help! how do i teach writing? - how to homeschool my child · 3rd - 5th grade: how much writing?...

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Help!

How Do I Teach Writing?

Kerry Beck



Today . . . • How to Instill Confidence & Build Writing Skills

• How to Determine YOUR Role in Teaching Writing

• How to Give Young Children Tools to Experience

Success

• How to Keep Older Children Moving Forward

• How to Introduce the Steps of the Writing Process



How Do You Know?

On Grade Level? Or Not?

Wiggle Room



Kerry Beck

Writing Stages

Elementary: K-2nd

Key Word: RELAX

Elementary: K-2nd



K-2nd Grade Writing Abilities

• Most Primary Children – Pre-Writers

– Beginning Writers

• Fine-Motor Skills Vary



K-2nd Grade

Progression

• Write a letter, word or group of words

• Write a complete sentence

• Understand concept of

paragraph



K-2nd Grade: How Much Writing?

• Daily – 3 days/week – Copywork

– 2 days/week – Writing Activities

• 15-30 minutes per day

• 5-7 sentence stories

(by end of 2nd)



K-2nd Grade: Parental Involvement

• Parent Involvement is crucial

• Young children can’t learn to write on their own

Writing Stages

Elementary: 3rd-5th grades

Key Word: ENCOURAGE

Elementary: 3rd-5th grades



3rd - 5th Grade Writing Abilities

• Wide range of writing abilities

• Child A: Struggles to hold pencil

• Child B: Strong verbal skills, weak writer

• Child C: Emerging writer

• Child D: Independent writer



3rd - 5th Grade Writing Process

• Writing process can become natural

• We plan

• We write

• We make changes

• We write our final draft



3rd - 5th Grade: How much writing?

• Daily – 2 days a week – Copywork

– 3 days a week - Writing Activities

• 20-40 minutes per day (max)

• 8-10 writing projects per year

• Don’t rush into long assignments



3rd - 5th Grade: Parental Involvement

3rd - 5th graders need you to:

• Model & teach

• Oversee their work

• Participate with them

• Offer praise

• Give helpful feedback



Elementary Writing = FUN

• Builds confidence

• Motivation

• Excitement

• Positive learning

• Don’t wait until junior high

Writing Stages

Middle School: 5th-8th grades

Key Word: REINFORCE

Middle School: 5th-8th grades



5th - 8th Grade: Middle School

Lay a Foundation

• Complex Sentences

• Well-Developed Paragraphs

• Improved Mechanics



5th - 8th Grade: How much writing?

• Daily

• 30-50 minutes per day

• 8-15 writing projects per year

• Composition Length

• Stories or Essays = 1-5 paragraphs

• Reports = 1-2 pages



5th-8th Grade: Parental Involvement

• Students: Take more responsibility

• Parents: Remain purposefully

involved

Writing Stages

Jr & Sr High School:

7th-12th Grades

Key Word: FOCUS

Jr & Sr High School:

7th-12th Grades



Jr. & Sr. High School

• Writing: Most important

Academic Skill

• Most Visible: Expression of

What They Know



7th - 12th Grade: Where to Focus

Secondary students need to:

• Write clearly, concisely & correctly

• Develop research skills

• Vary their sentences

• Use correct mechanics



7th - 12th Grade: No Shortcuts

Teens need:

• Incremental Skill Development

• Relevant Writing Assignments

• Practical, Effective Writing

Tools

• An Involved Parent!



7th - 12th Grade: How Much Writing?

• Daily

• 4 hours a week

Junior high

• 2 short writing projects per month

High school

• 2-3 short writing projects per month

• 1-2 longer papers per year



7th - 12th Grade: Parental Involvement

Even responsible teens needs your participation

in the writing process.

• Break assignments into chunks

• Train them to meet deadlines

• Give timely feedback

Overview

Steps of Writing Process



Brainst

orming

Drafting

Revising

Feedback

Polishing

Prewriting



I Can’t Do This …

Nervous about teaching writing?

I never learned how to write.

I can write … but how do I teach my kids?



YOU Can Do This …

You can teach writing with confidence!

Pre-Writing: Model & Teach

Steps of Writing Process



Model & Teach at Every Stage

Unfair to expect child to do something that hasn’t

first been demonstrated

• Participate actively together

• Draw out responses

• Provide positive examples



K - 3rd: Model through Guided Writing

• Provides security through routine

• Models writing skills

• Gives child freedom



K-1st Grade: Prescribed Topics

Farm Animals

A lamb is a fluffy farm animal.

A rooster is a loud farm animal.

A pig is a messy farm animal.



K-1st: Predictable Sentence Starters

Example:

Hello, _______________.

Today is __________________.

It is ____________________.

We are going to ___________________.

I think ______________________.



K-1st: Predictable Sentence Starters

Hello, Tanner.

Today is Tuesday.

It is cold outside.

