Easy, Breezy Revision Technique

 

Early on, give your students  some direction with the revision of their selections.  Have them stop occasionally and analyze their drafts for possible revisions by creating a quick chart with 4 columns. Have them number their sentences and write each numeral in the first column.  Then, alongside each appropriate numeral, record the number of words in each of the sentences in the second column.  In the third column, list the first two words of each sentence.  In the fourth column, record the type of end punctuation mark.  Reflecting on the second column will help the writers decide if they are varying their sentence lengths. We need long, medium, and short sentences to create better fluency and interest. The third column will reveal if there are too many similar sentence starters (breaking the "I am..." "I was..." syndrome).  The fourth column will help the writer determine if different sentence types are used in the piece.  After a quick glance, your students will know how to get started with revisions by getting focused on what might need immediate attention.  

Quick and Easy Revision Technique

 

Early on, give your students  some direction with the revision of their selections.  Have them stop occasionally and analyze their drafts for possible revisions by creating a quick chart with 4 columns. Have them number their sentences and write each numeral in the first column.  Then, alongside each appropriate numeral, record the number of words in each of the sentences in the second column.  In the third column, list the first two words of each sentence.  In the fourth column, record the type of end punctuation mark.  Reflecting on the second column will help the writers decide if they are varying their sentence lengths. We need long, medium, and short sentences to create better fluency and interest.  The third column will reveal if there are too many similar sentence starters (breaking the "I am..." "I was..." syndrome).  The fourth column will help the writer determine if different sentence types are used in the piece.  After a quick glance, your students will know how to get started with revision of their writing and what might need immediate attention.  

Easy Revision Technique

 

Early on, give your students  some direction with the revision of their selections.  Have them stop occasionally and analyze their drafts for possible revisions by creating a quick chart with 4 columns. Have them number their sentences and write each numeral in the first column.  Then, alongside each appropriate numeral, record the number of words in each of the sentences in the second column.  In the third column, list the first two words of each sentence.  In the fourth column, record the type of end punctuation mark.  Reflecting on the second column will help the writers decide if they are varying their sentence lengths. We need long, medium, and short sentences to create better fluency and interest. The third column will reveal if there are too many similar sentence starters (breaking the "I am..." "I was..." syndrome).  The fourth column will help the writer determine if different sentence types are used in the piece.  After a quick glance, your students will know how to get started with revision of their writing and what might need immediate attention.  

Revising for Fluency

Early on, give your students  some direction with the revision of their selections.  Have them stop occasionally and analyze their drafts for possible revisions by creating a quick chart with 4 columns. Have them number their sentences and write each numeral in the first column.  Then, alongside each appropriate numeral, record the number of words in each of the sentences in the second column.  In the third column, list the first two words of each sentence.  In the fourth column, record the type of end punctuation mark.  Reflecting on the second column will help the writers decide if they are varying their sentence lengths. We need long, medium, and short sentences to create better fluency and interest.  The third column will reveal if there are too many similar sentence starters (breaking the "I am..." "I was..." syndrome).  The fourth column will help the writer determine if different sentence types are used in the piece.  After a quick glance, your students will know how to get started with revision of their writing and what might need immediate attention.  

 

Writing on the Desk!

When working with a child, a small group, or even a whole class (...only if you're really brave!), consider covering the desktop with plastic wrap (saran wrap---something that clings well) and having the student(s) work with dry erase markers.  They could be writing brief responses, working math problems, spelling words or writing definitions, etc.  It's novel and gets their attention and allows you to monitor easily to get formative information.  Saw this idea in the Scholastic Instructor mag. and thought it was a good one!) 

Back to School - Tool Kits

One of my favorite ways of getting kids (of all ages) engaged in text is to give them toolkits at the beginning of the school year.  What a difference they can make! The kit is merely a plastic zip-top bag with 1 or 2 tools to get started, such as: a couple of Wikki Stix, a word frame (see picture posted), a crayon, a few Post-It notes, a few VIP strips, a couple of paper clips, a bookmark, a glitter stick, etc.  These tools are used at the teacher's direction when reading to accomplish tasks such as: marking vocabulary words for discussion, finding text clues (character traits, sequence, major battles, etc.), designating story elements, and so many other things.  Add tools gradually so that students aren't distracted by them.  Be sure to model their use and be clear about what you can't do with them as well.  This really helps to address different learning styles, particularly of students who are more tactile and kinesthetic in their learning.  Give it a try!    

