I designed this document yesterday for intermediate level teachers who are leading their students through a narrative writing unit. It includes the best of what we all know about adding great detail to this particular type of writing, and it was inspired by another document that always fabulous Amy Ludwig Vanderwater designed specifically for teachers. This is a kid-friendly version, and it includes guidance, slices of mentor text, and prompts to support young writers. Once…
This year, I’m supporting teachers across several districts as they work to implement the new Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Text created by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. In each district, it’s been important to bring teachers together regularly to unpack each unit and plan for future instruction. Debriefing has been just as important. The chart below is one that I used…
This chart was designed for yesterday’s session with intermediate level teachers who are just beginning to implement writer’s workshop. They are unpacking the Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing written by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project this year, and the chart provided a tidy snapshot of the anatomy of a quality mini-lesson.