We are going to bake brownies after lunch.

I think I will take some to our neighbor.



2nd - 3rd Grade: Introduce Concepts

Introduce new writing concepts

• Beginning, middle, and end

• Rhyme

• Friendly letter

• Problem and solution



3rd-5th Grade: Model & Teach

• Do most or all of the writing.

• Demonstrate and teach skills.

• Work together to

create a paragraph



3rd-5th Grade: Dialogs & Prompts You: I like your idea about Sabrina Sea Bass and the kelp beds. How could we start the story?

Child: Sabrina Sea Bass went to the kelp beds.

You: Yes, she did. But before she got there, she had a problem. What was the problem?

Child: She got lost trying to find the kelp beds.

You: Why did she get lost?

Child: Because it was her first time going by herself and she went the wrong way.

You: That IS a problem! How could we use that information to start the story?

Child: It was Sabrina Sea Bass’s first time to go to the kelp beds all by herself.



Jr & Sr High: Model & Teach

Practice paragraph

• Acquaint student with the lesson

• Teach writing skills

• Work on whiteboard

• Participate with your teen

Pre-Writing

Steps of the Writing Process



What is Pre-Writing?

Definition: Anything you do before writing a draft!

Prewriting activities

• Stimulate vocabulary

• Spark ideas

• Inspire creativity

• Help kids have fun with words



K-2nd Grade Pre-Writing Activities

Kinesthetic tools

• Make learning FUN

• Take walks to observe and explore



Use Pre-Writing Games & Activities



K-2nd Grade Pre-Writing Tools

Word Banks

• Portable Word Banks

• Adjective Word Wall



3rd-5th Grade Pre-Writing Activities

• Games to teach Parts of Speech

• Word & Vocabulary Games



3rd-5th Grade Pre-Writing Ideas

• Where in the World Spinner

• Mix-Match Card Games

• Incredible Shrinking Machine



Thesaurus Activities Fantastic thesaurus

• The Synonym Finder

Thesaurus Game HowToHomeschooolMyChild.com/thesaurus-game

http://howtohomeschooolmychild.com/thesaurus-game





5th – 8th Grade: Writing Prompts

Five-Word Story Prompts

• Once upon a time there …

• The mystery began when they …

• In a kingdom far away …

• Once, long ago, a tiny …

• Last week, while digging in …



5th – 8th Grade: Sentence Building Games • An animal moved across the ground.

– Brainstorm to replace “animal” – kangaroo, giraffe, lizard, panther, frog

• A lizard moved across the ground.

– Brainstorm to replace “ground” – path, sand, rock, sidewalk

• A lizard moved across the rock.

– Brainstorm to replace “moved” – darted, scampered, scurried, hurried

• A lizard darted across the rock.

– Brainstorm to describe the lizard – speedy, alligator, brown, scaly

• An alligator lizard darted across the rock.

– Brainstorm to describe the rock – flat, red, rough, wide, sun-baked

• An alligator lizard darted across the sun-baked rock.



Word Games for Teens

Build Vocabulary with Games

• Scrabble ®

• Balderdash ®

• Scattergories ®

• Apples to Apples ®

Brainstorming




K-3rd Grade: Brainstorming

• Gather & Organize Information – Creative Ways

• Brainstorming Worksheets – Help Overcome Writer’s Block

– Creative Springboard

– Organize Thoughts



Brainstorming with Story Planners

Teach Young Children to Plan Story BEFORE Writing



K-3rd Grade Graphic Organizers Help Sort Ideas & Add Details.



