Kindergarten Writing Lesson- Week 3
Treasures Unit: Smart Start Week 2
Lesson Theme: Stages of Writing
Please refer to theIntroduction to Writer’s Workshop Document.Writing Objectives: Students will learn about how to set up their journal, page orientation when writing the date, their name, and continuing labeling pictures.
Standards(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills):
K.13A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion
K.13B develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story
K.13C revise drafts by adding details or sentences
K.13D edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words
K.13E share writing with others
K.14A dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence
K.14B write short poems
K.15 Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to dictate or write information for lists, captions, or invitations.
K.16A understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking (with adult assistance):
(i) past and future tenses when speaking
(ii) nouns (singular/plural)
(iii) descriptive words
(iv) prepositions and simple prepositional phrases appropriately when speaking or writing (e.g., in, on, under, over)
(v) pronouns (e.g., I, me)
K.16B speak in complete sentences to communicate
K.16C use complete simple sentences
K.17A form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression)
K.17B capitalize the first letter in a sentence
K.17C use punctuation at the end of a sentence
K.18A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters
K.18B use letter-sound correspondences to spell consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words (e.g., "cut")
K.18C write one's own name
K.19A ask questions about topics of class-wide interest
K.19B decide what sources or people in the classroom, school, library, or home can answer these questions
K.20A gather evidence from provided text sources
K.20B use pictures in conjunction with writing when documenting research
Enduring Understanding
- Students will build routines for their writing.
- Students will identify the top and bottom of a page.
- Everyone has a story to tell.
- Mini lesson is where students learn, listen and share ideas with classmates.
- During share time students are respectful of classmates.
- Why is it important to know the top and bottom of the page?
- How do I use my journal and what is it used for?
- Why do I need to plan my writing?
- How can I add details to my work?
- Why do I need to do my best work?
- Why is sharing my story with others important?
Vocabulary
Writer’s Workshop, journals, top, bottom, date, name, partners, authors, conferencing, details, labels, spaces
Journal*/Writer’s Workshop-WW
*Journals should be used when needed to teach the mechanics and conventions of writing. Entries in the journals may not happen daily or even weekly. These journal pages will act as a reference for the students when they are writing during writer’s workshop.
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum on a daily basis. Students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic. The Writer's Workshop format includes story planning, revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. The goal is to move pre-emergent/ emergent readers into the writing process by eliciting a story from a drawing, recording the student's words in dictation form on the drawing, and encouraging the student to move from drawing to writing by guiding the student in the use of phonics to sound out words.
Beginning of the Year Writer’s Workshop Set-up:
10 minutes: establish purpose/read mentor text
5 minutes: discuss lesson with class
5-20 minutes: writing time (day one-5 minutes; add a minute each day to total up to 20)
10 minutes: sharing
Ultimate Goal which will begin week 6-Writer’s Workshop Framework:
10 minutes: establish purpose/read mentor text
5 minutes: discuss lesson with class
5-20 minutes: writing time (must establish stamina)
10 minutes sharing
5 minutes: In the beginning of the school year you will use this time to check procedures and routines and
re-teach if necessary
*Shared and interactive writing should be incorporated throughout the day in addition to the independent Writer’s Workshop.
Materials and Resources
Books: Hands Can by Cheryl Willis Hudson (Treasures), Bunny Loves to Write by Peter Bently; Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown; Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells, Yoko Writes Her Name by Rosemary Wells, Chester’s Masterpiece by Melanie Watt,Pancakes for Breakfast by TomieDePaola; Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens (available on tumblebooks), Pepper’s Journal: A Kitten’s First Year by Stuart Murphy, Cookie’s Week by Cindy Ward, Fox All Week by Edward Marshall, What’s Up, What’s Down by Lola M. Schaefer, or No! David by David Shannon
Materials:
Chart paper
Markers
pre-made booklets (4-6 pages pre-stapled)
Anchor Charts – Created with Students
Writing Lessons
When modeling writing, remind children about conventions of writing: capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, spaces between words, period at the end of the sentence. You may refer to Jessica Meacham for specific lessons, Matt Glover, or Lucy Calkins books.
Lesson 1: Setting Up Your Journal * Journal
- Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
- Mini lesson: Introduce the student’s journal to them by giving them each their very own journal. Discuss how their journal is a place that they will practice different things in writing. Explain how they only write in their own journal and that when they write in their journal they should always try their best. It is important to know the top and bottom of a page. As readers we read from top to bottom. As the writer, it is important that we write from top to bottom as well.
- Model Your Thinking: “This is MY brand new journal. I will get to decorate the cover to make it my own and I will be the only one who gets to write in my journal. This journal is extra special because it will hold all the things I need to know about writing and will help me remember these things when I am writing.”“As a writer, I want to write the date to help me find what I have written in the past. I will write today’s date at the top of the page. Before I start I will look at my paper and make sure that it is turned the correct way and that I am ready to write.
- Student Task:Students will write the date at the top of the page and their name on the bottom. Students are encouraged to write the date every day. Students will decorate the cover of their journals and will learn where their journals will be stored. Teacher will walk around and assist students who may need additional support in locating the top and bottom of the paper. If more support is needed, you can draw a cloud at the top and flowers on the bottom of the page to allow a visual representation of top and bottom.
