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Best-of-Smekens Writing Conference:
Writing Remix 2018

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SESSION 1

Teach Developmentally-Appropriate Writing in Grades K-2

Draw accurate shape details

Before students can draw shapes independently, they will need extra support that tracing allows. Art for Kids is a YouTube channel where a dad draws side-by-side with one of his children, showing how to draw simple (sometimes seasonal) objects line by line.

Transition to list writing

Target list-making as a writing genre

SESSION 2

Teach Writing Skills – Not Traits

Recognize the traits in all writing resources

Target a specific skill within a single trait in each mini-lesson

Access hundreds of mini-lesson ideas for teaching a variety of writing skills – all organized by the 6 Traits.

SESSION 3

Emphasize the “Trump” Trait of Ideas

Narrative Writing

Start with the middle – the problem

Stretch the middle

Informative Writing

List important points

Add specifics to support each main idea

Color helps students if they are developing or listing ideas.

Add sentences to undeveloped ideas using sticky dots | “Spring” Examples.

Persuasive/Argumentative Writing

Choose a position in 4 steps

Teach students to first chart the perspectives before choosing a position.

Review this video clip explaining the four steps to align with the strongest position, not personal opinion.

Concord South Elementary kindergartners execute the four steps before deciding if the character is a duck or rabbit.

Anchor Chart | Choose a position in 4 Steps

Anchor Chart | T-Chart of details

List many good reasons

The Big Book of Details

Launching the Writer’s Workshop: K-2 version3-12 version

SESSION 4

Organize Ideas Before Drafting

Follow a scaffold of instruction

Don’t leave organization to the revision step

STEPS 1 & 2: Know the topic & capture details

Choose well-known topics and write everything down

STEP 3: Sort related information

Organize related details into a “container”

Kindergartners learn three ways to organize information.
Smartboard | PDF

Eighth graders sort the pros/cons of genetic engineering.
Anchor Chart | List of Research | Sort Activity

Bring together Steps 1-3

1. Identify a well-known topic.

2. List many details.

3. Group similar details.

STEP 4: Label the sorted groupings

The reason the details go together IS  the label

STEP 5: Utilize organizers

Introduce flexible and universal graphic organizers

Introduce each organization type with a series of 3 mini-posters.

Utilize the Organize It Table Tent to select the appropriate order of information. Simple assembly.

Organize information based on task & purpose

Choose the appropriate organizer

STEP 6: Organize throughout the writing process

Wean students off provided graphic organizers

SESSION 5

Plan the Year of Writing Units

See the big picture

Recognize the essential skills per mode