3rd-5th Grade: Brainstorming

• Plan Story Details

• Develop Stories

• Do Simple Research

• Sequence events or steps



3rd – 5th Grade Graphic Organizers

Planning a

Letter of

Invitation

Planning Story Details



3rd – 5th Grade Graphic Organizers

Short Report

Planning Book Report

5 W’s – Story Details



7th – 12th Grade: Brainstorming

• Stimulates Thinking

• Prepares for More

Advanced Writing

• Develops Research Skills



7th – 12th Grade: Brainstorming

Variety of Techniques

• Freelisting

• Charts

• Mindmaps

• Diagrams

Rough Draft




K-2nd Grade: Focus on Progress

• Builds from Pre-Writing to More Independent

• Narration Stage: Parents as Child’s Scribe

• Independent Writing Stages – Sharing the Pencil

– Simple Sentences

– Simple Paragraphs – Beginning, Middle, End



3rd - 5th Grade: Focus on Content

• Writing Skills

• Developing Strong, One Paragraph

Compositions – Organized & Well Structured

– Intro, Body, Conclusions

– Story Details



5th – 8th Grade: Sloppy Copy

• Mastering Skills

• Develops More Advanced Skills – Sentence & Paragraph Structure

– Concrete Details

– Introductions, Transitions, Conclusions

– Wiser Word Choices

– Rewriting in Own Words



7th - 12th Grade: Drafting

Expands Content

• Narratives – Setting

– Character

– Plot

– Point of View

– Narrative Voice



7th - 12th Grade: Drafting

• Essays – Strong Thesis Statement

– Supports Factual Details

– Logic

• Refines Writing Style

Editing & Re-Writing




ALL Elementary: Gentle Correction

• Child looks for ways to improve

• Learns value of self-improvement

• Sees editing as natural part of writing



K-2nd Grade: Learning to Edit

• Parent Role – Edit Together

– Focus on Positive

– Make Simple Corrections

• Self-Editing Tips – Skip Lines

– Edit a Copy, Not the Original



3rd – 5th Grade: Self Editing

• Said It, Read It, Edit Bag ™

• “Job Well Done” Search – Child identifies things he did correctly

– Praise him!!!!



3rd – 5th Grade: Simple EditingTools



3rd – 5th Grade: Parent Role

• During Self Editing – Sit with Child

– Search for Good

• After Child has Finished – Try Colored Pens & Sticky Notes

– Don’t Cross Out

– Don’t Force Revision



7th – 12th Grade: Challenge

• Time for Teens to Take Responsibility

• Editing NOT = Punishment

• Proofreading Must Become Habit



7th – 12th Grade: Procedure

• Student Edits Sloppy Copy – Uses Checklists

– Makes Corrections

– Revises

– Submits for Parent Editing



7th – 12th Grade: Parent Role

• Three Drafts – Sloppy Copy

– Revision

– Final Draft

• YOU are the Safety Net

Final Draft




K – 2nd Grade: Publishing

• Kids Need an Audience

• Stories are meant to be Published

• Try Hands-On Projects



K – 2nd Grade: Publishing Published Stories are Final Drafts



3rd – 5th Grade: Final Drafts

Publishing is Still KEY

• Children need to Share their Work

• Putting Best Foot Forward

• Transforms Thinking from Writer to Author



3rd – 5th Grade: Publishing Ideas Hamburger Book Report

Paper covered

Chip Can

Holds Rolled-Up

Story Letter of Invitation

Short Report



7th – 12th Grade: Final Drafts

• Chance to Polish Paper & Present BEST Work

• Adherence to Conventions of

Formatting & Style

• Citing of Sources

Writing Genres

Elementary Grades K-5



K – 2nd Grade: Writing Projects

• Personal Experiences

• Fairy Tales

• Poems

• Simple Nonfiction Stories

• Friendly Letters

• Journal Writing

• Creative Stories

• Descriptive Writing



3rd – 5th Grade: Writing Projects

• Formal Letters

• Book Summaries

• Mystery

• Adventure

• Biography

• Narratives

• Folk Tales & Fables

• Informative Writing & Reports

Writing Genres

Jr & Sr High Grades



5th -8th Grade: Writing Projects

• Focused Writing • Descriptive

• Informative

• Narrative

• Persuasive

• Supplemental Writing • Poetry & Fiction

• Book Reports

• Letters

• Reports

• Current Events



9th - 12th Grade: Writing Projects • Creative Writing & Short Stories

• Business Writing

• Essays • Descriptive

• Narrative

• Definition

• Compare/Contrast

• Cause/Effect

• Expository

• Argumentative



9th - 12th Grade: Research Papers

• Continue Expanding Research & Writing Skills • Skimming & Note-Taking

• Organization

• Current Events

• Challenging Topics

• “Hooks”

• Conclusions

• Respecting Copyright



9th - 12th Grade: Research Papers • Short Reports of 2- to 3- pages

• Longer Research Papers • 9th – 4-6 pages

• 10th – 5-8 pages

• 11th – 6-12 pages (1 or 2)

• 12th – 8-15 pages (2 or 3)

• FREE Resource: OWL at Purdue • owl.english.purdue.edu

• Type RESEARCH in search box

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/



WriteShop for Elementary

WriteShop Primary

• K-3rd Pre-Writers & Beginning Writers

• Gentle Approach

• Guided Writing Activities

• Picture Books

• Crafty Projects



WriteShop for Elementary

WriteShop Junior

• 3rd – 6th Reluctant or Eager Writers

• Different Learning Styles

• Hands-On Grammar

• Writing Games, Journaling, Graphic Organizers

• Self-Editing



WriteShop for Jr & Sr High WriteShop I & II

• Confident & Competent Writers

• Sentence Structure

• Strong Vocabulary

• Step-by-Step Instructions

• Varied Assignments

• Graphic Organizers

• Checklists



How You Help Others

All profits go to:

Shelter the Homeless

International Project

Working with kids in

Orphanage & neighborhood

In El Salvador



How Can We Help YOU? $5 coupon on handout

We listen to find BEST resource for YOU!

help! how do i teach writing? - how to homeschool my child · 3rd - 5th grade: how much writing?...

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