- Book:Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells or choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library
- Mini Lesson:Explain to students that they are all writers. Discuss how Max is a writer within the story and how he adapted his writing so others could understand. Show students the different stages of writing continuum (attached at the bottom of this document). Have the students determine where Max is on the continuum. Encourage students to explain why they think he is on that stage of writing. Explain to students that although everyone may be on a different stage of writing, we are still authors and are communicating our stories in the best way that we can. Point out that our goal is to arrive at level 8 and not to stay at the scribbling stage.
- Model Your Thinking:“Today I want to be an author of a story. In order to be an author I will need a book, pencils, and crayons.” Show students how to get the supplies they need in your room. “I want to write a story about…” Show students how you are an author as well and encourage them by saying “I am an author and so are you!”
- Student Task: Students tell, draw and write what they can do as best they can. Encourage them to add details. Teachers will monitor students’ progress and give support when needed.
- Sharing: Teacher selects 2-3 students to share. Teacher bases his/her selections on students who can provide ideas for other students. Teacher uses sharing time as a teachable moment using real student work as the model. This is a good time to point out that we all have different interests and are all unique.
- Book: What Do You Do with an Idea or any other book that relates to creating a story
- Mini-Lesson: read the mentor text above and after reading discuss with the class what ideas they have that they don’t know what to do with. Teacher can begin listing their ideas on chart paper (see Heart Chart example above). Teacher discusses how any ideas can turn into books and stories. Teacher will prompt students about their interests, likes, hobbies, favorite books, characters, TV shows, movies, games, etc.
- Model Your Thinking: After creating the Heart Chart or web with the class the teacher will then model his/her own Heart Chart in the writing journal. Teacher will include things about his/her life, likes, hobbies, etc.
- Student Task: Students will create their own Heart Chart in their journal. The teacher can give them a cut-out heart to glue in their journal or have the students draw a giant heart. The students will think about things that interest them, hobbies, favorites, etc. and include them on their Heart Chart by drawing and labeling. Teacher is monitoring and looking for students to share their work. Teacher may need to chat with students who are stuck and cannot think of things to include. The teacher can ask prompting questions to help the student generate ideas.
- Sharing: Teacher selects 2-3 students to share. Teacher bases his/her selections on students who can provide ideas for other students. Teacher uses sharing time as a teachable moment using real student work as the model. This is a good time to point out that we all have different interests and are all unique (this pairs well with an SEL lesson about being unique using A Bad Case of Stripesby David Shannon or Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester).
- Book: Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by M. Burns, Not Enough Room by J. Rocklin, Too Many Chickens by P. Bourgeois, (see J. Meacham for other book ideas)
- Alternate activity: Write up an overcrowded message on a sentence strip. Try to read it out loud and have students help you depict what is wrong with it. Use scissors and invite students to tell you where the sentence needs to be broken apart. Read the sentence again and discuss the difference in its flow and understanding.
- Students will use spaghetti yarn string and a meatball (puff ball glued to a craft stick) in their journals to practice skill as their write about a teacher or student selected topic.
Stages of Writing
Your child went through several necessary stages in the development of oral language:cooing, babbling, and playing with sounds. Similarly, written language development follows predictable stages. These are the stages your child will probably go through as he or she becomes a competent writer./ Level 1: Emerging/Scribble
This is the beginning level at which your child scribbles. You may not be able to tell what the picture is about, but it's important to praise your child's beginning drawing.
/ Level 2: Pictorial
At this level, your child begins to draw a somewhat recognizable picture and may tell about it. He or she may also imitate writing.
/ Level 3: Pre-Communicative
Your child may now be printing his or her own name or an occasional known word and may be writing strings of letter like forms or a series of random letters. Sometimes he or she may attempt to read the message back, but you probably can't read it.
/ Level 4: Semi-phonetic
At this level, your child begins to use some letters to match sounds, often using one beginning letter to write a word. He or she usually writes from left to right but may reverse some letters.
/ Level 5: Phonetic
Now your child writes most words using beginning and ending consonant sounds and spells some frequently used words correctly. He or she may begin to add vowel sounds, but they are often not the correct ones. At this level, your child may begin to leave spaces between words. It's getting easier to read your child's writing.
/ Level 6: Transitional
At this level, your child is writing words the way they sound, representing most syllables in words. He or she may sometimes be adding an extra silent e at the end of a word or doubling letters when they're not needed while trying visually to remember how spelling works. Now your child usually leaves spaces between words and is spelling many words correctly as he or she writes more than one sentence.
/ Level 7: Conventional
At this level, your child spells most words correctly, although he or she may use phonics-based spelling for advanced words. Remember, we can only expect children to correctly spell words they have already learned! Now your child is usually using capital and lowercase letters and periods and question marks correctly.
/ Level 8: Traditional
Advanced writers use a rich, varied body of written vocabulary. They may still use phonics-based spelling for advanced words, but have mastered the spelling of commonly used words. At this level, your child uses quotation marks, commas, and apostrophes correctly and usually organizes writing into appropriate paragraphs.
Resource:
Austin ISD K Department, 2014/ 2015 Page 1