Students need peer-to-peer writing conferences. When done well, they allow our student writers to gain insight from peers on their writing while it is being crafted, and use this to guide their next steps. While feedback from teachers is important, feedback from peers can be powerful, allow a variety of perspectives, and be more instantaneous … Continue reading TAG: Peer Writing Conferences
Literacy
6+1 Traits of Writing Mentor Texts: Voice
This post is part of a series of posts on mentor texts I recommend for showing students how authors use the 6+1 Traits of Writing. What is the voice trait? The writing trait of voice is "the tone and tenor of the piece - the personal stamp of the writer, which is achieved through a … Continue reading 6+1 Traits of Writing Mentor Texts: Voice
6+1 Traits of Writing Mentor Texts: Organisation
This post is part of a series of posts on mentor texts I recommend for showing students how authors use the 6+1 Traits of Writing. What is the Organisation trait? The writing trait of organisation involves "the internal structure of the piece, the thread of meaning, the logical pattern of ideas".Ruth Culham (6+1 Traits of … Continue reading 6+1 Traits of Writing Mentor Texts: Organisation
A Spelling Investigation in Action
One of the ways I approach spelling with my students is to use spelling investigations. A spelling investigation requires a student or group of students to inquire into a spelling pattern, sound, or observation about how words are spelled, and then to find and sort examples of this and create generalisations about spelling based on … Continue reading A Spelling Investigation in Action
Getting Started with Writer’s Notebook
What is a Writer’s Notebook? Sometimes called the ‘messy attic of the mind’, the writer’s notebook is a magical place. It’s a place writers can collect, store, grow and nurture their ideas for writing. It is often filled with a collection of seeds (artefacts that provoke writing) like photos, sketches, holiday mementos, lists, news clippings, … Continue reading Getting Started with Writer’s Notebook
9 Types of Reading Journal Entries
A typical independent reading task in my classroom consists of reading and a response to reading. A response to reading usually is done in the reading journal. It helps students to confidently and independently respond to texts if, over the year, you help them build up a bank of reading journal entry types that they … Continue reading 9 Types of Reading Journal Entries
Google Slides for Collaborative Literature Circles
My students are participating in Literature Circles this term. This has been introduced in response to a need - it is a way for students to analyse and discuss texts with the support of others, and to encourage accountability for deep comprehension and critical thinking about literature. The focus is not on the book, but on the … Continue reading Google Slides for Collaborative Literature Circles
Google Translate: Removing EAL Barriers
I have a student in my class for three weeks. She lives in China but has come to Melbourne for a short time. Naturally she has had some trouble being able to communicate because English is not her first language. Off their own bat, two girls in my class decided to help her out by using Google … Continue reading Google Translate: Removing EAL Barriers
Mrs Fintelman Teaches 