Balanced Literacy Handbook - Shared Writing

Shared Writing

Balanced Literacy Connection to CORE Curriculum Standards:

Writing Students effectively use written language for a variety of purposes and with a variety of audiences.

W-R1 Relate narrative, creative story PO1 Create narrative PO2 Create story PO3 Create message W-R2 Spell simple words PO1 Use sound/symbol relationships W-R3 Write alphabet PO1 Copy alphabet

Definition:

Shared (Interactive) Writing is a teaching process where the teacher and children collaborate to write a text together, using a “shared pen” technique that involves children in the writing. The teacher has most of the responsibility as she acts as the scribe. The children are invited to write the parts that they know while the teacher fills in the unknown. In a large or small group, the teacher uses chart paper or a white board, markers, and post-it tape.

Why?

The purpose of Shared Writing is to demonstrate how writing works by showing children that their ideas can be recorded on paper and that they can participate in that recording process (writing). In addition, Shared Writing provides opportunities for children to develop concepts about print (directional movement, return sweep, one to one matching, etc.), and to participate and behave like writers.

Student Objectives - Students will:  practice communicating for different purposes through writing  develop an understanding that letters make words and words make sentences  develop concepts about print  develop an understanding of use of punctuation  re-read for clarity and comprehension  understand how a written piece is organized and that various genres are organized differently

54 Suggested Teaching Sequence for a SHARED WRITING Lesson:

1. Plan the lesson  Decide on a focus (teaching point) for instruction based on the children’s needs. For example, is the teaching point to notice the difference in usage between upper case and lower case, spaces between words, or other concepts of print?  Decide which motivational questions will pull children into process  Collect materials

2. Set the scene  Access prior knowledge through discussion  Decide on text (can be teacher selected or children can compose text)

3. Write the text  Teacher may begin writing text, “thinking out loud” so children can connect the spoken word with writing.  Teacher “shares the pen” at appropriate places. As with any teaching concept, the children take more responsibility as the year progresses.  Children may use individual white boards or chalk boards and they can write along with the teacher.

4. Re-read the text so that fluent reading is modeled

5. Help children make connections with familiar words, print concepts (review)

6. Review specific concept(s) presented in this lesson

7. Connect text to classroom context:  link to classroom activity, book, experience, etc. (past and/or future)  engage in discussion of content  ask questions about conventions of print

What a SHARED WRITING Lesson Might Look Like:

Ms. O’Connell’s class has gathered on the large group rug. The class is going to make a sign to go over the hall display which includes photos, drawings and documentation pages from the balls and ramps experiments they have been conducting in science. A lively discussion takes place. Suggestions were made from “Our experiments” to “This is what we did in science. We took a red ball and a blue ball and rolled them down…….”

Ms. O’Connell’s primary focus is to encourage the children to say a word slowly in order to hear and identify different sounds within words. She also encourages and reinforces those skills and strategies the children are already using.

55 Finally the class decides on a sentence that reads: “Here are the balls and ramps experiments we did in science.” Ms. O’Connell did have to guide the final choice in order to have some familiar words, a workable length sentence and to be sure that the sentence contained the needed information to support the teaching point. However, when the class is helping compose the text, sometimes the teaching point(s) will change from the original plan.

T: Let’s all say the story together. All: Here are the balls and ramps experiments we did in science. T: The first word is Here. What do you hear in Here? Ch: H T: Karen, you come up and write it on the chart. (Karen writes H.) What else do you hear, say it slowly, h-e-r-e. (Karen writes e r.) And there’s a silent e on the end, I will write it at the end. I’ve forgotten the next word. Let’s go back and say our sentence again. All: Here are the balls and ramps experiments we did in science. T: Who can write the word are? (A hand goes up.) Billy, come write the word are. (Billy writes a r and the teacher fills in the e on the end.) Let’s read our sentence again from the beginning. All: (Teacher points to each word as it is read.) Here are…… T: the. Who can write the word the? (Several hands go up.) Larry, come write the word the. (Larry writes the.) Let’s read our sentence again from the beginning so we can remember what should come next. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the…… T: balls. Who can write the first sound? (A hand goes up.) Carmen, come write the first sound. (Carmen writes b.) What else do you hear? (Carmen says l and teacher acknowledges that there is an l, but explains that first there is an a, and teacher writes the a. Then Carmen writes the l and teacher fills in the other l.) Let’s read our sentence again from the beginning. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls…… T: and. Who can write the word and? (Several hands go up.) Maria, come write the word and. (Maria writes and.) Let’s read our sentence again. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and…… T: ramps. Say the word ramps very slowly. Let’s stretch the sounds. All: r-a-m-p-s T: What can you hear in ramps? (Hands go up.) Ana, what do you hear? Ch: m T: Good for you! There is an m. You hear it in the middle. Say the word slowly and listen to what you hear at the beginning. Ch: r-a-m-p-s. r (Ana writes r, teacher fills in a, Ana writes m.) T: What else do you hear? Let’s say it again, slowly. Ch: r-a-m-p-s. (Ana writes p s.) T: Let’s read our sentence again. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and ramps…… T: experiments. What do you hear? (Max raises his hand.) Ch: I think I hear an x.

56 T: Good, first there is an e. (Teacher writes e and Max writes x.) Say the word slowly. e-x- p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t-s. What else do you hear? (Max writes p, teacher fills in e r i.) Say the word slowly again, e-x-p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t-s. What else do you hear? (Max writes m, teacher fills in e.) Say the word slowly again, e-x-p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t-s. What else do you hear? (Max says t and s and teacher acknowledges that there is a t and an s, but explains that first there is an n and teacher writes the n. Then Max writes the t and the s. Let’s read our sentence again. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and ramps experiments…… T: we. Who can write we? (Hands go up.) Paul, come write the word we. (Paul writes we.) Let’s read our sentence again. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and ramps experiments we…… T: did. Who can write did? (Hands go up.) Selina, come write the word did. (Selina writes did.) Let’s read our sentence again. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and ramps experiment we did…… T: in. Who can write the word in? (Hands go up.) (Stephanie writes in.) I’ll write the last word science. Let’s read our whole sentence together. All: (Teacher points to each word.) Here are the balls and ramps experiments we did in science.