Back to School - Fortune Tellers

It's that time again!  I'm going to start posting some back to school ideas to get us focused on fun, engaging activities for the coming year.  Let's start with preparing some fortune tellers----or what we used to call "cootie catchers" when I was young.  Use this link to my web site where you can download the pattern:

http://cherylsigmon.com/pdf/fortune_teller.pdf

 It already has the numbers and words written on it.  Just make a copy for each student. They probably already know how to fold them to fit on their hands.   Use them in a number of ways:

1) Use them when you conference with students about fiction that they've read.  Hold the folded fortune teller in your hand and have them pick a number. This will get the conversation directed towards one of the story elements, and they can elaborate about that element.

2) Before reading, have students turn to a partner and use them to make predictions about the different story elements they choose.  Let them share why they make that prediction based on title, pictures, etc.

3) The fortune tellers can be used by partners or in small groups to absorb some extra time when that group has finished reading until the whole class can gather to discuss.  

4) Use it with the class to review and summarize a piece that's been read.  Just wander around the class, randomly choosing students to pick a number and share what they've learned about that story element.  

Remember that the basic pattern can be used and changed in endless ways----vocabulary words and definitions, text structures, math problems, etc.  Use your imagination!  

New Word Cloud

An assistant principal in one of my sessions in Brandon, Mississippi last week shared a new web site with me for creating unique Word Clouds.  I've been sharing wordle.net and wordsift.com, but tagxedo.com is unique in that it allows word clouds in shapes---whatever shapes the words relate to: Abe Lincoln's face, your own face, a house, etc.  As with all word clouds, there are a million ways to use them effectively in the classroom!  Give them a try!

Daily vocabulary lessons!

Scholastic says they're really excited about the release of my newest series this summer, and I am too! Fun, fast interactive daily lessons that teach language concepts while helping students develop fluency in reading, writing and speaking.  Titles: Systematic Word Study for Grade 1, Systematic Word Study for Grades 2-3, and...you guessed it!...Systematic Word Study for Grades 4-6.  You can pre-order by calling Scholastic at 1-800-Scholas(tic).  The books are scheduled for release in August---just in time for the school year!  With even 10-15 minutes per day, these lessons can make a difference!  

Important Summer Reading Recommendations

If you have a chance to recommend some summer reading for your students, don't overlook what's available on the Internet.  Why not add these good sites to your reading list:  www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news, www.weeklyreader.com/featurezone, kidsblogsnationalgeographic.com/kidsnews, and www.sciencenewsforkids.org.  In the 21st century, online reading skills are important to develop!  

Mining Your Heart

I "love" Nancy Atwell's idea of having students "mine" their hearts for writing ideas.  Model for them by drawing a big heart shape.  Then, begin to fill it in with whatever you hold dearest to your heart.  What do you care most about?  Put those things in the center--family, births, deaths, experiences.  There are always important things on the edges, too--your favorite chair on the porch, a dark chocolate candy bar....  Cram in as much as you can.  Then use those bits as springboards to writing.  Have the students do the same and fill their hearts with rich ideas to write about from now until the end of school.  I do believe what Donald Graves said, "Kids write best and most what they know best and most about."  And that is their lives and what's in their hearts!  

 

Multimedia Vocabulary--Easy and powerful!

Here's an activity that is guaranteed to help your students develop depth of knowledge about their vocabulary words.  Go to gotbrainy.com where your students can create posters that define words in a number of ways.  Let them choose and upload a picture that represents the word they've chosen (or that you've assigned) and write something that succinctly explains/defines it.  Allow students to present their words in this multi-media format.  The words are sure to stick with the creators as well as the class members to whom they're presenting them.  By the way, there are lots of good examples on the site for you to see.  It's easy to get started!  Let me know how it works for you!  

Allowing Students to Co-Teach

This is a great time of the year to acknowledge that your students have all become experts in some area of writing.  During your conference time in your Writing Workshop, zero in on whatever area of expertise a child exhibits---great leads, superb use of exclamation points, perfect groupings of paragraphs, lively use of dialogue, etc.  Use one of the child's writing pieces that demonstrates that feature and plan together to use it as a mini-lesson for the class.  When the time comes for the mini-lesson, have the student stand upfront with you at the overhead projector or electronic board to show his piece and to explain the feature.  Then, add his or her name to a chart in the room that proclaims him to be an expert.  Encourage other students to see the listed experts if they want to try that feature in their writing.  They can all be experts at something!  

End of the Day

In classrooms that are self-contained, if you've never tried an End of the Day Journal, it's not too late to try it this year.  At the end of the day, gather your students and write an entry into your "journal"---which could be at your overhead projector or on a flip chart.  Summarize the major things that you've accomplished that day.  Not only does this reaffirm to your students that their time has been well-spent with you, but also students are more likely to respond to the parent who asks, "What'd you do in school today?" since they've just thought about it with you.  

