Writing For and By Children Writing with Children for All Abilities Building Blocks Literacy Framework

Does the student: Daily Emergent Interventions Know most of the letters most of the time? Engage actively during shared reading? Have a means of communication and interaction? Understand that writing involves letters and words? No Yes Daily Emergent Interventions -Shared Reading -Predictable Chart Writing -Alphabet & Phonological Awareness -Independent Writing with access to full alphabet -Self-Directed Reading -Symbol-based Communication (with few exceptions) Daily Conventional Interventions -Guided Reading (Anchor-Read-Apply) -Word Study (Key Words + Making Words) -Writing -Self-Directed Reading -Communication with symbols + spelling

Use the list of Emergent OR Conventional Interventions Does Your Classroom have ALL Students who are Emergent or Conventional? No Yes Combine the Emergent and Conventional Interventions Shared Reading AND Guided Reading Alphabet & Phonological Awareness During Word Wall & Making Words Predictable Chart Writing (Share the Pencil) Writing Instruction (Conventional Only) Self-directed Reading Independent Writing Use the list of Emergent OR Conventional Interventions

Different Students Different Targets Conventional-Goal is to build skills to communicate experiences, thoughts, feelings and understandings for many purposes. Writing Process Emergent-Goal is to build early understanding of the functions of print Writing by Children (independent writing) Writing with Children Writing for Children

What is Not Writing the Four Blocks Way These all have a place in writing formation but not writing for literacy. You need both production and conceptual processes for writing for literacy. Copying Tracing Handwriting exercises Fill in the blank Writing with symbols Grammar worksheets

Why is Writing Important? The obvious: college, jobs, lists, applications etc. Lauren from PA Literacy Camp Alec Matthew from PA Literacy Camp Alec

Reading, Communication, Writing Visual up in here

What is Writing For Children? Teachers provide a model of writing The teacher writes and talks about what they are writing The teacher explains why they are writing what they are writing Can be a mini lesson or an activity itself Morning Message Signs, Schedules and Directions Journal Entries

Why Writing For Children? Many people learn skills by watching a model It is one of the most powerful ways to help children understand: What writing is What people think as they write

Skills Taught When Writing For Children What you say, you can write Where to start writing and which way the writing goes (left to right) Where to begin the next sentence or line (top to bottom) Using capital letters Using punctuation How to stretch out words, listen for sounds and write those letters---spelling/reading!

Writing For Children Morning Message “I am going to write a morning message. I will say the words as I write.” “Dear, capital D-e-a-r, Class, capital C-l-a-s-s. This is a comma (pointing to the comma), and it means to pause.” “The first sentence I am going to write is, Today is Tuesday. Today, Capital T-o-d-a-y, is, i-s, Tuesday, capital T-u-e-s-d-a-y.” The teacher write a period and points to the period while saying, “This is a period. You put a period at the end of a sentence.”

Writing For Children Journal Entry “We begin our journal entry with the date, September 18. September, capital S-e-p-t-e-m-b-e- r, eighteenth. “The teacher writes a one and an eight as she says, ‘Eighteenth.’ “My first sentence is about what we did today. ‘Today we began school with big group.’ I start each sentence with a capital letter because sentences begin that way. Today, capital T-o-d-a-y, we w-e, began, b-e-g-a-n school, s-c-h-o-o-l, with w-i-t-h, big, b-i-g, group, g-r-o-u-p, period. A period goes at the end of the sentence.”

Writing For Children Signs, Schedules, Directions “We are going to make a sign for the Classroom Library Reading area, so I will write ‘Classroom Library’ at the top. Capital C-l-a-s-s-r-o-o-m space capital L-i-b-r-a-r-y. Next, I will write the directions, so I will add that to my title.” (Add the word ‘Directions’ to the title) “Number one (write a numeral one on the chart paper)” etc.

How does Writing For Children Work? Step 1: Write on a large example for the students to see in the method they write with (make sure the students can see you produce letters) Step 2: Draw attention to the parts of writing you want students to learn Step 3: Talk about your thinking and why you are writing

Writing For Children Bridging to Conventional Students Draw attention to the higher level skills you want to focus on Be creative in how you write for children; use music lyrics, jokes, story lines of videos they watch

Writing For Children Linking Any time you have an opportunity to write in front of students utilize the techniques and steps to Writing For Children Build opportunities for modeling writing throughout the day in each activity (For example write out the I can statements for every lesson in this method for any lesson is not as naturally built with writing)

Writing For Children Examples

Questions About Writing For Children ?

