Spring break is quickly approaching! I hope you all have a safe and relaxing two weeks off.
Most of you opted for your child's portfolio to go home after the break. Hopefully, you have had the time to go through it and comment to your son or daughter on their work. Please send the portfolios back to school before this Friday,1/11/08, as we need to begin working on them!
Exposition is a type of oral or written discourse that is used to explain, describe, give information, or inform. It “expose[s] the reader to something new.” The writer of an expository piece cannot assume that the reader or listener has prior knowledge or prior understanding of the topic that is being discussed. One important point for the author to keep in mind is to try to use words that clearly show what is being discussed rather then just tell the reader what is being discussed.
For the past week we have been working on our expository “how to” papers during Writer’s Workshop. We started by brainstorming ideas. We came up with lots of fun and simple topics from “how to make sunny-side-up eggs” to “how to throw a baseball."
Throughout the process, we have reviewed unique ways to keep our writing from sounding boring. We are using descriptive words like “the gooey mess is now... “ instead of “first,” “second,” or “then.” We are getting the reader/listener interested by starting with an intriguing beginning sentence. A sentence like “Did you ever wonder how...” gives the reader/listener a reason to want to read more!
We are looking forward to presentation day, which should be sometime next week. Be sure to ask your child what their topic is. You may be amazed at what they are informing the class about!
]]>"Good writers use all different kinds of words in their writing," a student said. That is correct. Good writers use synonyms and antonyms when they want to vary their word choice and analyze the meaning of a word.
The third-grade students are now very familiar with how each literature session works, thanks to the mentoring the fourth graders have been providing.
All the students are getting better at managing their time and completing their jobs and/or reading in order to be able to discuss the book with their group.
Literature groups also provide opportunities for students to study syntax. Students become more proficient readers when they understand language rules. We have already been working on finding nouns in our daily reading. Check out the photos in the gallery of our class working on this.
As we identify the different parts of speech through their reading, I would like to incorporate a fun project. I am asking that each student be on the look-out for leaves. Try to find at least three different kinds of leaves around your house and/or community. The more exceptional the better. Press and dry them in a book. Bring them to school Thursday 9/27 and Friday 9/28. Be sure to stop by our room the following week for some creative foliage friends!
If you would like to know more about literature groups, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Have a great weekend!
]]>Some parents were very impressed with their child's writing done through our Writer's Workshop, so I thought I'd give you some more information about how it's done. If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to contact me.
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum. Students learn to write daily through varied activities. In Writer's Workshop, students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic and develop it into an understandable narrative with a voice and focus. Students are now paying more attention to writing correctly and mechanics. Because they are allowed to choose the topic, students are motivated to create and complete works.
Peer conferencing can become a central part to the creative process. The Writer's Workshop format includes brainstorming (possibly with peer conferencing), revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. For the student, this teaching technique allows the opportunity to develop expression, revision strategy, and skill in writing, and encourages them to try a few new things during the revision process.
In our classroom, the goals are to challenge the students to expand their ideas in the revision process, not simply 'correct' the previous ones. This helps students become aware of writing for different audiences, create focus within a topic, and try to see the piece of writing from a distance. Because the student is naturally more aware of correct spelling and punctuation, more computer time may be appropriate. Brainstorming and first drafts may be done on the computer, and revisions can certainly be done effectively on one. Skills will still vary and progress at different rates, but most students who are familiar with Writer's Workshop will continue to enjoy the activity of independent writing, the power of their words to express thoughts, and the opportunity to describe experiences to classmates.
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