Bring out the riddles!

This is a great time of the year to model and suggest that students write riddles in a poetry format.  Just start them with: Who am I?  or What am I?  They're fun, fast, and creative...not to mention a good springboard for teaching verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech.  Here's my for  today...for primary students:

Who am I?

In school all day!

Blowing bubbles,

Flapping gills,

Swishing through cool water,

Swimming happily.

Showing shiny scales

Flashing sharp fins

Who am I?  

(a fish)

revising and editing

Are you sometimes convinced that your students spend more time erasing than writing?  If so, I have a simple solution for you.  First, understand the reason for the erasures.  The usual explanations for this are: 1) Some students want their first attempts at writing to be their final attempts!  They hate having to write pieces over again (...and shouldn't have to do that any more than necessary!).  Also, 2) A few clever kids erase a lot so that they don't have to write.  They're likely to be the same ones who sharpen their pencils endlessly or thumb through the dictionary with abandon (if you allow it).  Here are two solutions to the problem--all too simple.  Offer pens to your students to use during their drafting.  Even the little ones love to experiment with pens.  Of course, they can't erase with pens and must learn to cross out and write above.  Another solution is to furnish lots of pencils for writing---pencils without erasers!!  Just pop those little tips off so that no one is tempted to erase.  Problem easily solved!  

Comics for your kids!

You're gonna love this web site for students of all ages: MakeBeliefsComix.com.  Students can create short comic strips, choosing their own characters, dialogue bubbles, and features and can then print out to share.  This should get all of your students thinking and even the most reluctant writers moving!  

Developmentally Appropriate...or not??

 

I thought the following was an interesting quote, worthy of some careful thought as we consider how much we should or should not be adjusting our expectations of young children.  I would love to hear your responses to this issue:   “Is there anyone with a historical sensibility who can see how vastly we’ve shifted over two or three decades in our understanding of what children need?  I believe we need to keep a historical perspective in order to see more clearly how the concept of ‘developmentally appropriate’ has been perverted into a mandate to teach things that were clearly developmentally inappropriate 30 years ago.”  Thomas Armstong, learning and human development expert.  “Historical Perspectives on What is ‘Developmentally Appropriate'," The Whole Child Blog, Nov. 18, 2010.  

Tired of nagging???

At this point in the year when you're totally tired of nagging about capital letters, end punctuation, spellings, etc., give this tip a try.   Look at your students' rough draft papers and find those students who're getting those things correct automatically.  Declare them your "experts"---"Johnny, you're an expert at using exclamation marks correctly.  Would you be our class expert for exclamations?  If anyone wonders whether they should use an exclamation mark, you can talk to Johnny during our writing workshop." The same goes for paragraph indentions, good lead sentences, great closures, super word choices, and anything you can think of that would improve students' writing at this point. You might even give them a badge to wear---Put some of those old conference nametags to good use. Take out your name and put, "Johnny, Punctuation Expert."  Kids will feel special and may all strive to be an expert in some area as well!  Having students support each other as a community of learners should be one of our classroom goals.  

field trips on NO budget

No budget for taking your students on the traditional field trips this spring ?  Well, now you can go to some exotic places for new learning experiences.  Go to www.efieldtrips.org.  This web site offers a complete field trip to some remarkable places.  You can download a travel journal which can be used to evaluate students' participation if you choose.  Then, the site will take you on a virtual trip (many great sites listed).  After the trip, there are a number of interactive options: students can post questions that will receive answer, or they can be part of a web chat about the visit.  Safe travels!  

Good Writing Lesson

For those of you preparing for upcoming writing tests--or just trying to help students improve their writing, here's a lesson I did recently that worked well with 5th graders.  I gave each student a rubber band (and led them through a group promise not to misbehave with them!).  I read through a rather bland piece of writing with little to no sentence variety.  When I re-read it, I asked students to hold the rubber bands between the thumb and index fingers of both hands.  I told them I would pause at the end of each sentence.  They were to judge whether the sentence was short/simple, medium length, or complex/longer and stretch the rubber band to reflect the length of the sentence.  For the first text, their bands stayed about the same unextended length.  Then, I read an interesting piece to them, and we repeated the activity.  This time, we all observed the bands extending and retracting constantly.  The lesson made sentence fluency and variety more concrete and visual for these students. They discovered that you don't want all long or all short sentences in a piece of writing.  Then, they looked over their own compositions, stretching the rubber bands to see how varied their sentences were.  Many discovered that they needed to revise!  Hallelujah! Let me know if you try this.