What is Writing By Children? Planned opportunities to Model writing See what a child knows about words See what a child knows about phonics Respond to writing Coach students in how to write

What is Writing by Children? Print Has Meaning Scribble, numbers, letter like strings, letters Random Letters Only letters are used but no awareness of sound-symbol relationships Semi-phonemic (dg for dog) Attempt to represent sounds in a word Only use 1 or 2 letters/sounds in a word Phonetic Learning letter sound correspondences Transitional Rule-based, not always conventional Developmental Spelling Stages

What is Writing by Children? Repeats Letters in Order (qqqqwwweeeeeeee) Selects letters in the order they are presented Repeats Letters Out of Order (qqmmkibbb) Earliest indicator of attending to individual letters Patterns (fjfjfjfjfjyototototo) Selects Letters in Alternating Patterns Spaces ( rrrrrr j fjfjfkkls mm i) Students experiment using spaces Word Like Groups (aht mos rrjr dkdk dkd) Phonemic & Visual Representations (semiphonemic) Words (phonetic & transitional) Emergent Developmental Spelling Stages

How does Writing by Children Work? Step 1 Mini Lesson Model free writing Step 2 Writing Production They have free writing Step 3 Conferencing/Sharing Discussion with students about what they wrote Write what they said it is about on the back

How does Writing by Children Work? “Some people draw pictures when they write” “Some children make wavy lines when they write. They think about what they want to say and then write.” “Another way kids write is to use the letters and sounds they know. They stretch out words like this…” “Some children write with words they know or can see around them.” “Some kids write like I do with sentences.” Mini Lesson

How does Writing by Children Work? Journal Writing Real Reasons for Writing Free Writing Invented Spelling Mini Lesson

How does Writing by Children Work? Student is dictating the writing, teacher can influence with prewriting activities but should not be saying “we are supposed to write about BLAH” Not prompting with ideas, prompting with tell me more Don’t be an editor, be a cheerleader! Writing Production

Writing Tips Break away from only copy and trace Teacher writing on back of paper (no parent wants your work on their fridge) Always model (mini lessons) Know what comes next and encourage it/model it Model with their pencils

Writing By Children Example

Road Blocks to Writing When writing has no meaning When they do not have access to the full alphabet

“A wrestle mania moment. A see to. I get excited.”

Alternative Pencils To get access to an alternate pencil, students DO NOT need to demonstrate: the physical ability to use the alternative pencil Knowledge of the letters of the alphabet Pick a pencil that is EASIEST for student to physically use. With limited, unreliable movements, pick one that has most potential to develop into a writing tool Students learn about pencils and letters by writing. The pencil MUST provide access to the full alphabet.

Alternative Pencils

Alternative Pencils

Alternative Pencils

“This book makes me feel mad because I don’t like nothing”

Questions About Writing by Children ?

References Erickson, K. and Koppenhaver D. Children with Disabilities: Reading and Writing the Four-Blocks Way. Greensville, North Carolina: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc. 2007. Hall, D. and Williams E. The Teacher’s Guide to Building Blocks. Greensville, North Carolina: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc. 2000. Erickson, K. and Koppenhaver, D. Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension [PDF document]. Retrieved from 9th Camp Courage Literacy Camp Wiki at http://mnliteracy.pbworks.com/w/page/66979088/9th%20Camp%20Courage%20Literacy %20Camp “Predictable Chart Writing.” Dynamic Learning Maps Professional Development. Dynamic Learning Maps Alternative Assessment System Consortium. 25 March 2018. https://www.dlmpd.com/ “Predictable Charts in the Classroom.” Predictable Chart Writing: Group Writing for All. Jane Farrall Consulting Literacy – AAC Assistive Technology, 6 June 2013. 25 March 2018. http://www.janefarrall.com/predictable-chart-writing-group-writing-for-all/ Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com