my mentor text collection and sorted by genre

• Started to assemble a “Tool Box” binder for use when conferring

Contents will ultimately include:

• a well written piece from each unit

• a bare bones piece with missing elements

• a piece with just pictures for labeling and adding

a. speech bubbles

• a blank booklet for “touch and tell” practice

• conferring cheat sheets

• mini anchor chart posters

• a marked up text with post-its for examples

• Started to create a “My Writing Goals” poster

• Planning to purchase Repositioning Glue to turn ordinary paper into a post-